Surf Ski

New Wing Paddle

19 October 202219 October 2022

I’m currently using a “Flyer” wing paddle with a mid-sized blade from Fast Kayak in Central California. I’ve been using it for years and I love it. I’d like to try a smaller blade and a higher cadence.

Maybe a Braca XI Surf Ski paddle with a 675cm² blade and a 217-227 shaft is my next paddle?

A Fenn surf ski or kayak sitting on slings on a concrete deck between a boat house and the beach. — Glenn Zucman’s Fenn XT surf ski on the deck at the Newport Aquatics Center in Newport Beach, California.

I bought my paddle some years back from a Santa Cruz, CA company, Fast Kayak. This is their “Flyer” winged paddle. They offered “Large”, “Mid”, and “Small” blades. This is their “Mid”. I’ve been using it at 222cm and 90 degrees.

The Fast Kayak Flyer is the 1st wing paddle I’ve owned. I still love this paddle. Switching from a flat paddle to a wing was night and day! The flat blades worked but didn’t inspire that much confidence. The wing, yes, is much faster and feels more powerful. Almost more is the feel in the water. The blade grabs into the water and has a positive, confident “lock” on the water as I move through the stroke. By contrast, a flat paddle cavitates and is just kind of there.