Abahub 1 x Carbon Kayak Paddles, 90.5 Inches Kayaking Oars for Boating, Canoeing with Free Paddle Leash, Carbon Fiber Shaft Black/Blue/Green/Orange/Yellow/White/Red Plastic Blades

Weight was not an issue with my aluminum paddle, so I never thought about a carbon fiber paddle. One day fighting a nasty current, I noticed my paddle had kinked, and was bending. Time to replace it. I ordered the blue version of this paddle, since it was on sale, and matched the accent color of my kayak. I doubled up on the blue silicone hand grips to give me a wide grip, and prevent a clunk when resting the paddle on the gunnels. So weight saving was minimal. I was amazed by the lack of flex! Paddle flex is power lost. All the kayak rentals use carbon fiber because of the durability, so I know it will last. And its only .045" thick material! I am sold on carbon fiber!

Bought this for my wife after she tried my sisters carbon fiber paddle. This is a great paddle, its lightweight, sturdy, and so far it's durable. It seems to be made very well. There is no grippy rubber surface where your hands go so i also picked up a set of "Ayaport Kayak Paddle Non-Slip Silicone grips" which my wife loves but they are easy to slide around on this paddle. I guess the carbon fiber shaft is a touch smaller than the inside of the silicone grips, I am thinking about using some clear silicone to glue them in place. Other than that I'm ready to get one for myself!

Update: This paddle IS a five. I’ve owned it for a year, and based on its length, I’ve used it to paddle a big heavy rental canoe, Kayak style at over 4.4 mph, and also on big heavy recreational kayaks also over 4.5 mph. If you’ve got the muscle, this paddle will apply it. No flutter, just rock solid performance and value for the money. The tolerance I referred to in my original comment is undetectable. It is five stars.Here is original comment: This paddle could easily be a five if the manufacturer would have done a better job in the tolerance of the male to female shaft connection. It is a little sloppy, and the spring clip receiver holes are a tiny bit too large. Otherwise the paddle is reasonably light, especially for its price point and feels as good as my aqua bound stingray hybrid paddle that costs much more than double the price. This paddle grips the water better than my stingray paddle too. If they would just go the last 2% in their manufacturing, they’d have an incredible paddle for the money. I just took the paddle out on my 60 lb tank of a kayak Wilderness Freedom 15 and held over a 4 mph average for 5 miles doing high angle paddling, so this paddle is VERY capable for its price point.

I've only come across two cons to this paddle, only one of which cannot be easily resolved. First, there is no grippy rubber/silicone surface where your hands go. I like to have that on my paddles. This is easily remedied by picking up some fishing rod heat-shrink grip tubing. The bigger issue will only be noticed if you've used a paddle with a larger blade in the past. The blade on this paddle has significantly lower surface area and the curve design is less aggressive than my other paddles. I did a side by side comparison in fairly swift water and the difference was noticeable but not reason enough to return it. It just means I will get a slightly better arm workout with this one. :) I like the finish, which is more of a matte/flat carbon than my other paddles.

Strong, light, affordable paddle

Purchased for my wife who was using an aluminum shaft but didn’t like the weight. I’d been looking at other carbon fiber paddles for her but didn’t care for the price points ($300 range). This paddle seems to be identical in quality, and she absolutely loves it. The fact that it comes with a paddle leash- which is also well made- is a nice bonus.

I wasn’t sure if getting a lighter paddle would make a difference, but it absolutely does. I do several hours of mostly stillwater kayaking daily and it’s much easier with a carbon fiber paddle. Good price and good product!

I ended up buying one and liking it so much I bought a second one. They’re super light weight and perfect since I have shoulder issues.