10 How to choose a ZRE paddle (Read 4648 times)
HighnDry
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Re: How to choose a ZRE paddle
Reply #10 - Jun 10th, 2023 at 3:20am
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Ok....ya lost me...but that's what i get for trying to probe the mind of a superior intelligence Smiley

I still need to buy a paddle. Time to get moving. Smiley
  
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HighnDry
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Re: How to choose a ZRE paddle
Reply #11 - Jun 11th, 2023 at 4:06pm
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Paddle ordered.

Choice of paddle to be unveiled on Cirrus lake or in its immediate proximity sometime after the June 24th, I expect.
« Last Edit: Jun 11th, 2023 at 9:10pm by HighnDry »  
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Mad_Mat
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Re: How to choose a ZRE paddle
Reply #12 - Jun 11th, 2023 at 8:53pm
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Be careful where you leave the paddle - it is light enough to get blown into the lake if you are not there to watch it.  I have two ZRE's and may get a third - the light one and the lighter one.

We do use them as walking sticks when portaging - yeah, they get chipped up a bit, but its easier to repair them than a broken leg - you don't need to baby them too much.  Great for batting the deer flies out of the air too.
  
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HighnDry
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Re: How to choose a ZRE paddle
Reply #13 - Jun 12th, 2023 at 12:15am
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my second paddle is beaver tail design from BB. 54 inches. It'll work.

Good tip on the lightness of the paddle and securing it. I'm as worried about it blowing into my fellow paddlers hands as into the lake Smiley

I bought telescoping hiking poles. My left knee and right hip guided that purchase.  Cheesy

It also makes my tarptent into a freestanding adventure...so they'll be multi-tasking this summer.
  
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Jim J Solo
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Re: How to choose a ZRE paddle
Reply #14 - Aug 1st, 2023 at 3:44pm
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Solus wrote on May 31st, 2023 at 3:48pm:
I humbly suggest the standard blade width of 8". The "power" gained by a wider face is at the cost of shoulder strain and efficiency of use- better to paddle with a narrower blade at a slightly higher cadence. Standard method for determining shaft length is to sit in chair and measure from chair seat to nose, add blade length to get total. People tend to buy paddles that are too long. I'm roughly 6' with a long torso and use a 51.5" paddle.

In choosing between straight and bent- bents are ideal if you paddle seated. If you kneel a straight shaft is more optimal. I have two ZRE paddles and believe they are the best dollar for dollar gear I've purchased. My main paddle is the equivalent of a ZRE-light, ten years old and used heavily over the course of that time (live near Ely and take frequent day trips and multiple Q trips every year). I bought the second (same paddle but at 52") out of mercy for my tripping partners (usually my brothers or cousin all of which are around 6'3"). Go for the lightest paddle you can get, don't crank on rocks, tie into the canoe at night and they will last better than a high quality wood paddle. The feedback they deliver when you paddle is amazing- ZRE has made my technique much better because it is so obvious when your stroke is inefficient (usually too long of a pull).




If you haven't bought a paddle yet Solus nailed it. I'm 6', use regular medium blade, bent shaft, 52". Mine are some old Barton paddles made at the hog farm in Michigan.
  
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