GREY OWL PADDLE Ltd.

These paddles are distinguished by their long slender blades and overall resilience. Originally carved from a single piece of wood, the blades were narrow to prevent warpage, but with a long enough area to propel the craft effectively. The blades is scaled to the shaft and gets larger as the shaft length increases. Generally a smaller blade area then our recreational line, these paddles are a pleasure to use for a day in, day out, all day paddling. The longer blade limits these paddles to deeper water (2' - 3' minimum). Though blade shapes vary in design, intended usage remains the same. Everyone has personal blade preferences, so try before you buy and choose the shape you like. In addition to varnish, we offer the option of linseed oil as an alternative finish on solid wood paddles.

Owlet Construction: Laminated aspen construction with pear grip. 5"x16" convex bass blade. Recommended Use: Children ages 4 to 12.

Beavertail Construction: One piece straight grained hard maple with pear grip and 6 ¼"x26" 'laminar flow' blade. Cross laminated hardwood tip. Marine varnish or linseed oil finish. Recommended Use: General deep water touring and 'style' paddling.

Ottertail Construction: One piece specially selected black cherry with palm grip and 6"x26" `laminar flow' blade. Cross laminated hardwood tip. Marine varnish or linseed oil finish, Recommended Use: General deep water touring and `style' paddling.

Chieftain Construction: One piece specially selected black walnut with palm grip and 5½"x26" `laminar flow' blade. Cross laminated hardwood tip. Marine varnish or linseed oil finish, Recommended Use: General deep water touring and `style' paddling.

The Grey Owl Recreational line is characterized by the multi-laminated designs of contrasting woods, and blades that remain constant in size throughout different lengths. Generally shorter and wider than the traditional paddles, this line offers the widest range of canoeing applications. Whether you paddle on entry-level flatwater, moving water, wilderness rivers, whitewater or in freestyle competitions, Grey Owl has the paddle shape and size to suit your needs.

Scout Laminated bass construction with pear grip. Has all the basic features of our top line models. An ideal entry-level paddle

Voyageur Laminated ash and bass shaft; cherry pear grip. Similar usage to River, with wider and shorter blade that is more effective in the shallows.

Once only found in the domain of the marathon racer, these efficient paddles have gained popularity in recent years with recreational paddles. In addition to all the features found in our recreational line, these paddles have a continuous, 12-ply bass, form bent shaft.

The design of the bent shaft offers a more efficient paddling style. Because of the offset shaft angle, the blade remains more or less perpendicular to the canoe throughout the stroke, maximizing the direct, reverse thrust. If this sounds vaguely familiar, it's Newton's third law of motion.

The stroke, when perfected, has a trunk twist at the beginning. It is shorter and quicker than the long sweep of the traditional stroke This gives the additional advantage of bringing the hip and trunk muscles into play, distributing the work of paddling over more and larger muscle groups. With a straight shaft paddle, it is difficult in a seated position to use more than your arms, back and shoulders.

When canoeing with a conventional paddle, the blade makes an arc through the water. At the entry and exit points the paddle loses efficiency because the blade is in a more vertical plane to the canoe, moving the water up and down. This will cause the boat to move like a porpoise through the water, bobbing and slowing the glide of the canoe.

We didn't invent this stuff, our hats off to the racers who did. Long hours on the water make every technical advantage a windfall. But we know a good idea when we see one, and our goal has always been to put good ideas into production.

Sprite 14° Ash, bass and butternut construction; scroll grip. An industry standard for 15 years. Excellent as a lightweight training or entry-level paddle