Dragon Boat West

Thinking about getting a Merlin Ghost.  Made in Australia, and weighing in at 270g, it's quite tempting to get it.  I'm just a little concerned about its durability.  Has anyone purchased it, or knows of anyone who has?  What are your thoughts on the paddle?

 the problem with lightweight paddles can be wind making it harder to handle

Don't forget the instability during the stroke with light paddles.  You'll need a ton of top arm drive!

Yeah, the whole top arm drive is another issue to be reckoned with.

Interesting point about the top arm drive... I'm a ZRE owner which I believe is slightly heavier than the merlin but obviously on the lighter end of the DB paddle spectrum, I hadn't really considered that idea before... and to be honest i've never really noticed a difference in that in comparison to the rare occasions when i've used a wood paddle (though I was probably more focussed on the slow burn in my shoulders from the extra weight!) or even a "heavier" burn water paddle (take that "heavier" with a grain of salt, cuz it ain't that much heavier!)

I will however second paddleboy's comment about the wind.  Both trips I've made to San Fran, paddling into those insane winds in the afternoon, I've found the ZRE tricky to handle with the wind, almost feeling like the lack of weight and its inflexibility led to the wind forcing my paddle backwards, and me having to work a lot harder to get it forwards.  I suppose if I practiced and raced in those conditions more often I'd either get used to it or adjust accordingly but I think in general the inflexible carbon fibre paddlers will suffer in that condition and if they're very lightweight that probably makes it much more noticeable.

I remember seeing the merlin this season at a festival, I believe it was alcan, and the distributor had one opened up so you could see its construction and materials... it does look like an impressive product and they've probably benefitted form other manufacturers early mistakes, but time will tell.  It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has owned one for a season (or longer) and their experiences

Can't comment on the "Ghost" as I am not familiar with it but some years ago I converted from a wood Grey Owl  to an extendable carbon Apex, which was about the best paddle around at the time.

The difference in performance between the 2 paddles was enormous, and all in favour of the lighter Apex...however I did have to make some accommodations:

1. less entry effort (top-hand drive included) required for the Apex because it had less mass, it was less bouyant and its blade was thinner ...all this meant less resistance on entry.  However, by maintaining the same level of entry effort I found a quicker entry and the downward motion of the blade easier to stop as I transitioned into a catch;
2. surface area of the paddles was the same so theortetically wind and water resistance forces on them were the same.  However, the Apex was inherently less stable because of its lower mass, particularly during recovery in the wind and in choppy water...this meant slightly more stablizing effort with the lower hand during recovery in the wind and a much stronger lower hand grip in the waves.
3. All parts of the stroke, except the draw, were faster and tended to drive the stroke rate up...it took a while to become proficient at the higher ratio of propulsion to non-propulsion time in the stroke, particularly when paddling at a racing rate.
4. In training, particularly in steady-state drills, I found I preferred the heavier paddles simply because they gave me more of a workout.

In general, in part because of the high-efficiency, lower-mass, lighter paddles i think we are seeing increasingly higher stroke rates which in the past would have been considered almost "over-rate"....this high-rate paddling capability is key to accelerating during starts and for speed bursts and finishes, especially on the light-weight BUK boats which respond well.

Regarding getting a really light paddle - in my case the benefits far outweighed negatives regardless of effort in wind and waves and the new paddle also met the other important criteria (cost, IDBF conformity, rigid shaft, slim blade profile, durability etc. etc. and feel). 

However if I was converting from one carbon paddle to another carbon paddle, it is a case of diminishing returns in the high end paddles and questionable whether cost would be offest by a measureable improvement in performance (having a large bank account or wanting a new paddle as a fashion statement not withstanding).

I just bought myself a ZRE carbon fibre paddle before Kelowna.  No experience with the Merlin.

Things that I noticed in the transition between my wood paddle and the carbon fibre

I found that it required a lot less effort for the entire stoke.  I think my paddling gloves weigh more wet than my paddle.

Wind is a factor...as described in the above post, the larger mass of the wood paddle seems better in high wind. 

Waves...not too much of a factor.  We paddled in some rough stuff in Kelowna, and I didn't have any problem punching through the wakes of the speed boats driving by.

