I picked up the 32oz. bent shaft model. It was on clearance (end of season) at MEC, and I couldn't resist the $135 price tag (about half price), even though I just picked up a higher end model of their Diamond series a few weeks prior.
The added weight isn't prohibitive compared to the full carbon model, the shaft is carbon, and the blade is a fibreglass over foam setup. The foam in the paddle blade seems to lift the blade out of the water making setup for the next stroke almost effortless. The ergonomics of the bent shaft work for me. It's my first, so I wasn't sure. I've bought my last straight shaft paddle.
My other paddle (22oz) seems almost too light. When the wind catches the blade, I've almost lost it a couple times. High wind with this paddle isn't an issue for me.
I've really experienced no negatives with this model. It's not a 10 because I don't know how it will stand up to the test of time yet. So far so good. Last point on aesthetics, the red on one side, and white on the other paddle blade is unique, and I get a lot of comments on it. I think it's cool too.
