I got home the other day and found a tall skinny box propped up next to my door. I was a bit confused at first because the box was only 5x5” and about 60” tall. It didn’t look like a paddle would fit. The shipping label read Werner and I realized that a 20mm (7.87 inches) wide paddle blade would indeed fit diagonally in the box. I took it inside and started to open it when Tilley started whining for her evening walk. I considered bringing it with me but most of my downtown neighbors had seen me setting up the MSR Outfitter wing a week before so I didn’t want to do anything else to perpetuate the notion that I am crazy.
After Tilley had her walk I opened the box and got out my new Werner Bandit Paddle. This is the first part of a multipart review. I promise I will paddle with it and give it a proper on water review later this week.
My initial impressions are that this is a serious paddle for serious canoeists. It’s black carbon fiber shaft and blade remind me a bit of a stealth bomber. In the hand it feels less like a tool for propelling a canoe and more like a weapon for attacking water.
The Bandit would have been the perfect addition to a canoe ninja Halloween costume.
A few weeks ago I wanted to see if my wetsuit still fit so I put it on. After checking my chubby chest in the bathroom mirror I decided to hop in the bath tub with the wetsuit to see how it felt in cold water. My wife came home and started laughing at me. Remembering this, I looked down at my watch and realized I had about a half hour before she got home. I filled up the bath tub to see how the spooned power face would feel in the water. I turned on the Jacuzzi jets for good measure.
The Werner Bandit moves a lot of water in a bath tub. The spooned face and squared tip delivers an instant and powerful catch. As I planted the paddle and unwound my stroke I could feel it pulling me forward before the water in the tub gave way and sloshed over the sides. While the angle isn’t as extreme as a bent shaft paddle I could feel it hooking up throughout the length of the stroke. The carbon shaft doesn’t flex as much my wooded Bending Branches Expedition Plus but it didn’t feel as harsh as fiberglass or aluminum either. The carbon fiber provides a soft dampened feel that is both responsive and comfortable. If you’ve ridden an aluminum and carbon fiber road bike you probably know the feeling.
I’ve read a couple of complaints about the T grip. When looking at the rest of the paddle it does seem sort of thrown on as an afterthought. It’s a little larger than I would like and if it were wooden could be carved and sanded down to fit ones personal preference. That said, it’s comfortable in the hand and provides plenty of leverage to control the had edged paddle blade. Although it is beautiful, the Werner Bandit is not an art piece paddle used for gliding a cedar strip canoe across a pristine mountain lake. When you’re trying to catch that last eddy before the next class V drop or trying to stick your roll in some wicked hydraulics you’ll appreciate the leverage and obvious feel provided by the big plastic T grip. The paddle shaft is also oval shaped and indexed to indicate the angle of the blade. I’ve always used the T grip to control blade angle in a canoe but the oval shaft feels good in the hand and is another cue to your brain to the direction of the paddle. If you’re really hung up about the T grip order one a size larger and cut it off or ask Werner to send you one without a grip glued in. After playing with the paddle a bit I’m starting the think the grip on my old paddle is to small.
OK, before I get to far into this and you guys all discount this review because I was paddling my bath tub I will admit that I ordered one of these because I got to try both the carbon fiber and fiberglass Bandit paddles at the ACA instructor course last week. I wasn’t able to trick anyone into letting me run down river with their precious paddles but I did a couple of ferries, eddy turns and peel outs with one in hand.
I liked it enough to order one. The Werner Bandit has an excellent catch and the spooned blade really moves the boat through the power phase of a stroke. I was a bit worried about reverse sweeps, pries and other strokes where the non-powerface was pushing water but there was only minimal flutter when it was used backwards and next to none when using the correct side.
I really like the Werner Bandit paddle and I’ll continue the review after I’ve moved the canoe a couple of river miles with it.
You can check the specs and buy one on Werner's newly designed and super cool site. http://www.WernerPaddles.com
We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.
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