Oyashio Greenland Paddle

The blades are somewhat flat towards the end and rounded towards the loom. Absent is the characteristic "diamond" cross section you will fond in traditional Greenland paddles. The paddle blades are not thick, but the edges are fairly wide and the blade quickly flattens from them inwards.

Like the other review says, I would agree the paddle is a bit stiffer than a lightweight wood paddle. Not terribly stiff though. And that stiffness is not because it is made of carbon - my own carbon paddles are more flexible than most wood paddles - it's a design choice. I suppose, the longer versions will feel less stiff than the shorter ones if they are made from the same stuff (I have the 225cm Oyashio).

What all these features translate to on the water is a paddle, which is very nice to use either to cruise gently or to dig a bit more aggressively. It is forgiving and works well with or without intentionally canting it, but also responds well to a canted stroke. It does not mind how you use it, it won't complain or force you to use it in any particular way like some other paddles would. Low angle and high angle styles work well, as expected with a Greenland paddle.

The blades are nicely buoyant to lift out of the water nicely, without added effort. They are fairly quiet too (not splashing much on entry or lifting much water on exit).

Slicing the water is not as smooth and quiet as I like - the paddle is not a perfect foil shape, so while it is not fat, it is not as slicey as I would like. It does not have as much lift as other some other Greenland paddles K've used. Not bad at all and probably many won't notice, unless they do a head to head comparison with a thin-edged foil-shaped paddle.

I also think that the paddle is gentle and does not have as much bite during the forward stroke as a more sharp-edged paddle would have. That is not to say it is not powerful - I could dig hard and it won't complain or flutter. The difference is like using a wing paddle vs. a regular paddle - both can be powerful, but the wing paddle has that immediate bite even if you don't pull hard, where even large non-wing paddles feel "soft" in comparison. Same with the Oyashio - it has power if you want it, just gives it to you gently and gradually, without the locked-in and edgy feel my own paddle has. And the Oyashio is not as lively in the water as that home-made carbon Greenland paddle of mine (which is more flexible, with thinner edges, and better foil shape than the Gearlabs paddle). This could be good or bad, depending on where you are coming from. My paddle is exceptionally lively, perhaps could be annoyingly so to someone who does not want to think about it at every stroke and just relax and paddle. With my paddle I can feel the lift of the foil-shaped blade at the beginning, middle, and end of the stroke (and I can change the lift's direction halfway through the stroke: for lift going down in the first half of the stroke, and then lift again while going up in the second half of the stroke). Or I can use it as a wing paddle with a vertical stroke, going away from the kayak. And it responds instantaneously and the bite is immediate, even though my blades are considerably more flexible than the Oyashio's. The Oyashio, in contrast, is much more settled: it won't lash out and try to pull out of your hand due to generating a big lift. It won't try to lead you away from the kayak in a wing-style or surprise you and pull you under with a deeply canted stroke either. It is calm and steady, but it almost feels dull due to this, though it could also be described as settled and predictable. So not bad, just different.

Being hollow, you will more clearly feel it ventilating (pulling air bubbles underwater and making "scratching" noises) if you pull too hard before submerging it well. Not that it pulls more air under, you just notice it more. That's good feedback.

It is not easy to overpower it - it won't flutter under hard pulling, such as when catching boat wakes to surf. It won't flutter in easy use either - basically, an easy to live with and pleasant to use paddle. Just, I don't find it as exciting to use as paddles with sharper and thinner edges and livelier personalities.

Fit and finish are good, not perfect, though nothing serious to complain about. I have the matte carbon black finish. It is not made of one continuous piece or sleeve of fabric - there are several places where you can see pieces overlap. That's cosmetic only, and does not stand out much - you have to look for it. If you buy the white one, the white finish hides that from you. The black "naked" finish shows it all. The two halves fit very snugly, yet easy to put together or separate. No play or wiggle when in use. Can twist rotationally a bit if you tried, but that does not happen on the water.

Overall, a nice paddle that I could be very happy with, had I not had the chance to paddle (and prefer) other designs that offer a livelier feel, more bite during the stroke, and smoother slicing action.