Dragon Boat West

I'm trying to chose at the moment between a Merlin CD2 or an Apex Accelerator -any ideas, or other suggestions, to confuse me even more ! Thanks.

 Apex ..... hands down

I agree.

Apex.

I have numerous paddles: Grey Owls (3 different types, actually), Burnwater Reactor, Burnwater Reactor II, Kialoa Hybrid, and ZRE Dragon XL.

No need to comment on Grey Owls.

I wrote a piece on the ZRE Dragon XL in the most recent addition of Dragon Boat World International Magazine, Page 47.

I did a comparison of the Burnwater Reactor II and ZRE Dragon XL (http://readyandreach.wordpress.com/2009/10/03/paddling-under-duress-zre-dragon-xl-or-burnwater-reactor-ii).

I wrote a piece on the Kialoa Hybrid (when it was a protoype).  http://readyandreach.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/kialoa-dragon-boat-hybrid-paddle-the-rr-review/

My 2 favorite paddles are the Kialoa Hybrid and Burnwater Reactor II. I practice with the Kialoa and race with the Burnwater Reactor II.  

If I had to choose only one, it would be the Burnwater Reactor II.  In my opinion, nothing beats Burnwater entry.  As for the bubbling issues, Arin seems to have his manufacturing issues resolved as he recently moved manufacturing down to San Diego and has taken care of every person on my team that has had this issue.  I'll be doing a piece for readyandreach.com and Dragon Boat World International Magazine soon on Burnwater and its Reactor II.

As for the Apex and Merlin, I have paddled briefly with the Merlin and have compared it to the above paddles.  The blade tip of the Merlin is blunt compared to the Burnwater and even the Kialoa.  I don't have much experience with the Apex but visually, I can't get over the shape/look of the raised surface of the face at the top of the blade near the shaft.  

In the end, any paddle you choose will be fine, what really matters is how well you use it.  :)

Cheers.

Hope that helps!

Go Apex. 

Merlin has this cheap paint over it that chips and weighs the blade down.  It also doesn't feel balanced and has an odd swing weight.

paddleboy and rtsdhy -why the Merlin ?

I don't find the Burnwater site very informative so hard to glean info. about that one.

I have paddled with both and have broken both... I know long story... FYI 30 days replacement on the merlin 1 yr on the apex and easier to deal with because they are a Canadian company. 

ANYWAY... I do perfer the Apex because of the weight distributon and the feel, the paint does weigh the merlin down and it has a thicker blade profile making the entry slightly less smooth.

Additionally the water feel of the merlin was slightly different and more prone to 'feedback'... think it may have something to do with the shape of the blade face and the way the shaft is afixed to the blade. 

Sooo... unless you want the Ghost at $450 or whatever it is... go Apex

I've just bought the Apex (but am in Australia so would have got better, quicker back up from Merlin)..but that's ok, heard too many quality issues about Merlin and it put me off. I'll let you all know how my Apex goes !!

I'd go with Apex too, just not the one with the adjustable grip.

IMO those Merlin paddles with the "trident" like design look somewhat ridiculous, and we all know looking good while paddling is the most important thing.

Didn't you know that the trident gives you an extra 5 HP during power 10s? ;)

I have used the Apex Accelerator for one season and found it very well balanced. It's not as light as some of the other paddles out there, but I like the elliptical shaft for better grip. Also the fact that it is a one piece design means that it is very strong.

I tried the Merlin CD2 before, but I found it had too much flex so there is power loss when paddling.

Now I am using a G'Power Falcon for its adjustability... but I am looking to buy a Trivium S12 as it is a bit lighter.

There is also the Apex Ultimate if one is looking for adjustability (a bit heavier than Trivium, but it adjusts much quicker)

Trivium is a good paddle to consider as well if you prefer a lighter paddle.

Hi guys, I’m from merlingear.com the Australian Dragon Boat Paddle designer and manufacturer.  I’ve been interested in the comments that have been made about our paddles and in particular the CD2 and would like to take the opportunity to respond if I may.  I’ve pasted below some of the quotes that someone has made about a specific point and then my response.  Hope this is of help/interest -

“I found it had too much flex so there is power loss when paddling” – It could be that this person was actually using our TD2 paddle which has a glass fibre blade, specifically designed to give flex.  The flex makes for an easier, softer and smoother stroke, as by flexing the blade doesn’t “catch” as much water.  Yes, you won’t potentially get as much power from this as the CD2 but, this is not designed for the 'power' market.  It’s great for newbies, those with shoulder injuries or those of us who may be slimmer framed.  On the other hand the CD2 is as rigid as any other fully carbon fibre paddle.

“FYI 30 days replacement on the merlin 1 yr on the apex” – I’m assuming this refers to the manufacturers warranty?  The warranty on all our paddles is actually 12 months, so if it breaks as a result of a fault we will replace it, wherever you are in the world!

“cheap paint over it that chips and weighs the blade down” – With so many black carbon paddles on the market we decided at the outset to try and be a bit different.  So, yes we use paint and ……. love it or hate it …… have the unique trident design.  Last year we had a small batch of around 60 TD2 paddles on which the paint hadn’t been applied correctly.  As a result it would chip with even just a gentle knock.  We have recovered most, if not all of this batch now and improved the painting technique, so we’re pretty confident that this won’t happen again.  However, if your paddle is ‘frequently” subjected to impact damage i.e. hitting the side of the boat or clashing paddles then the paint could chip.  The vast majority of TD2 owners though, don’t have this problem.  To put it into perspective though, paint can be touched up and is pretty minor cosmetic damage.  On the other hand our paddles themselves are pretty robust; I’ve seen other more expensive paddle blades that aren't so robust and have been punctured as a result of a paddle clash.  That's is a much bigger issue than a small chip in the paint.

“The blade tip of the Merlin is blunt compared to the Burnwater and even the Kialoa.”  Yes, you’re right it is!  When we registered the CD2 with the IDBF the blade tip was as thin as was allowed.  However, we’re now allowed to make it thinner and so this year we’ve released the new CD3.  It’s lighter, smarter and sharper.  You can check out details at http://www.merlingear.com/paddles_cd3.htm

Hope this helps guys, but, if you have any particular questions or comments please do let me know.

Kind regards,


John
merlingear.com