Ainsworth Carbon Crank Shaft SUP paddle
I first saw the Ainsworth cranked paddle on social media and was excited when I was asked to review one, although now I kind of regret saying, “Yes, please.”
Because the paddle is quite different and described to me as ’a bit weird’, I rang Ainsworth to ensure I got the correct size. I’m 5’0 and 55kg, and I prefer a short paddle. The small blade was the obvious choice, and a 70” shaft was suggested, a few inches longer than normal for me but a more normal length for the average short paddler.
My paddle arrived well-packaged, and my first impression was that it was light and weird! I flung my ancient old brick of a board onto the canal – a 10’8 33” Red. It’s far too wide for me, very heavy, and has the glide of a breeze block with lead weights attached. Straight away, I was impressed by the power of the paddle. The distance per stroke improved, and paddling felt easier.
Despite being over a foot wider than my race board, the blade’s shape and narrow shoulders made it easy to stack the paddle properly and almost run the shaft along the rails with no need for swapping sides. The catch felt very strong, and the power was there immediately. Towards the end of the stroke, it was clear to feel the power fade, making it easy to bring the blade out of the water at the right time.
The carbon blade felt very grippy in the water and felt safe to lean on. This paddle is much stiffer than my Black Project, a soft flex so easy to whip forwards during recovery phase. My recovery phase felt slow, and feathering was awkward. This is a weak spot of mine, so I knew I needed to work through how to improve my technique and adjust to the different-shaped shaft. The crank feels stiff compared to a standard Ainsworth shaft.
Ainsworth continues developing the paddle as they get more feedback from their paddlers. Mine is one of the stiffest shafts, and while I’ve been out testing it, Ainsworth has been working on making a softer flax shaft.
Paddle Skedaddle
That evening, I set off to Norfolk for the Paddle Skedaddle, a 27km race on the Norfolk Broads. This was the only paddle I took. I chose my inflatable race board, a 14’ 28” Bluefin Nitro. Life got in the way of training, and I felt my fitness wasn’t there for taking my Sprint, which has a minimum speed. The Nitro is much slower but very stable, so it would let me focus on the new paddle in conditions I don’t enjoy – wind and boats.
Drafting was allowed this year, so I tucked in behind a lady in my class and focused on working on the paddle. Swapping sides regularly made me paddle on my weaker side and made me swap more than I normally would. The crank didn’t feel too weird during the swaps. I learned to feather the blade with a firm wrist action, which soon started to feel natural. The paddle did feel long, but my bottom hand was comfortably nestled into the top curve of the crank. I know I struggle to keep my arms straight and in a strong A position, but the crank kept them straighter, so it was more powerful.
One aspect of the cranked section I grew to love is its flattened shape. I had developed a bad habit of letting go of the shaft with my little finger, causing overreaching and letting the blade enter the water at too steep an angle. The flat shape of the crank made it much more intuitive and comfortable to keep all of my fingers in contact while pivoting on my lower hand.
The last few km of the Paddle Skedaddle are known to be hard. You paddle through the finish line, carry on through a weedy bit of Broad for a couple of km, then turn at a buoy and back to the finish line for the actual finish line. There was wind, and the water in some of this stretch felt like paddling through concrete. An old neck injury reared its ugly head, and I was not happy. That curve at the top crank would not let me move my hands too close together and wouldn’t let me slip into a weaker position. I would have struggled far more during these last few km with a straight shaft.
The correct position
After the race, I caught up with the Bray Lake team. Their comments emphasised the importance of getting the crank in the correct position for the individual paddler. I felt mine was in slightly the wrong position, and the shaft was too long. Ainsworth shortened my paddle for me, so my lower hand fell closer to the middle of the cranked section. I took my Sprint for a session down the canal, and swapping sides over the raised front end was no problem with the shorter length – I can easily mess this up with a paddle that’s too long on this board. I’ll look forward to paddling the Sprint and the cranked shaft paddle at the Norfolk Ultra, especially now it’s better suited to me.
Playing on the sea
I have really enjoyed using this paddle and found myself choosing it above my others. I took it on holiday with me, where I had a play on the sea. I found a sheltered bay with little surf but a fair amount of swell, which was new to me. I paddled a little on my knees to feel how the board moved and switched between kneeling and standing far more than I normally would so I could look at the seaweeds and fish in the clear waters. Getting my hands and arms into a good position quickly after getting up was easy. Again, I felt very safe leaning on the paddle and getting power from it in unfamiliar waters.
I had a session playing on the slalom area at Mile End Mill, Llangollen, with my floating brick and Starboard Tufskin paddle. Perfect for not worrying about smashing on rocks, but paddling upstream was hard going. The plastic blade was fluttering and giving me no power, and I wished I had the Ainsworth Crank. I worked out where the water was deep enough not to worry about rocks and gave it a go. The increase in power and lack of flutter was impressive. I had so much fun playing on the slalom that I entered a SUP slalom event and took the crank.
It was interesting to see how good it felt to do a lot of turning paddle strokes on a course involving a lot of paddling upstream. There were some strong currents and headwinds, and my Tufskin would have been awful. As a complete novice to both slalom and white water, there were some aspects I found very difficult and made a complete mess of. It’s easy to lose hand position on the paddle when moving water catches you by surprise.
The shaft was so easy to feel exactly where my hands were supposed to be as I was trying to recover myself. I lent the paddle to some of the other paddlers, who were mainly kayakers. They preferred it over their straight-shaft SUP paddles. Shortly after the event, I had an Intro to Whitewater SUP lesson. I borrowed an Ainsworth polycarb blade, which is ideal for use in shallow and rocky waters but felt much less grippy in the water than the carbon blades. I swapped onto a carbon blade and straight adjustable shaft and instantly felt the difference in stiffness and support in the water.
Again, I wished I had my cranked shaft paddle with me instead of the straight shaft. Where I was making a mess up learning to ferry glide and break in and out of flow, it felt harder to recover my position on the paddle without the crank to guide my hands, and I felt as if I was fumbling around and slower to get the paddle back under control and back in the water. The Tufskin and the Ainsworth polycarb are great for what they are designed for, with no worries about damaging them, but the carbon blades feel much more precise and powerful.
300+ km Amazon Challenge
I met Jon, who took his Ainsworth Crank Shaft on the 300+ km Amazon Challenge. He’s built very differently from me, with strong shoulders, whereas my friends tell me I’m tiny. He was equally enthusiastic as I was about how the paddle made your arms stay in a strong position when you’re tired and how the crank shape made a difference. After his epic adventure on the Amazon, he was a bit less worried about rocks than I was.
I am looking forward to trying mine out on some grade 2 rivers in France and Spain over the summer. Ainsworth are confident I won’t smash the paddle on the sections I plan on doing. The blades are made the same way as their whitewater kayak paddles but shaped for SUP.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this paddle to anyone who has developed their technique enough to be confident in buying a fixed-length carbon paddle. It is so important to get the crank in the right place—and not for your friends. I have noticed a big difference in power, catch, and exit phases of the paddle stroke, even when paddling the most awful boards.
This will 100% be my go-to paddle for any endurance event and any paddling where I’m learning new water or skills and want to keep improving my technique. It’s been worth working through any weirdness. My only problem now is that I want to throw away my Tufskin and kayak paddles and get upgrades. This paddle has highlighted the difference a well-shaped shaft can make, especially in gaining power and improving technique.
Price: £350.00
