Ainsworth slotted kayak paddle

Matt Bulbeck – Sports Coach. I want to preface this by saying that Ainsworth does not sponsor me and has no control over what I say here – I was asked for my honest thoughts, and here they are.

When I first saw the Ainsworth slotted kayak paddle, I needed clarification about what I was looking at. It seemed like someone had taken a standard kayak paddle and had mixed it with a cheese grater – an unholy mixture that would never work.

The theory behind this is that it reduces the strain on the shoulders and through the arms when you paddle, and honestly, I, along with almost everyone to whom I showed the kayak paddle and, later, the slotted SUP paddle too, thought it was a gimmick thought up by bored university students to write a cool thesis and would have no impact on the real world paddling experience apart from making you slower.

A very basic explanation of the physics in play is that, as the water is forced through the slots by your paddle stroke, some of the high-pressure water on the power face of the blade becomes low-pressure water on the back of the blade, meaning that the water that escapes around the edges of the blade has less space to move into, meaning that there is less impact through the catch and early power phases of the stroke.

If you would like more detail, it is very similar to how a swimmer will slightly spread their fingers as they swim or to how some indoor pool rowing blades have slots to reduce impact for the rower, and a quick Google search will show you plenty of wind tunnel tests showing this. I was, however, still slightly unsure of it when I first used the kayak paddle, so imagine my surprise when it turned out to be just as good as I was promised!

The best way to describe it is when you use a children’s paddle as an adult – there is almost no pressure through your arms or shoulders, and the blade doesn’t feel big enough. However, the trade-off you would have when using too small a blade – reduced power and speed – isn’t there. It feels, simply put, easy, almost effortless in the water, but still propels you as well as a paddle without the slots in it would.

We have had a slotted kayak paddle at Bray Lake, where I work, for over a month. I have given it to most of the staff to try, as well as several customers, ranging from total novices to people touring around the fjords in Norway, and the overwhelming feedback is positive, with one customer saying that it felt, “Like paddling with a sieve,” but with no actual loss in speed of the boat. I have timed myself paddling a one-kilometre route, both with this paddle and with a more traditional touring paddle, and the times were within five seconds of each other. Admittedly, I am not an Olympic-level athlete, but then that is kayaking; most of us are not interested in competing on the world stage and would rather have a paddle that feels easy to use and doesn’t cause undue stress through our bodies than paddles that give us the extra 1% of speed but end up with us injuries after use.

All in all, I am thoroughly impressed with this paddle; it has become my go-to paddle for any longer trips that I do, and it never fails to impress anyone who uses it. If this were put on the market for sale rather than lent to us as a prototype, I would absolutely splash out on one, and I look forward to the next crazy idea that this industry has, as sometimes the crazy ideas are the best.

Price: £500

Ainsworth flax fibre kayak paddle

By Peter Tranter. Something else new from Ainsworth is their flax paddle made from flax and jute fibres mixed with some glass fibre for stiffness. The prototype that we tested for a day is the river paddle, however, if everything goes as planned there will also be sea kayaking and single blade variants for canoeing and SUP, so keep your eyes peeled for news.

Only the blades on the prototype were constructed in the flax material but future paddles will also have flax shafts, which should significantly reduce shoulder fatigue. In case you didn’t know flax is one of the oldest textile fibres used by humans, having been used in prehistoric times and is most commonly used in bed linen and the oil extracted from its seeds is linseed, so the ecological benefits of flax goes without saying.

Using it on the river, I was pleasantly surprised by its light weight and toughness. I smacked the blade in error against the underside of a 15th century stone bridge and to my surprise it didn’t leave a scratch, highlighting the blade’s shock absorbency properties. I paddled a 12-mile round trip that day and was impressed with the silky smooth feel of the blades with very little limb tiredness of my behalf. If I’d had the time, I would of paddled many more miles, they were a joy to use.

Ainsworth have informed the Paddler, when the paddles go into production, they will retail for around £250. If you’re looking for a natural and sustainable alternative for your paddles, then look no further.