Wave Kayak Paddle

I originally bought an extra long Cannon Wave aluminum paddle for use on solo canoeing, but I preferred using a single blade paddle. When I bought a kayak, I needed to get a much shorter paddle, so I called Cannon to ask them what they could do for me. They offered to exchange the paddle for one of the length I needed for a few dollars and the cost of shipping. A few days later, I had my new paddle. Paddle performance is excellent, this paddle really digs in and gets you going without any flex, flutter, etc. I couldn't be more pleased with the top quality construction and performance.

This review applies to the Cannon "Wave" paddles, 230 cm, carbon/fibre shafts, two-piece and four-piece, tested by both myself (6'1" 225 lbs) and my son (6'3" 185 lbs) on our Advanced Elements Expeditions with BackBones. We routinely maintained a 5-6 mph pace, did rapid stops, carved power turns, and tried our best to break these paddles. I do winter kayaking in Canada and have shattered glass and composite shafts in sub-freezing temps - which has left me a bit frosty on the subject! My aluminum shaft paddles get pretty darned cold in such conditions, and the advice to wear heavier gloves is not all that helpful. So, here are the Cannon "Wave" paddles, which, I am assured, will survive cold conditions without shattering. We'll see. In the meantime, here is a preliminary report:

1) The "swing weight" of these paddles is close to perfection. Although these are not the lightest paddles out there (Accents, for example, are as much as ten ounces lighter), in use, these "Waves" feel so light and so want to dig into the water that they are like feathers - one could swing them all day without tiring, it would seem.

2) The two-piece is ever so slightly better than the four-piece for balance, smoothness, and its tiny bit lower weight. The four-piece is my choice for traveling, though - and the two-piece is for local waters.

3) Both of these paddles really "grip" the water and move it along better than other paddles I have tried. This yields more power. I have tried to flex the blades but cannot because they are so rigid and stiff, which helps their ability to move water.

4) Although the four-piece is not quite as close to perfection as the two-piece, I have not encountered another four-piece as easy to use as this one. Even many two-piece paddles I have used (with composite, glass shafts) feel "clunky" and awkward compared to this four-piece "Wave."

5) All large-bladed paddles I have used "wobble" a bit in the water when one barely grips their shafts. This is also true of the "Waves," and I do not know if this is an inherent problem with all paddles of this design.

6) Next spring, I will update this review, after seeing how the "Wave" paddles hold up in cold temps. In hockey, carbon shafts shatter impressively, compared to aluminum or wood - let's hope that does not happen with these paddles. If they survive my (largely unintended) abuse, I'll gladly rate them higher.

I used the Cannon Wave kayak paddle today for 5 hours and found it to be a great piece of craftsmanship. My buddy had a rented paddle and it was like using two shovels. The Cannon was light, cut through the water easy and there was no flutter. I'd recommend it for anyone starting out as a great investment and good value for money.