Sup surf paddles have to be tough. Taking a pounding in the shorebreak is one thing but getting tonnes of water slammed down on it whilst you’re still trying to lean on it puts huge strain and stress on the shaft and neck. A lot of paddles would simply snap in that situation so what have we found with the new sup surf paddles from Werner and in particular, the Werner Rip Stick.
As always, Werner paddles are built tough. Even there super light race paddle are tough and don’t give away strength and build quality just to be lighter than the next paddle.
The Werner Rip stick is quite unique for a sup surf paddle in that it has a totally redesigned blade that I can confirm delivers a lot more power in a smaller blade. For those of you that regularly sup surf you’ll know that smaller blade means faster cadence and less shoulder strain so that’s a bonus straight away. But as always we need to test the claims so here goes.
The Rip Stick has a double concave which we all seems great on paper but does it deliver – YES YES YES…… Bloody hell, this little 79 felt as grunty as my larger KeNalu when I gave it a pull. But more importantly it didn’t flutter under load. It’s really obvious when you look at it that the shape of the blade is unique with both sides having that concave but there is also a really pronounced dihedral.
I am assuming this combination of features is helping to pack the water as you engage, but at the same time when you are lightly paddling it is relaxed but again stays true online.
The other really cool feature is the rake angle of the blade that is set to 7 degrees. Standing tall on a surf sup and taking short strokes with your sup surf paddle means you aren’t reaching out far so the reduced angle keeps the paddle more vertical for longer.
They have also given it a software flex as we don’t need a rock solid connection so another big plus point for the Werner Rip Stick.
Going back to what I said of strength t
he neck is a vulnerable point due to the stress loading so having this area reinforced is crucial if you are going to have a sup surf paddle that will last. The Werner SUP paddles are all built with a solid outer structure that is all one piece intergrated into the blade so no joins here. The shaft is bonded into the one piece neck and the actual shaft goes down a good few inches beyond the shoulder to increase strength.
The shaft construction is exceptional and the carbon weave is super fine. Not a cheap chinese wannabe here. The layup of carbon and alignment of the fibre mat is perfect. Anyone into fishing and high carbon rods will know how important the layup is to get a quality product and this effort and perfection requires skill, understanding and the right carbon/resin mix.
The blade has quite a feeling of buoyancy and I think they’ve achieved that with the dihedral shape and size. It gives a good feel of flick as you withdraw the paddle from the water and that in turn feels lighter.
Conclusion:
I can’t say much more other than wow. This is one serious bit of kit, well designed and made. If you are after a sup surf paddle and understand quality then the Werner Rip Stick is for you. £289.00 from our shop is gonna get you a paddle that will last for years and deliver performance time and time again.
