Dragon Boat West

Anyone got one hanging around that they aren't using and are willing to part with for a reasonable price? The cost of a new one is a big 'ouch'!

Actually you can get a full carbon fiber from Pogue Sports for about 160, so not as bad as they use to be.   Pogue also has some carbon blade/ fiberglass shaft paddles for less then that.

www.poguesports.com

i've got a 51" burnwater that i don't use anymore.  might be selling it to a team mate though, so i'll check back with him first.  what is a "reasonable" price to you?  i paid $220 for it.

Ya, we're gonna give these Chinook paddles a try this week.  If they're similiar in quality to a Burnwater, I'll definitely be getting one...more than $100 cheaper!

Any chance you can let me know what your thoughts on these paddles are after you tried them out so that I can decide if I want to invest or not. 

Do they have samples we can rent for a practice or two (just to try out?) before buying one? 

I tried the Chinook a couple of weeks ago.  They feel and look like the SRS CF paddles.   Definitely not up to par against the Burnwater or Apex.  The Chinook paddle is a 3-piece construction with a plastic T-grip.  It is sturdy, and weights a bit more than the burnwater.  But I'm not sure how well the epoxy or the plastic t-grip will hold. 

never a smart thing to make a decision based on someone else's opinion.  what works and is comfortable for one person isn't always going to work and be comfortable for another. 

best bet is to see if any teams or clubs have any demo paddles, or contact manufacturers to see if they'll send demo paddles, and try them yourself.  thats the only real way to know if a paddle is "right" for you or not.

Ryan at Pogue Sports should have a demo available for you to try.

Yar, we'll work em over like rented mules and I'll put some feedback on here when I'm done.  Like Colossus says though, you should definitely try them out for yourself.  Ryan's a pretty easy going guy, I'm sure he'd be more than willing to lend out demos (if he has more).  Nothing like trying it out for yourself...to be quite frank, I'm a pretty insenstive guy (in ALL respects) but there's people on my boat with a lot better "feel" for this kind of thing and I'll try to get their opinion too.

I've got a 51" Grey Owl CF Jet I'm not using anymore. Looks to be constructed in similar fashion to the Burnwater, but feels very different in terms of weight distribution and on the catch. If you're used to Grey Owl woodies, this one is basically the same.. a smidge lighter than my 51" hi-po woody and feels much more buoyant on the exit. Got it during Kelowna 2005 (sept) and used it 2006 season. MEC sells it brand new for $175.. email me what u think is reasonable, and we'll arrange to let u try it out on the water.

cheers,
Will
[email protected]

I've got a 50" SRS carbon for sale, only used for one year,

it's lighter than the Grey Owl Carbon, though slightly heavier than a Burnwater, though it's the perfect weight for all conditions, from flat to windy,

pretty decent blade, with a nice curved T-handle grip, the shaft handles well and doesn't give you death grip,

pm, or e-mail for offer [email protected]

and of course you're free to try it out,

you guys are nuts to let people 'try before you buy'.  it's your dime of course, but no way i'd let some rook smash 'n bash on the gunnels, others paddles etc..

who says he is "some rook"?  and as a buyer, you'd be pretty stupid to buy a paddle that you've never felt [in the water] before.  so, what to do?  oh wait, here's a simple solution....  "you break it, you buy it". 

regardless, there is simply no way to be sure how someone treats a blade on/off the dock, if it's just you with your $200USD blade you'd like to sell, and want to keep it in saleable condition, then it'd be smart to think twice about lending it out all over the place.

it's a different story if you're a Mfg trying to move units and have a dozen extras to sacrifice as demos

and so you're still left in the stalemate of the buyer wanting to try it before he buys it, and the seller not wanting it out of his site.  and again, the simple, logical solution is "you break it, you buy it".  let that be known up front, go over the condition of the paddle before it goes out (or if you're super anal, go out on the water with them and watch them like a hawk), go over the condition when it comes back in, and if there is damage, BOOM!  sale made. 

My sister has a used car to sell you.  I think it's a 1978 Ford Fairmont.  She says it works like a charm, err, 0-60 in 2 seconds.  Would you take her word for it?   msn(6)