Molokai Paddle

It piddles! It paddles! It makes your deltoids skeedaddle! It tears your aching limbs off if you don’t show it respect in the form of a practiced yet strong torso rotation. If being in the doghouse is a sign of being a bad paddle, this carbon 220 cm Molokai is the resident rabid Doberman Pincher at the Werner kennel. Agreeing wholeheartedly with reviewer Sploosh below, I strongly advocate this paddle for a powerful paddler who is “one” with his (no “hers” need apply to team Werner Molokai—it’s not you, it’s the paddle) latissimus dorsi and serratus anterii (i.e. the trunk muscles). I'm a high angle paddler but this behemoth paddle can turn my shoulders into a slithering mass of black cherry Jell-o if I show it a hint of “arm”. Keep to the torso, and we are talking about a paddle that will accelerate with the best of them. Why wouldn’t it--the blade is the size of a snow shovel. Perhaps they should have called it the Werner Snow Devil.

Lightweight, my all carbon, bent shaft model is a pleasure to look at. It grabs a washtubful of water per stroke but exacts the toll from your shoulders; you can definitely feel it’s wrath after about 20 minutes of paddling. I would not recommend this paddle for an all day sojourn unless you’re name is Popeye and you remembered to put a can of spinach in your day hatch. I've learned to use a lower paddle angle for self preservation, but a Werner Camano would likely serve anyone better overall for a long tour. I use the Molokai with my lickety-split Prijon Barracuda as a workout paddle and it does excel if you will be on the water for a short time (30-60 minutes) and wish to develop a torso like Michelango’s David. If you are more the Jacques Cousteau-Marlin Perkins animal observer type, you will want to get no closer to Molokai than a trip to it’s namesake island.

Werner has, as of this writing, discontinued the Molokai. Too much liability with dislocated shoulders, perhaps. I own a large bladed Werner Corryvrecken fiberglass, which I enjoy soundly, and when I compare the blades, they are only slightly different in geometry, and about the same size. I am certain that the transparent, thin fiberglass weave of the Corryvrecken (still my favorite overall paddle) allows just enough “give” to make paddling it a pleasure. For even more ease of high angle paddling, I own and recommend the smaller bladed Werner Shuna—particularly promising for female and youth paddlers.

A definite 10. Strong paddlers will add mph to their boat with this paddle if they are moving up from the standard fair sold to noob paddlers. This paddle cut my times for 6 miles by 15 mins. I have paddled multiday trips with this paddle with 8-10 hours in the cockpit...and don't know why people say you can't paddle all day with this type of paddle. I paddle a 14.5ft boat along with friends in longer and faster hulls and this paddle helps me maintain a 4.0-4.5 cruising speed all day. Now all I need is a fast hull to match the paddle. Too bad they don't manufacture this model now.

See my review of the Molokai under the "Werner paddles" category. My review is date 1-28-00. Two years later, I still love it. Strong, powerful, a MAN'S paddle. Buy one! You won't be sorry!

Wow! I have a Wilderness Systems Tarpon, and wanted to get all the speed out of it I could. Tried a couple of other touring paddles, and my retailer suggested I try the Molokai. The combination of light weight and really powerful stroke force is AWESOME. If you are fit and want to make your kayak accelerate pronto, then maintain flank speed with minimum exertion, I challenge you to find a sweeter paddle. I am 100% hooked on this BadBoy!