Necessity is the mother of invention

We are two guys who travel a great deal and who love traditional paddles. It is that simple. After many discussions about not being able to take our favorite paddles with us, we decided to design and create a transportable traditional paddle. Carlos is a mechanical engineer and an avid paddler who loves to design. Paul (left) is an ACA Traditional Skills and Level 3 instructor, who likes to make paddles and skin on frame kayaks.

The design criteria

The paddles had to be lightweight but strong. The connections had to be precision fit with absolutely no wiggle after assembly. The connection had to be a simple piece that could be replaced at any hardware store. The attachment point embedded in the connection blocks had to be very high grade stainless steel. The paddle had to be smooth from end to end for sliding stroke techniques. The paddles had to be affordable. Most importantly, the paddles had to be beautiful and efficient, never forgetting their traditional roots. We wanted to develop both a Greenland-style paddle and a design inspired by the paddles from the Aluetian Island region.

The results are in the bag

We offer beautiful, light, strong, portable paddles that feel great in the hand and water. The satin finish shows off the weave of the material but isn't overly glossy or slick to grip. Our modular three-piece system allows us to scale paddles to length according to the center loom. It also allows us to give you two paddles for one: with every Greenland paddle, we ship a short loom connector so that you have the option to assemble the paddle as a full-length or short "Storm" paddle. We look forward to bringing these paddles to market and have enjoyed positive reviews from first recipients. As we go forward we look to continually improve the system.