These paddles have taken me…
Submitted by:
paddler872453
on 9/11/2020
These paddles have taken me on many rivers and lakes for 16 years, i love them, not one nick. My whole family uses bending branches with no complaints. Excellent
Didn’t even make it one…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 9/7/2020
Didn’t even make it one season as a spare paddle. Blade snapped off while unloading it from the deck bungles. It maybe only saw 20 miles of actually use since we got it. Performance was middling at best. The blade tends wander through the water.
The paddle is extremely…
Submitted by:
paddler417547
on 2/7/2018
The paddle is extremely light weight and easy to use in my 33" wide kayak. I've used it on rivers and lakes with sandy bottoms and rocky bottons with virtually no scratches. Even a few oyster beds. Bending Branches makes their paddles out of quality aluminum for the shaft and the blades are a high quality plastic.
The Bending Branches Whisper…
The Bending Branches Whisper paddle is a solid, no frills, aluminum 2 piece paddle. Though a bit heavy, the oval shaped aluminum shaft is easy to grip and the connection between the two pieces feels solid. The plastic blades have been showing a lot of wear from a minimum of use though so, not sure how long they will last. But, at the price I got mine for, I can just buy another one once the blades wear out and I will still be spending less than I would have on buying one premium paddle.
New to kayaking. My wife and…
New to kayaking. My wife and I each bought one of these paddles. They feel strong in the hand and feel like they are well made. No complaints and a great paddle for what we are doing!
Great paddles, light weight,…
Submitted by:
paddler235670
on 7/3/2014
Great paddles, light weight, smooth easy grip, and held up to some abuse on river trips with some class 2 and class 3 rapid sections. My wife has a higher end BB paddle, yet I like these better.
We have been using the…
Submitted by:
lynnew
on 7/29/2013
We have been using the Whisper paddle from Bending Branches for three years. We like it a lot. We are beginning kayakers and nearly always on calm waters, but have lent the paddle to friends who are more accomplished. They liked it too.
It is light weight, especially for the materials (aluminum shaft, plastic blades). Our friend who borrowed it has other paddles of fancier, lighter weight materials. She was surprised at how light weight this paddle was. You can butterfly the blades or have them straight. Our strokes are powerful enough for our paddling, but we can't compare it to other paddles.
So, why not give it a 10? A few reasons. First, a product has to be perfect to be a ten. This one is a great product, a great balance of cost and performance, but perfect? That's a tall order. Also, I'd prefer a material other than aluminum for the shaft for safety sake (as in lightening). But for the cost, this may be one of the best paddles out there!
The Bending Branches Whisper…
The Bending Branches Whisper paddles are great entry-level, recreational paddles. You can't go wrong for the price. I bought a pair of these with my first kayak. Later, I "up-graded" to a pair of slightly lighter paddles that cost twice as much. I soon found myself going back to the Whispers.
I just like the way they paddle so much that I got a second pair. These are very durable. I don't have to worry about stabbing them into the sand or rocks to push off. The have three adjustment holes for feathering. The shaft is strong and forms a firm connection when snapped together.
They are not the lightest of paddles, but you'd have to pay several times the cost of the Whispers to get high-end paddles that make a significant weight reduction. I believe that the Bending Branches Whispers are an exception to the "you get what you pay for" rule. They are well worth what they cost. I gave them a "9", because I had to file the snap-hole on the second pair to get the snap to set correctly.
I debated getting a…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 7/26/2013
I debated getting a fiberglass or carbon fiber Kayak paddle, but was told that I would be very satisfied with an Aluminum shaft. They were correct! The Whisper is just fine. I do not notice the extra weight at all. I like the 60 degree offset for feathering the paddle in the wind and the oval shaft and dihedral paddle blades mean I do not have to grip the shaft hard.
I no longer think one has to pay a lot of money for a paddle to enjoy Kayaking.
This paddle works great; no…
This paddle works great; no fatigue whatsoever. It pulls through the water great. However the shaft diameter is too thick. Especially for a woman's hands. My hand is 7 inches exactly. Its too easy to get a blister and I found the large diameter aluminum shaft distracting. I like the brand a lot. I upgraded to Bending Branches Sunrise with fiberglass shaft. It seems like it will work better for me. The shaft is smaller. I will review it once I get it out on the water...
My friend and I love these…
Submitted by:
joyous
on 8/12/2008
My friend and I love these paddles! They have a lot of the features found in those costing considerably more. The grip is comfortable and the blades can be feathered. On day-long paddles on quiet rivers and lakes, they are light enough that we don’t experience paddling fatigue. We haven’t babied them; their rigid construction has dug us out of muddy landings and pulled us through weed-clogged passages. They are a good match for our folding kayaks; everything can be stowed inside the car (or the airplane).
The Whisper has been perfect for the beginners we were, and will serve us for a long time to come.
I bought this paddle because…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/29/2005
I bought this paddle because it was listed as a beginners paddle, and I'm just that! I've used other paddles with my boat, and this one performed the best. (I have a Wilderness systems Ripper) Although my boat is normally slow moving, this can give it some kick. I am a smaller person, only 5'3" and I find it fits my hands great, better then many other paddles. The only reason it is getting an 8 is because it doesn't have any of the nice padding other paddles have. I get blisters on my hands pretty easy when I use it, but other then that, great paddle.
Very pleased with the…
Submitted by:
paddler230093
on 6/18/2004
Very pleased with the "Whisper", well made, not much to complain about. The only problem I have is the shaft diameter is a little to large for smaller hands. Overall great product for the beginner at a good price.
38 ounces, aluminum shaft…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 7/28/2003
38 ounces, aluminum shaft with rubber grips, assymetrical cupped blades, adjustable for feathering. This 7 rating is very positive. For an inexpensive paddle, the Whisper does quite well. I bought the 240 which is technically too long for me, but I knew after my demos that I did not like the 220, and the store did not have any 230's in my price range (good hints for Christmas presents, eh?). However, the extra length did allow a lot of force to be placed while paddling, and it also allowed a bit of extra reach for various reasons. This paddle got me where I was going, and I never noticed excessive weight, so I'll keep it. Note that with an aluminum shaft, it could also be cut off and the feathering holes re-drilled to make a shorter paddle for a youngster or shorter paddler. Would you cut off your kevlar shaft paddle?
