Seaquel

Hey, this is an entry-level paddle and was never intended to compete with top-end touring gear. With that said, it's well-designed for its purpose. The blade design has a good clean catch, very little if any flutter and is definitely a vertical-style power blade. Great for pushing those 60-pound, 30-inch beam SOT's around, which is why I bought mine.

The thing's about as delicate as a WWII army shovel,weighs a bit less, and is just as good for digging clams. (Actually, twice as good, if you break it down and give half to one of your buddies.) After 4+ years of use and abuse by myself and friends, the ferrule is still tight, there's a little vinyl wear on the shaft, and the driprings have been replaced. Yeah, and the blades are a little scratched from clamdigging and fending off rocks. Beyond that it's good as new.

A while back, I stepped up to a touring-type boat and acquired a touring-type paddle. Now the Seaquel sits on my afterdeck, not only as a spare and a camp shovel, but also for surf and rock gardens and other odd occasions when I want a bigger blade or just don't want to bang up the Werner.

Good design, cost-effective, rugged as hell. A 9 just because I haven't tried 'em all, yet.

I have a 230cm SeaClude. It's the yellow one, whatever that is. I've had the pleasure of wearing the markings off of it in Galveston Bay. My first impression was how "smooth" the paddle is. I really don't see the point of swapping big bucks for just a few ounces of weight reduction. Okay, it's rugged. But I can't take mine apart anymore. It fits in the truck anyway. I think the reason it's stuck is because I wiped out my WS Manteo in the Galveston surf and somehow the kayak wound up on top of the paddle. It doesn't feel bent. Luckily, it's stuck in the feathered position, and the rest of my family likes a straight paddle, so this one's mine. Yeah, that's cool.

I use a 210. Great, cheap whitewater and surf paddle. The large blades can move even a short heavy boat out of harm's way quick! This is one tough paddle. I use mine a lot and can't believe the abuse it has taken.

No, This is NOT a good touring paddle. If you want a touring paddle look at an Aquabound Seaclude in 220+ Still heavy, but smaller blades.

I really feel the previous reviewer made an invalid comparison of the Seaquel to a carbon San Juan. C'mon! Apples and Oranges! I own and have used both. The Seaquel is a fine entry level paddle that can provide nice acceleration for a strong paddler. And, if you're getting tired, just flip the paddle and use the short side of the blade for relaxed return legs. An important consideration is shaft length. Since the blade of the Seaquel is somewhat short, the 240 shaft is like a 250 in any other paddle. That makes it a handful for most people, and can tire your arms out if out there for a couple of hours. You might want to consider going down to a 230 in this model. It takes plenty of abuse without being marred, and the connection is nice and tight. So, it's weight versus budget versus sophistication. If you are just getting started, on a budget, or have good strong arms, then this is an OK paddle. When you get more sophisticated and notice accumulated paddle weight, then by all means go to a Werner or similar premium paddle, for 2.5X the price but .5 the weight. And keep the Seaquel as a backup paddle.

I got a Seaquel as my first paddle. It started as a 240, but I cut it down to 220 after a couple of seasons. I tried a few other paddles as I searched for a lighter replacement with smaller blades. At 240, the paddle was quite a handful. I keep it now for a spare or for when I expect to try abusive maneuvers among rocks. Settled on a 220 Aqua Bound Expedition AMT for my general touring needs. The Seaquel is a great value in a large-blade touring paddle, but gets heavy after a while.

Great paddle that takes alot of abuse.