VE Split Paddles Review

Posted on Friday 6th September, 2013

VE Split Paddles

Dale Mears reviews the VE Paddles split system for 'The Paddler' Ezine.

It gets to a point in your paddling career when you push yourself further and further until eventually something goes wrong, for many this may be a big swim, a near miss, or damage to equipment. For most eventualities there is a solution, bring a spare boat, pack some extra male/female pride and deal with your swim booty or carry spares. These are all good solutions if you can get back to your Mean ride (insert paddle wagon here). For years now one solution for getting out of trouble on the river is a good set of splits. Generally it will be your paddles that take the hit first, whether landing a big drop, waterfall or just an unfortunate rock that got in the way.

 

 

It is a common preconception that splits are these horrible paddles that sit in the back of your kayak, heavy, seriously un-cool and if your life depending on them? Well...
I was lucky enough to get hold of some of VE Paddles new splits this week and give them a blast at the National Water Sports Centre. Firstly, I paddle with VE paddles and have done for years - this is no secret. I paddle with them because I love their lightweight, power and style. I also love the fact they are manufactured in Nottingham and a firm believer in investing locally. The splits I picked up were destined for Sam Ellis, the UK’s version of ‘Rambo’, for his up and coming trip to the Stikine - enough said!
First impressions were good, I have a set of Pro Glass VE’s on a carbon shaft so am already familiar with how these paddles handle.

 

 

 

 

For those who have not paddled with  a set of VE’s yet these paddles are very light and I couldn’t ask for any more power from each stroke. They are manufactured using very high end materials and you can feel the positive effects of this when you paddle with them.  The splits I demoed were two metres long so I noticed the extra power straight away. I paddle a Wavesport Recon and I could fit these paddles in the back of my kayak easily. Sam paddles a Pyranha Everest and can also fit these in no worries. If you’re unsure about fitting some of these splits in your kayak, give Stu at VE paddles a call and he will discuss the length requirements.

 

 

 

 

The VE splits I tested featured a two piece black glass shaft split with an aluminium clamp  - lever locking mechanism. This is used instead of the old fiddly sprung button system. The aluminium clamp mechanism allows you to easily unlock the shaft at the flick of a lever, change the feather to whatever you require using the graduations on the clamp, and even switch from right to left handed (perfect for a group of paddles with all different requirements). When you have your blade set up how you want it you simply lock down the lever and you're ready to paddle off.

To test this I tried a few different setups changing the feather as I went in the various eddies. I found this effortless and even when wet the mechanism was bomb proof; I could not twist the paddle shaft.
Performance wise I noticed no difference to my usual paddles, the same reliable power, swing weight, strength (even when really working the paddle) and they are still super light weight unlike most split paddles. I was really impressed with how these paddles handled. They still had the flex I wanted from a glass paddle but with a slight bit of rigidity in the middle of the shaft due to the spigot. I also found them great for putting in my van - they took up far less room, this would also make them a great option for trips abroad where luggage size is an issue.

These splits will also be extremely popular on the VE paddles touring range where length and angle adjustment is required to compensate for kayak load and prevailing conditions.

 

 

When I am  heading out on a big trip, or even a club trip, where there is a chance of paddle loss or damage, I will be carrying these splits. At the end of the day as paddlers our paddles are an essential an important part of our kit, especially when stuck in a gorge without one, so a good reliable set of splits are well worth the investment. The split joint is available on every paddle in the VE range costing £55 per straight shaft and £80 on a crank shaft. For touring range it can also allow for up to 100mm of length adjustment. All VE paddles are custom made to your requirements so check out www.vepaddles.com for more information.

 

By Dale Mears http://worldkayakblogs.com/dalemears/

The Paddler Ezine: http://www.thepaddler.co.uk/paddlermagazine.html