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Name: tmornstar
Most Recent Reviews
The Category 5 carves turns like a sports car hugs a rural road curve. The boat is very fast as noted by other reviewers. At an hour-long workout pace, the boat easily holds a 5.5 mph to 6.0 pace. One reviewer noted that there is no deck rigging on the fore deck. I found this as a good thing as we all have our own personal ideas as what works best. I easily added the decking on my boat and outfitted the boat to accommodate my model GPS and water bottle, map, etc. The previously noted sounds from the bow-wake come from the slight-sloping bow to increase the waterline of the boat. I have found that the bow's slight-sloping bow may snag and wrap leaves or grass more easily than a more exaggerated bow. This is such a minor issue, in my opinion, but noted here only in response to a previous reviewer.
In short, double thumbs-up on the Hurricane Category 5.
The paddle has an aggressive catch with the ridged and super-stiff blade. The stoke is well-balanced and smoothly exits. Balance and swing-feel is excellent. The beauty of this paddle is in the heart of the shaft. The shaft is a laminated wood, hollow core. The shaft is a little larger in diameter which for me reduces hand fatigue and allows for a larger push-area on each stroke. Another unique feature of the paddle is the indexing at the grip point. You will always know where the face of the blade is with this feature.
The best part of this paddle is not actually part of the paddle at all. The absolutely best part is how you feel after the paddle. With the combination of the stiff blade and a slightly flexing shaft affords maximum power-efficiency with less stress on your joints. Therefore, a long day on the water is enjoyed during and after your paddle. You can put that bottle of Ibuprofen that you leave in the glove box of your vehicle back in your medicine cabinet.
Double thumbs-up on the Saltwood Reggie
The paddle is artistic and beautiful. The blending of red and yellow cedar accentuates and compliments each other with beautiful grain and color contrast. The workmanship and design of art and function is excellent. However, for me the true test of a blade is how it performs on the water and not just on the beach or in the parking lot.
I paddle just about everyday teaching and/or for exercise and adventure. My Apostle has an excellent and aggressive catch with no flutter and a super-smooth exit. The swing weight is amazingly low for a wooden blade. The overall weight is on a par with most carbon-fiber paddles. The comfort of the shaft is solid and offers just enough flex while in full-power mode to lessen the likelihood of injuries.
A surprise to me when it arrived was the Lendal "paddle-lock" system at the joint. This is my first paddle with this connection joint and I now wonder why other manufacturers have not adopted this ingenious system. There is absolutely no slop or play in the joint but instead it is rock-solid.
In short, I could not be happier with this paddle. My Apostle has moved to the front of my paddle rack as my other blades are collecting dust. I just hope, as an heirloom, that my kids appreciate this functional work of art as much as I do. The company’s motto is: "paddle with soul." I concur. This blade has soul from which my own soul is invigorated when I paddle with this blade.