My Magic Paddle Keeps Me Out Of Deep Water. (Ocean Kayak Simply Magic Paddle)

Member Name: mythdata

Product:	Ocean Kayak Simply Magic Paddle
Date:	24/02/09 (334 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lightweight, easy to handle, & cuts through the water easily.

Disadvantages: None to report.

INTRODUCTION

I have been very keen on certain water sports for a long while now, last year me and my husband upgraded our kayaks to the sit on top sea kayaks, this was purely because we got them relatively cheap and we could use them in any type of water, including the sea, lakes and rivers.

So armed with my kayak and a wetsuit we headed for the sea, crazy this time of year but surprisingly I was not that cold as the adrenalin kicks in really quickly and you forget how cold it actually is.

My problem was the fact that I am very small and the kayak paddle I was using was rather heavy, it is a paddle that I have no problem with on flat water but when faced with massive waves I really struggled to keep hold of it and keep my balance at the same time, so I decided to buy something a lot lighter to see if it would help as I was sick and tired of spending more time chasing a paddle than actually using it.

After a few attempts at trying to perfect me skills with this paddle I gave up and went and bought a much lighter paddle.

THE KAYAK PADDLE

After researching and looking for a paddle that could be used in both flat and moving water, I opted for an ocean kayak simply magic paddle.

This paddle is exactly the same as my old paddle in appearance, with the exception of two bright orange polypropylene blades. Which in fact match perfectly with my kayak, I have no chance at being lost as sea as both the kayak and paddle are extremely bright in colour and can be spotted a mile off.

This consists of a very light fiberglass shaft which is much lighter than the original paddle making it a lot easier to maneuver the paddle and therefore the kayak while keeping my balance, I can now manage to stay in the kayak with out having to jump out to collect my paddle.

This paddle is designed for general use, so I don't think it would be suitable for white water kayaking but for mild sea and flat water fun this works very well, in my experience.

This has little drip guards situated at the top of each orange paddle, which has been very novel for me as I used to get soaking wet arms from the excess water dripping from the paddle when one end was in the air when I was paddling. This is something that I just assumed happened when kayaking but ever since getting the paddle I realized this was something I didn't need to put up with.

If I am kayaking on flat water I can honestly say that a stay completely dry, with the exception of wet feet getting in and out of the kayak, but with the sea kayaking you get soaking wet every time.

MEASURMENTS

The whole paddle is slightly smaller that my first one at roughly 2.3 meter long, It still fits in the car at full length but if I need to o could dismantle it ant the centre of the fiberglass shaft, to make it easier to transport.

The paddles are 18.5 inches long and 7 inches wide, so they are large enough to cut through the water, without much effort which is great as I would hate to work to hard and end up with muscles like Arnie.

The best bit is the fact that the whole paddle only weighs 41oz, so I feel that this is a must for any one who is a bit of a weakling and struggles to use a standard paddle.

PRICE / AVAILABILITY

At first I went to my local sporting shop in Ambelside to try out paddles as I didn't want to buy one without looking or testing the weight, I found this paddle of 94.99 which I thought was a great price but my husband has been pulling in the purse strings so he said we would get it online much cheaper.

I came away from the shop a little disappointed as I really wanted that magic paddle and I didn't want to wait, but I am so glad I did as I get the exact same paddle from www.mynewcheap.co.uk for only 59.99 and the postage was free, so it saved us 35.00 for me waiting which is a really good saving but the hubby was full of I told you so's.

Buying from this online shop was great, I ordered in on the Sunday evening and it was on the doorstep by Tuesday morning, so I have no complaints there.

MY OPINION

I have found this paddle to be very manageable as it is extremely light compared to my old one, I can now got kayaking all day and not suffer the next day which was a regular occurrence with the old one as it was very heavy and worked my arm muscles to the excess.

This paddle cuts through the water very well so I can get some speed up while I am not paddling to the extent I wear myself out, I can now keep up with my husband which has not gone down to well as he is very competitive and always likes to win, I am just waiting for him to say he wants one.

As a woman looks are everything and I have to say this really looks the part, as it matches the kayak. It was not intentional when buying the paddle but they certainly look well together, it looks like they were purchased together.

As with the kayaks this can be stored away but it is recommended that it is not stored in direct sunlight as it will discolour the paddles and weaken them, if these are stored out side it is recommended you cover them up of put kayak sunscreen on them.

I personally store then in the garage as it is out of the sun and it prevent them from being stolen.

Overall I am very happy with this paddle, I do prefer to kayak on flat water lakes as I can stay dry but it has certainly helped me improve in the sea kayak department.

Summary: Recommened to any Kayaking fanatic....