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| Outrigger Canoe & Stand Up Paddles |
WAKA AMA PADDLES
 Around 21/2 years ago I had finally got around to making my own Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) and constructed a paddle from a windsurfing mast and a converted kayak blade.
The paddle worked okay but it started me thinking on how to build a better one. Right at that point a friend invited me to a Waka Ama training session. Apart from enjoying the paddling experience I became instantly interested in the paddles.
With my surfing on the back burner due to a knee injury I quickly got into the sport. The design aspects of the paddles provided a great base to work off to build a better SUP paddle as well. It didn’t take too much r & d before I worked out a laminate to build both Waka Ama and SUP paddles using the same technique, wrapping a handshaped pvc foam laminate with uni-directional kevlar, carbon and epoxy resin.
 I spent the rest of the year getting locked into Waka Ama and attended the Nationals in Jan 2008 competing in W1 & W6. The experience led to further development of the paddles. I was fortunate enough to become part of the Golden Masters team attending the 2008 World Sprint Camps in Sacramento California. Subsequent training sessions enabled me to meet other paddlers who after checking the paddles decided to use them at the Worlds. By the time of the event the number had grown and included a special young paddler Te Whaeoranga Smallman.
Just before the worlds, I made her a paddle for W1 not a big blade 9” so I worked at its catch features. Watching Te Whae through the heats then win Gold in her final convinced me that I had a really competitive concept that was worth pursuing.
  My luck in being part of a team of really experienced paddlers also paid off when our golden master crew achieved bronze in our W6 500m race. I learned much from these guys about paddling and paddles and when I returned to NZ began further tuning the laminate for more correct flex and balance, also experimenting with different shaft shapes.
 More medals at the Long Distance Nationals 2008 and 3 golds 2 silvers & 1 bronze at the 2009 Sprints Nationals have further enhanced the reputation of the paddles.
I am currently working closely with Vesna Radonich and others on paddle development and am now able to offer a range of different styles.
The SUP paddle has also evolved and is available as straight shaft or s shaft which comes from my work with Waka Ama paddles. The feedback on this design is really positive.
| SHAFT OPTIONS: |
STRAIGHT SHAFT
STRAIGHT SHAFT TOP CRANK
STRAIGHT SHAFT BOTTOM HAND CRANK
DOUBLE BEND |
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| PADDLES DIMENSIONS: |
| CUSTOM |
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| HANDLES: |
| HAND SHAPED LAMINATED CEDAR |
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| CONSTRUCTION: |
| LAMINATED P.V.C. FOAM CORE, HAND SHAPED, INSIDE AN EPOXY, CARBON, UNIDIRECTIONAL KEVLAR LAMINATE |
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| STEERING PADDLES: |
| HAVE ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF CARBON AND KEVLAR TO COPE WITH STEERING STRESSES. ALL PADDLES HAVE EXTRA LAYERS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE BLADE FOR DURABILITY |
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| PRICE: |
EX FACTORY
PADDLE $390.00 INC GST
STEERING $420.OO INC GST (PLUS COURIER) |
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