3pc Greenland paddle

Bought my 3 piece a few years ago. I've paddled it in WA, TX, FL and, this week, Alaska. Still in great shape and working perfectly. This time, however, TSA gave me grief about it, and wouldn't allow as a carry-on. Still, I've really had great use of the paddle.

Update June 2014
I reviewed this in 2011 [2011-08-30] after first using it a couple of times. As noted then and by others, the paddle isn't perfect. The joints do not line up perfectly, and for me at least the blade is too flat and results in a bit of flutter when pulling hard. It also leaks a little at the joints.

I almost sold the paddle a few years ago but decided not to and I am glad I kept it. Since then, I have taken it on several plane trips when going places on vacation and renting a kayak for a day trip. It is really fantastic for that. I take a along some duct tape to seal the joints so the leaking is not a problem.(Not a big problem anyway, but a little annoying).

Purchased this paddle Feb. 2013. I find it to be a moderately priced, moderate quality paddle. It's biggest virtue is that it's 3 piece.

The paddle is reasonably stiff and smooth. However, it's joints don't smoothly line up leaving ridges that the hand must pass over while manipulating the paddle. Compared to other carbon fiber paddles, I find it relatively heavy. I also find that the upper portion of the blade, next to the loom is fairly wide: wider than I personally like for the size of my hands, which are pretty normal. The loom diameter is comfortable, and the edges not too wide, though they could be thinner in my opinion.

All in all, a good backup paddle but not one likely to be my go to.

I paddle a hardcore layup Tiderace Xcite; I am an ACA L4 Coastal instructor with a Traditional Skills endorsement.

The basic concept and execution of the paddle are excellent. The loom attaches easily to the blade sections with stainless allen-head screws and the connections are rock solid. On my paddle, the mating of the loom to the blade section was very good on one side but less good on the other, with an imperfect seam of maybe about 1 mm - enough to be slightly annoying if you slide your hand over it but not a big deal.

I have paddled for about 5 years using Greenland paddles, first with a red cedar paddle made by Don Beale and then with Superior Kayak carbon fiber paddles, both a one-piece and a two-piece. The wood Beale and the Superior carbon fiber paddles have almost identical shapes. The shape of the Northern Light is different in two ways that don't work as well for me. One is that the loom is a bit more oval and the shoulder is harder. My first long day paddling with it, it felt OK at first, but I later developed soreness in my thumb that I have never experienced with my other paddles. The same happened after a second day paddling. After experimenting trading off paddles, I finally figured out that on the Northern Light I was hooking my thumb around the loom enough to pull a bit with my thumb rather than just my other fingers. It happens because the combination of the shape of the loom and the shape of the hard shoulder more or less forces my hand to fall in a particular angle that isn't optimal for my hand. I have bigger-than-normal hands and long thumbs, so this may be a problem only for my particular hands.

The second difference in the shape of the Northern Light compared to a Superior carbon fiber or Beale wooden paddle is that the Northern Light blade is flatter, less convex. I found that this induced a propensity to flutter a bit with my normal stroke. Again, this may be specific to my particular stroke and not happen for other people, but it is certainly a difference from my other paddles, which I cannot make flutter even if I try.

Compared to other carbon fiber Greenland paddles, the Northern Light is an incredible bargain - the three-piece is cheaper than other one-piece paddles. And the break-down into three short pieces is really great for traveling. So if it fits your hand shape and your stroke, it is a really great deal, and the paddle seems very well made and likely to last well. However, if at all possible, I would recommend trying it before purchasing. I bought it by mail-order and was not able to return it even with a discount when I found it didn't work for me. No blame to the seller, since there were no defects in the paddle, but it doesn't work well enough for me that I will use it in place of other paddles, even when traveling.

I gave it a ten because I think it is the coolest new product in several years. I have always wanted a paddle to take with me on trips, but only paddle with a Greenland paddle, so I had no good options until now. I also see some of my buddies with compact cars who really need a breakdown paddle, but like me, only paddle with GPs. This is perfect for them.

The Northern Light Paddle is a great paddle, not just for travel. It fits nicely in the hand. The shoulders are just right. It enters the water cleanly and there is no cavitation. It is very buoyant and good for rolling. I have put many miles on mine by now and continue to love it.

I am planning a trip on the Maine coast in a couple of weeks and plan to take the NLP as a spare on the back deck and probably one as my main paddle. I tested this idea, to make sure it would work. I put the paddle on my back deck with one blade and the loom held together with one screw. The other blade was stored separately under the bungees. Normally the 3-pieces are held together with two screws. I pulled the pieces off the back deck, put it together, minus one screw and paddled with it for four miles. It was as solid as if it had both screws in place. I also rolled a half dozen times, same thing. I think it is the best spare a person could have. One could also break it down in three pieces and put it in one of the hatches.

A great deal of work has been done to make the paddle extremely durable. Time will tell, but I have every reason to believe it will give many days of good service.