Werner Powerhouse Carbon Paddle - Straight Shaft reviews and deals for sale

Good paddle

I've run up to maybe class IV-/IV with it over the past couple years. Gotten trashed several times. It's wearing very well, hit it on plenty of rocks and it has not lost much material. Feels solid. I throw pogies where I want my hands and add nylon tape on one side so I can tell better if I'm getting un-centered. Also, fun fact, cloth tape leaves a nice sticky residue that helps… read more with grip even after you're no longer using it as a bandage

Seemingly Unbreakable

I am the third owner of my Carbon Powerhouse and am incredibly impressed with it. It has been abused in CO mank, survived the Payettes, hiked up and down the Sierras, and has seen its fair share of PNW gorges. I paddle with it about five times a week and depend on it to keep me and my crew safe, I wouldn't trust another brand than Werner for this. I really enjoy the light and… read more slicey feel of the Carbon blade. It can be used to take any stroke while offering an enormous amount of catch. Although I do not playboat much, I have done a fair amount of spontaneous playboating and it holds up great and I know the paddle will not break on me in a hole. Also when using it on hikes or to set up a tarp for camp, I have never worried about the blade breaking on me. This thing is crazy dependable!

Not recommended

I'm going to say that I had high hopes for this paddle, but the blade impact strength is poor. So poor in fact that the paddle arrived with the end of the blade folded over. The shipping box looked virtually unscathed. I called backcountry, the return process was easy so they get 5 stars for customer service and I called Werner, (who also gets 5 stars for customer service. )… read more Werner, without saying the blades sucked, said the blades sucked. The guy on the phone highly recommended the Werner Powerhouse paddle with fiberglass blades. Here is the reason. They only weigh 9g more each blade, and fiberglass is many times more impact resistant than carbon fiber. Cheaper too! My daughter has now had the chance to use this on the Ocoee and on other class 4 and 5 rapids and loves it. She says it pulls easy and is fast. If I were Werner, I would make a carbon blade with 10% interwoven glass fibers. This is what they use on aircraft and bike parts that need impact resistance. It gives the lightweight strength of carbon, but by adding the small amount of glass, it greatly increases the impact strength, with little change in weight.

Weak paddle

This paddle is not what I thought . It is of poor quality. The seams are full of glue and the finish is terrible. I took it kayaking twice and now it has a hairline crack on the R. paddle . I thought Werner was a good product. I guess not. I will never purchase this brand again. So disappointed.