Stickin’ it in – Fatstick adjustable oak wood carbon paddle

www.supdirect.co.uk

We used a Fatstick adjustable carbon/bamboo last year and thought it was pretty good for a mid-price paddle. The brand’s new range of adjustable carbon sweepers, with improved weights, better adjustment system and overall higher quality feel has come on leaps and bounds for 2015.

The blade is pretty wide, and as such displaces large volumes of water. This is great when in the surf and riding smaller boards where forward thrust is key. The incremental adjustments of the shaft extension allows your stick to be tuned for various conditions and SUP environments while the ergonomic handle fits snuggly to paddlers’ palms.

Shaft stiffness is on the moderate side and as such will appeal to stand up paddlers who aren’t looking for a full on grunt machine. The slight degree of flex also lends itself to paddlers who don’t wish to exert themselves too much but still want a carbon paddle.

There’s a minimal dihedral running into the back third of the blade and this helps with minimising blade flutter during the pull part of the stroke. Durability of the Fatstick paddle is pretty good – although you’ll still need to take a degree of care if clunking it against rocks, shingle or other hard obstacles.

CONCLUSION
If you’re looking for a well-priced mid-range carbon paddle then Fatstick might have the sweeper for you. A nifty adjustment system allows for incremental fine tuning of shaft length while the wide blade shovels impressive volumes of water. A good option for those with multiple users who require different paddle lengths with a moderately stiff flex that’ll suit all except those looking for maximum efficiency. Can also be ordered with narrower blade.

Price: £149
Info: www.supdirect.co.uk/fatstick-shop/4584165157/oak-wood-carbon-paddle/8347800