Prototype Flax VE Paddles

Posted on Monday 25th November, 2013

Flax composite paddle by VE Paddles using Bcomp's Flax Composite.

 

We at VE Paddles are known for our innovation. We recently teamed up with Bcomp and Mathew Morrisey to develope a kayak paddle blade made from flax.

 

Mathew Morrisey explains more:

Natural fibres have long been used in composite materials: in 1942 Ford won a patent for a plastic car chassis utilising a plastic reinforced with a mixture of pine, straw, ramie and flax fibres; the infamous Trabant body was made from recycled cotton waste reinforced polyester, and more recently, Lotus revealed their own hemp composite based ‘Eco-Elise’. Every year, the European automotive industry uses more than 100,000 tons of natural fibres, primarily in the production of interior body panels.  

 

As a kayaker and materials researcher, I had often wondered about the performance of a kayak paddle made from a natural fibre reinforced composite material. I contacted Christian Fischer at Bcomp, a Swiss company who specialise in natural fibre composites for applications such as snow sports, bikes, and kite boards, and Dr Stuart Morris, a UK-based designer and manufacturer of kayaking paddles.

Both parties were really interested to create a paddle from natural fibre composites. It was agreed to produce a 100% flax-reinforced blade on a standard fibreglass-reinforced shaft. After only a few months Stu had already got to grips with the techniques and procedures required for the new material and produced the first prototype. Bcomp took the paddle to the 2013 Paddle Expo in Nürnburg where it received a lot of interest and survived its first test of being prodded, poked, and enthusiastically flexed by curious attendees.

With low river levels in Switzerland (and the ski slopes already beginning to open), the paddling season has drawn to a close in Switzerland. On apparently the last sunny day of 2013, I took to the Bodensee in a sea kayak to give the paddles their maiden voyage. First impressions are really positive: I was worried the paddle would seem flexible in comparison to a regular composite blade, but the paddle feels stiff and responsive, easily as stiff as a fibreglass, if not carbon, blade. Interestingly, the flax paddle is also slightly lighter than a standard fibreglass model. The blades also have a really unique and beautiful look. This ‘natural’ look and flax’s eco-credentials will certainly appeal to a certain type of consumer.

A final note: flax, like kevlar and aramid, is notoriously difficult to cut (requiring special, super sharp shears). For kevlar and aramid, this translates into unparalleled durability – it will be interesting to find out if this is also true for flax. Let’s see how they hold up to real white water use next season!