About The Raft Paddles

There are not many options when it comes to buying your own raft paddle or guide stick and even fewer when it coms to wood. My raft paddles are made from the same 2x4s that my Greenland paddles are with the exception of a hardwood core down the center of the paddle for added strength. This strength is needed when making strong pry strokes. The paddle features the hard wood core but also incorporates a hardwood edge for blade protection from rocks then a light cover of fiberglass. The weight of the paddle is not the lightest on the market however when the blade is put in the water, the buoyancy of the wood makes the paddle light as a feather and actually pushes upward. “don’t be worried about this paddle sinking”. Another unique feature of the paddle is the blades profile while sculling. The paddles profile rises and lowers evenly from side to side making sculling and maneuvering the blade in the water is quite effortless. The size of the blade is similar to most raft blade sizes and does not feature the larger blade that the Carlisle guide stick has. This creates less force in the water per stroke but ends up saving your shoulders after a day guiding on the river. The shaft of the paddle is ovular in shape that makes it easy to grasp and stronger when paddling.