Northwest Passage Paddle

This paddle seems to have garnered some negative reviews. One should put that in context. It is an inexpensive paddle, and even the manufacturer won't deny that. You'll see many instances of folks breaking paddles that cost 3 times as much, or having "warranty"-type problems with them. Another thing to note is that if you read enough reviews on this site, you'll find that most folks grant anything decent a "10 of 10" - not much migration to the mean here.

OK, the paddle. I've used it, maybe, 20 times over 4 years. Have also used Werners, Lendals, etc. I own 3 other paddles.

Advantages:
- Thin, low angle touring blade doesn't sail much in the wind, even unfeathered. Decent catch for it's shape. Good overall blade volume for touring. Materials appear to be durable (not "top shelf', but...). Inexpensive. Sometimes, dirt cheap if on sale.

Disadvantages:
- Some cavitation on sweeping blade. Not light, but not heavy for it's class. Shaft connector is tight, but fits better without the rubber gasket there ( no problem using paddle without it, and it fell off by itself on mine ). You look like you're swinging a cheap paddle (no "designer" cachet with this stick)

Overall, for the money it's a good auxiliary, or beginner, paddle. The narrow blades mean it stores well on deck as a backup paddle. If anyone says "I wouldn't trust my life to that paddle", ask them when the last time was they were on a remote area expedition. Yup....

I like this paddle very much, it is light weight at about 28 oz. It is a fiberglass shaft, the lightest in that series. I gave it a 9 because it's not ultra light, not to far from being so. Less than half the price under $150.00. best bang for the buck.

Not so sure what to think. This was my first paddle ever. I loved the low weight for the price. Much nicer than the aluminum paddles. The performance overall was great for the first 10 times I used it. This morning I snapped it in half. I am a complete rookie, have only been kayaking for about a month. I was playing around with wet exits and even tried to right my self (roll) this is when I felt the shaft crack right where the release button is. (two part paddle) I don't know if it was bad form (well yeah, did you teach your self to Eskimo roll?) of if the paddle could have been stronger. I tried to follow what was in a book. I positioned one hand close to the blade and the other closer to the center. When I made a huge and powerful sweep I felt it crack just as I started my "hip snap". I would love to hear about your experiences. Is it always this easy to break a paddle with just the resistance of the water? How about Harmony's paddles in general? Are one piece paddles stronger? And yeah, I know I need lessons. -Thanks, Steve