There is a big difference in stiffness of the paddle.  There is little or no flex with the carbon fibre paddle, which I noticed in my shoulder of my lower arm for the first while of using it.

Overall I am happy with the switch to carbon fibre and am very happy with my ZRE paddle.

one word....BURNWATER (is it one word?)
they have the new 1 piece carbon blade which I am going to test paddle shortly
Its lighter than my last Burnwater (last year, the new matte black one) so I am anxious to give it a try
I never used the Merlin but to handle it at Alcan but was not over impressed but it was light
Different strokes for different folks!

Burnwater's the next one for me.  Discovered after I bought the Chinook that oval shafts are more comfy.

And the solution for top arm drive and rotation is to find a coach that doesn't do either!

Personally the wind issue is noticeable when you're going against it, and that's with my 2006 Burnwater. I don't find tailwind to be much of an issue (pretty much most of Kelowna races were in tailwind), but you know weather will be a lovely female dog anyway. Beside, that'd also depend on the teammates' ability to not hit your paddle if you're concerned about its durability. But if you're getting the paddle solely for the races, I don't see it being enough of an improvement over Apex.

Hijacking the topic abit: What did BW do with their new paddle compared to the older ones?

Once you go black, u never go back? LOL


I talked to the Apex rep over at Kelowna, and they made it seem that the current Apex is the newest 1 piece blade...and it feels exactly the same as the older Apex build (2006-2007) imho.

My paddle is the Trivium S12 and its lighter than Burn Water and Apex substantially, but not as light as the Merlin and I found that the wind/waves has never been much of a factor, its just something that you'd adjust/compensate for.

Trivium FTW lol

WOW!
I gotta meet this guy!
 :lol:

I had a guy like that for high school team. <_< It's pretty relaxed.

I started out with a Chinook Diablo, and have switched to an Apex Accelerator.  Currently I have that "lighter is better" mentality.  With the Merlin Ghost at 270g it seems to be the lightest paddle out there.  Does anyone know of any paddle(s) that may be lighter than that?

I've always felt that a paddle doesn't make the paddler.  I feel that it's far more important for me as a paddler to work hard to develop good technique and build a solid understanding of the stroke mechanics.  A paddle is a tool that helps me get my job done, but it doesn't make me a strong paddler, even though it may be the lightest paddle available on the market.

:BS:
LIES!!!  LIES!!!!   my carbon fibre paddle makes me super duper fast.  I don't think i'd be as fast as i am without a carbon fibre paddle....   

I'm of the opinion the significance of the weight of a paddle being directly proportional to the paddler's skills. The lower your skills, the less the paddle will really help you. (Giving a Rec E team a full boat of Apex isn't really to going to save them a lot of time on the water.)

Different strokes for different folks...

Lighter does not mean faster or stiffer. I think if you can, you should try getting your hands on a Ghost and taking a few strokes with it. It's a lot of money to spend on something you're unsure of. You can grow to like it, or you may grow to hate it. It really depends on you.

I use a Typhoon 8 Carbon Fibre and even though some people have told me it feels awkward to hold and use because the blade is much heavier than the handle, I find that it has a momentum I use very well. Other cf's don't have the same weight distribution, and I find it awkward using a Burnwater even though others hail it as a god.  :?

I really love my Burnwater.  I have issues with my joints ( elbows, shoulders...)  I find the lighter paddle helps me to stay pain-free.  I do notice the wind more than with a wooden paddle, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.  You get used to the feel of it in the wind and find ways to compensate.  I can't say that it makes me a faster or better paddler other than the fact that not having pain makes for better endurance and technique than when in pain.  It would be interesting to see if an even lighter paddle like the Merlin Ghost would make any more of a difference.  I'm not convinced that the extra cost would be worth it.

Excellent advice right there.  I went out and bought a burnwater as my first cf paddle, just because it looked pretty and I wanted to feel "faster" when I paddled (honestly, those were the reasons I bought it).  In the lead up to Toronto and all throughout the CCWC, I used an adjustable Apex and found that to be more comfortable to use for me.  I prefered the way it was balanced, its weight, and as a bonus, its adjustability as I move around in the boat a bit.  When I came back, I bought an adjustable Apex, and to this date, I haven't used anything else.
 
