Anyone want to justify the cost of a bent shaft paddle to me?

I am intrigued by them, but would like to hear from anyone who has owned one or used one. Particularly if it was one of the space age carbon ones that weigh less than the pile of bills you need to pay for it.

Jimbo

I like mine. Got a lot of miles on it. Lighter is better when paddleing all day long. The bent shaft seems to allow a lot more power per stroke. More of the paddle is in the water, longer. If nothing else, they look cool.

jimbo, if you havent used one you dont know what yer missin' .I love mine you get way more power per stroke and if you go into the bwca with another guy that knows how to paddle give him the bent shaft in the front and you take the straight one in the back to steer with it works awesome have many trips on my bent shaft and i would never go back to a straight.
I my opinion .....well worth the money

Correct me if I am wrong but paddles are like tools and as my father always told me "Use the right tool for the right job". I think that is very true in the garage or on the water. I have and use a variety of paddles, each one serves a certain purpose, some longer, some shorter, some composite and some wood. If I am tandem tripping I usually use a Bent shaft if I am the bow paddler and a straight shaft if I am in the stern. The spare is always a meaty straight shaft that can be used comfortably in the bow or stern. The bent shaft provides more power thought your stroke by keeping more of the paddle in the water for a longer period of time. If I am solo paddling I usually stick to a straight shaft that works well for bracing. As for the material you choose, that my friend is entirely personal preference. I really like my Zav Whitewater Bent shaft for the long distance tripping, it is super light (12oz.) and since it is the whitewater it is really beefed up and can handle some abuse. I also like my leader and surreal paddles by Mitchell, they are a nice combination of wood and carbon fiber more for aesthetics than anything. Try some different paddles out before you go dropping a ton on a paddle, but always remember that your paddle is your tool and in this case also you motor.

Check out Zav's at www.zre.com they have pretty good prices on their so called seconds!