Bending Branches Kayak Paddle Review
Last summer I purchased an Old Town NEXT canoe, which is a hybrid canoe / kayak for a solo paddler. I’ve been super happy with the boat but I felt I was not getting the most out of it because of the paddle I was using. A bunch of years ago I picked up a whitewater composite paddle at a yard sale for $20.00. While I liked how light it was, with the NEXT canoe it was just too short. So I ordered a 260 mm Bending Branches kayak paddle.
There is something beautiful about an all wood paddle and when I saw the Bending Branches Impression basswood kayak paddle, I knew I had to give it a try.
The Specs:
Choosing the Correct Size
The kayak paddle I had been using was too short for the NEXT canoe. I would regularly bang the gunnel of the canoe with the paddle and the desire for a longer paddle was the driving force in my decision for a new paddle. Following the guidelines on the Bending Branches sizing chart , I decided to go all the way with a 260 mm paddle, the longest kayak paddle they provide.
First impressions
What’s the first thing I do when I get a long paddle, I go paddle the tight confines of a flooded timber of course.
Maybe not the best choice for a place to test out the new paddle, but the South Carolina hog hunt was the first chance I had to use the paddle. While paddling the Pee Dee River between hog stalking the swamps, I was able to stretch my paddle strokes and begin to get a real feel for the paddle. The first thing I noticed was the amount of power increase with each stroke over the short paddle I was accustomed to using. The longer stroke and more face area on the blade improved my cruising speed and efficiency up river.
When it came time to stalk in on some feeding feral hogs, I was able to quietly and quickly separate the two piece paddle and I used one half as a traditional canoe paddle. It worked and I was able to get within range and harvest a wild hog from the NEXT canoe.
The Real Test
The winds blew from the north. The outgoing tide fought the wind, pulling water in the opposite direction. A one to three foot chop resulted from the tide / wind battle.
Taking refuge in a cove after paddling against the tide and winds.
Final Take Away
