RICKA Sea Kayaking Forum

What's to come to my favorite sea kayak paddle?
Doesn’t bode well to the future of sea kayaking or does it?

Humm...maybe time to try a Greenland paddle.  No one can buy the brand out.  Anyone can contact me if interested in trying out a Greenland paddle.    If you really like the paddle, it is yours.   Here is one of mine at a Greenland Retreat in 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtjfdZ825UE

At 2023 Delmarva one auctioned for $400 and another for $350 . I had put several on the waterfront for people to try out.  People that attend Delmarva almost all use Greenland paddles and already have a paddle, but some want a better paddle.  

If you want a little more background, here is a video "A Beginners Guide to Greenland Paddles"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlbuVGtx3F4

Another one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fleRcLeAvDM

(05-22-2024, 12:03 AM)mkrabach Wrote: [ -> ]Humm...maybe time to try a Greenland paddle.  No one can buy the brand out.  Anyone can contact me if interested in trying out a Greenland paddle.    If you really like the paddle, it is yours.   Here is one of mine at a Greenland Retreat in 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtjfdZ825UE

At 2023 Delmarva one auctioned for $400 and another for $350 . I had put several on the waterfront for people to try out.  People that attend Delmarva almost all use Greenland paddles and already have a paddle, but some want a better paddle.  

If you want a little more background, here is a video "A Beginners Guide to Greenland Paddles"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlbuVGtx3F4

Another one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fleRcLeAvDM

Hi Mike, you're one of the people who convinced me to try Greenland paddles. Once I began paddling with a Greenland stick, I never looked back. After breaking two wooden paddles--the loom on the first wasn't beefy enough, the second had a flow in the wood on one shoulder.  I then switched to synthetic material. The first was a Superior Kayak single piece paddle, which was my go-to paddle. Later I bout two paddles from GearLab, which I still have, which are for sale.

The thing I liked best about Greenland paddles as an already aging paddler was the were kinder to my wrists, elbows, and shoulders. I also think they are superior to Euro paddles when it comes to bracing and sculling. Although, I never perfected a roll, I managed to roll up a few times, something I never achieved with a Euro paddle. My advice to skeptics: Don't knock a Greenland paddle until you've tried one.

Hey Mike and Fred,
I appreciate your enthusiasm for Greenland paddles however I'm not really interested in them.
I love a good light weight euro paddle especially when accelerating to catch a wave or rock gardening . Yes I know folks like them for those activities however what I find disconcerting is that a good company like Werner who made quality paddles is being bought out by another company and I'm wondering if the quality will be lost in the transition. I do think that it speaks to lack of interest in sea kayaking amongst the younger crowd.

- Jon

I think sea kayaking in the US has always been a niche activity - there is only so many people with access to good ocean views - and that consolidation in the market place is not always a bad thing. Werner and Jackson were both small family owned business and scale can make it easier to build better stuff at a lower price point.

Let's hope that the combined company will remain active in designing and manufacturing quality sea kayak paddles in the US. Combining both companies white water, rec, and SUP paddle manufacturing into a single cost center hopefully boosts profitablity enough to make up for any lag in the sea kayaking paddle space.

Whilst I am a dedicated twigger, I understand Jon's point that Greenland paddles are not for everyone nor for every situation. It is probably easier to generate a lot of power/speed in a hurry with a Euro paddle - not that it cannot be done with a Greenland paddle. It is definitely true that getting good instruction is easier for using Euro paddles.

The Greenland paddle space, now that there are some mid-sized, manufacturers making standardized paddles, will also eventually see some consolidation. It is an even more niche market than Euro sea kayak paddles  Fortunately for twiggers Greenland paddles are easier to make by oneself.