Try out different paddles and see which one you like best, as I don't think they've gotten any cheaper since I bought mine. 

Hi cjl8651,

I know that this reply is much later than your entry and I would guess that you've already made a decision to buy a paddle already. But if not, here's my opinion:

I live in Australia and as a matter of a fact know the owner of Merlin and have been to his factory before to see the paddles as I live close to where they are. The Merlin brand started off a little bit iffy at first and since then have changed plants and moved their operations to a better factory with better Quality Control.

In terms of the Ghost, from what he has said to me, not many people have purchased it because it is too light. Reason why he designed it and put it into the market was because everyone was asking for a lighter paddle. Why not? No one complains about having a lighter paddle, it may take some of the fatigue if you do long distance Dragonboat paddling. But in perspective, it is so light that you don't even feel you are holding a paddle, and that can be a problem when you a whole boat is not using similar equipment. What I mean is that if you have a lighter paddle you may paddle out of time because others will be in time due to having the extra weight in their paddles.

Personally, I don't use such a light paddle and I stick with a paddle in a range of 400 - 450g so that I know I'm using something. A downside with such a light paddle is when it's windy, it catches the wind and you may lose your paddle or get out of control...

Anyway, if you're interested in finding out more about paddles and reading different reviews with opinions, visit my blog at: http://www.dragonglobe.com/reviews/

Thanks and hope you find what you're looking for.

Tyrone

Hi everyone,

Joining the topic VERY late, but perhaps I can still be of help to someone. I bought a Merlin Ghost at Alcan last year, and raced the heck out of it the rest of the season, including San Francisco. People, I LOVE this paddle. I also own a Grey Owl (venerable first paddle, much abused) and a Typhoon 8 Dragonfly. I practice with the Typhoon 8 for two reasons: slightly heavier, so better workout, and to preserve my Ghost for many races to come. I switch to the Ghost a couple of weeks before race day so I can refine my timing, which is very necessary with this ultra-lightweight paddle.

With regard to wind and waves, the adjustments seem slight and easy to make. Stability in the water has never been a problem in the slightest. The Ghost is the most rock-solid, power-hungry monster you may ever wish to encounter. I definitely recommend spending some time in the gym so you can use it to its fullest advantage.

With regard to durability, no problems so far. We got into some shallow water during one practice last year and I drove it down directly onto either a rock or something else hard that was on the bottom. I was horrified, to say the least, but there's no apparent damage. So, I'd guess it's not too fragile.

The Merlin people were terrific to deal with, always friendly and responsive when I had questions. Now, the heart of the matter: do you NEED a Merlin Ghost? I can't imagine that you do. I certainly didn't. But I WANTED it. Really badly! It gives me a little extra jolt of happiness every time I use it and I'm glad I bought it.

See you on the water...

Caitlin

yeap..it always boils down to the case of NEED vs WANT hahahah

Says he with the trivium  :P

In my case it was totally the WANTING more than the NEEDING hahaha

Besides, imho Trivium paddles are oh so pretty! not as light as the Ghost, but light enough.

hehe, looking at the prices of new burnwater paddles (250USD per paddle and I was looking for eleven!) trivium are looking affordable these days.

True enough. Maybe I should hop aboard the Trivium bandwagon and get the green-coloured blade + adjustability. :D

LOL, my red Trivium seems like the best color option imho, coz it looks cool! haha

wow, $250 US for the new Burnwater? that's a lot of dough..not as much as the $400+ Ghost mind you.

haha yeah, and the 250 US is at our GROUP BUY rate.

prepare yourselves for the burning hole in your wallets boys! hahah

I have a Merlin TD2. I love it. I love the Merlin brand, and when I get a new paddle, I will get another Merlin. Whenever I paddle, I let people try my paddle, and they all love it.

I have heard a rumour about a guy breaking his very light-weight Merlin in a race. I can't attest to how strong the paddle is, or if it is strong enough for the biggest guys in a team.

It works great for me, though.

The only thing is, you have to pay extra special attention when paddling into the wind.