Lendal Powerface Carbon bentshaft 215cm touring paddle

[Eric Esche]

WOW! This is a paddle you have to paddle with to believe, and better yet on a fixed length course that you know your normal times for.

I have a standard course for me that I do comparisons on. I regularly paddle it with a 230cm Carbon straight shaft Voyageur Tasman touring stick, a big blade low dihedral powerstick weighing about 26 ounces after I painted the blades. I do my 2.2 mile sprint length day in day out in 24 minutes in a Perception Carolina when by myself, varying by less than a minute for traffic, currents, and wind. I got this stick off of eBay because I wanted to try out a bent shaft touring stick for my old joints. While I recently purchased a bent shaft whitewater stick, I haven't paddled it much and wasn't really sold on bend shafts until today, as I thought that I wouldn't like the "fixed" hand position. WRONG.

I equalled my normal performance with this 215CM bent shaft, and then returned home with detours at nearly the same pace. Did 6 miles in 70 minutes including some loafing time and retrieving 2 bobbers. And wasn't pushing it or as tired when I got home. The fixed shaft position worry is there and not there. Yes, there is a sweet spot, but you can still shift your hands around and vary your position and paddle stroke. Bent shaft used more of my muscles ( noticed a few getting a workout that I normally don't notice), but seemed easier on my wrists and elbows. Shaft seems thicker, but not bad. Shoulders seemed not to notice any difference. Lendal says it ought to weigh around 843 grams (about 29.7 ounces). This one felt much lighter. I'm going to the PO tomorrow to weigh it. It's a stiff paddle, in some ways like a Werner, but it doesn't have that crowbar feel to it.

I find that the bent shaft does somewhat force you to take a certain position with your hands, but I also found myself falling into a more steady stroke cadence than I normally do and this paddle seems to reward that regular position, be it with a high or low angle stroke. Paddle assembles with a really tight fit into any of the 3 blade feather angles offered with a spring/hole mechanism. The paddle seems as strong as my whitewater sticks, but with not as much throw weight.

The blades do NOT flutter in the water, but seem to have a slightly noisier entry than to my Voyageurs, but not enough to worry about.

I'm pleased. I've got another really great paddle, and I didn't pay anywhere near the list price of $479.

If anyone would like to try it out on a paddle on Beaver lake here with me, give me a shout. I've even got a spare Carolina to go with it. I'm serious, this is a paddle you have to try to believe. Voyageur may no longer be making carbon Tasmans since being bought out by Confluence, but the Lendal Powerface is a NICE stick.

Eric Esche

[okieboater]

Saw a post somewhere that Lendal had been purchased by some American Outfit.

Have not been able to verify this, but Brushy Mountain (basically creek boater outfitter) I purchased my WW Lendal Breakdown paddle from have posted they are out of stock waiting for factory deliveries. I liked my Lendal so much I wanted a spare soon as I saw the buy out rumor.

Not sure what this means, but if you want a old style Scottish made Lendal, better be looking for paddles currently on the retailer's shelf..

My guess is the American buyout, if true, means the bean counters will take over and quality will suffer.

For me, I really enjoy the old straight shaft wooden paddles. Cricket and JimiStyk being my favorites now that Homer is out of the paddle business.

I have purchased several bent shafts over the years and my take is I get a improved forward stroke but the bent shaft "feel" interferes with my ability when I do a stroke where I need to know the blade angle, like a roll.

Have a White Water Werner DD carbon fiber bent shaft that feels really good, far as bent shafts go for me, and I feel it really does improve my forward stroke power.

[Eric Esche]

Johnson Outdoors is the company that I heard bought out Lendal. Last posts I read on Playak.com or Boater Talk is that they are still supposed to still be making them in Scotland, but that they might have some US production starting up. I saw this one on eBay and the price was reduced enough from list to make it interesting. Another paddler friend of mine up here also wanted to try one so I justified it as a spare for me and a loaner for others.

Eric

[okieboater]

Yup, I purchased my Lendal as a spare. Thinking that if I lost my paddle on a run, I must be in over my head and need a real quality paddle to fall back on.

I did several test runs with the Lendal and had zero wobble from the breakdown shaft or the blades. In fact, it felt like a really good bite from the Lendal.

My guess is the new man made Lendals and Werners are more suited for heavy duty paddling than my wooden versions from Cricket out in Salida CO. Having said that, the feel of wood just fits my paddling style these days.

[james fleming]

Hey guys, i have e-mailed Lendal a few time regarding this and they have not responded.

I have put a message on a UK message board to see if anyone knows...watch this space.

[james fleming]

Lendal, have been bought out. An American company (which i am not sure) has bought the company name ie Lendal.