Gear Jabber
By Mike Toma-QWS Kayak Instructor

By far the most overlooked component within your kayak package is the stick, twig; you know the paddle. Whatever you choose to call yours, just make sure you don't call it insignificant! For those of you who have attended classes/schools and read the various paddling publications, you understand the importance of purchasing a quality paddle. I am one who will not argue this statement and whole heartily agrees it pays to be wise when purchasing your paddle.

Within my personal collection of paddles I own two wood and two carbon/glass. My focus in this segment of "Gear Jabber" will be on one of my wood asticks, the Tailwind by Bending Branches (BB). The Tailwind is available in four different lengths, 210cm, 220cm, 230cm, 240cm nd three different blade shapes. The Day blade shape is the widest and shortest of the three blades, 6.8" x 19". It is the most versatile and will excel in most waters and is a favorite of high-angled paddlers. The Evening blade is longer and narrower, 5.75" x 21". Paddlers touring in larger waters will appreciate the shape and its ability to slice through blistering winds. The Twilite is the smallest of the three blade shapes. It is designed for smaller paddlers, including kids, and contributes to a faster cadence. Of the three designs I am partial to the "Evening" blade because of the performance it provides in open larger waters. It has been identified by my peers that I am one who will not use my wood paddles in shallow waters for fear of marring this piece of art; therefore, the Evening blade satisfies my needs. The Tailwinds construction is derived from three of BB's core materials, butternut, cherry and basswood. The beautiful wood appearance is given a durable, low maintenance finish by using marine grade polyurethane and a caramel colored epoxy coating on the tips.

The Tailwind's forte is in the "Dripless" paddle design that is exclusive to the Tailwind. The "Dripless" paddle features a channel on the front side (power face) of the paddle that collects water and channels it to a notch near where the blade and shaft intersect. The water is then redirected downward off the paddle avoiding the paddler's cockpit. The adjustable 60 degree ferrule is standard on all BB wood paddles and functions flawlessly even after collecting small amounts of debris from the beach. My 220cm Tailwind weighed in at 38 ounces. It is my opinion that the weight of this paddle is conducive for day paddles or weekend touring in calm to moderate conditions.

One of the benefits of a wood paddle is the warm feel (actual handling temperature) a paddler experiences while holding it. This is appreciated more when paddling in colder waters, as I did this third week of November. All of BB wood paddles have flatter blades when compared to their composite counterparts. This is due to the absence of a spine which contributes to its clean entries and exits. A paddler will also notice the ease of executing draw strokes and sculling.

The crew at BB are paddle designers and manufacturers, period. Most of this is done by nature's most sophisticated piece of equipment, our hands. It is through this labor of love that BB paddles have yet to fail my paddle needs. I have practiced paddle float rescues until my skin had the appearance of a raisin. Though I am a smaller paddler, the stress I have placed on this paddle while practicing paddle float rescues has yet to result in any damage.

In closing I admit this is a somewhat biased review. The paddle is my very favorite piece of kayaking equipment and BB produces quality products at a fair price. The Tailwind's suggested retail price is $164.95 and I find it difficult to find any faults at this price. If there is a fault it can be found in their name, Bending Branches. Their name is misleading because BB does produce fine paddles utilizing aluminum, glass, carbon, and other engineered materials that cover the needs from beginners to advanced paddlers. A telescoping ferrule, exclusive to BB, and crankshafts are available on other models and are worth investigating. In the future I look forward to reviewing one of these non-wood paddles. For further product information please visit: bendingbranches.com