The final doubtlessly unexplored whitewater canyon of the Nooksack watershed was proper there in entrance of us, and like on any exploratory whitewater descent, the nerves, pleasure, and concern all got here flooding in without delay.
After scouting, we ran the primary two rapids — huge and highly effective — and we may sense the river was selecting up some critical gradient. We caught the final chase eddy on the proper and, one after the other, made our means onto shore.
Instantly it was clear that the fast was not satisfactory. We must discover a means downstream, and we regarded forward at a harmful portage. No errors right here; a misplaced paddle, a dropped kayak, or a misstep would all be lethal, and that’s the reason we got here ready.
The Werner Sherpa paddle was made for sticky conditions like this. The blade has been a staple in Werner’s lineup for almost 2 a long time, and securely stashed away in my kayak in 4 items, it ensured that we’d be making it out of the canyon right now.
A backup paddle can save your bacon, and a backup paddle that’ll throw down? Price its weight in gold. As we paddled the final unexplored part of whitewater on my house river, the Sherpa definitely proved itself worthy.
Briefly: The Werner Sherpa paddle needs to be praised for its sturdiness, reliability, and longevity. The flexibleness and agility of this paddle make it a dynamic and helpful piece of apparatus for a variety of leisure makes use of. Merely put, this paddle is a basic design and can proceed to be for years to come back.
The Sherpa is one among many stellar Werner paddles on the market, and to see how they line up in opposition to the remainder of the market, take a look at GearJunkie’s Greatest Kayak Paddles Purchaser’s Information.
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Fashion
Excessive-angle -
Shaft materials
Fiberglass -
Blade materials
Fiberglass -
Blade form
Mid-size, asymmetrical, shallow dihedral face -
Ferrule
Push-button; R45/0/L45 or R30/L30 -
Lengths
194, 197, 200, 203, 206, 209 cm -
Weight
2 lbs., 8.7 oz.
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Huge blade floor space catches and holds water -
Huge number of feather angles out there -
Reinforcement backbone is hard and resists blade flex -
Customized-fit shaft sections match tightly -
Fiberglass blades have mild swing weight
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Metal push-button ferrule is sturdy, not not the very best performer -
Bigger paddlers might have the larger Powerhouse
Werner Sherpa Paddle: Assessment
Up the Creek With out a Paddle?
It’s everybody’s worst nightmare, particularly contemplating what could also be downstream. Breakdown paddles are an important piece of security gear for expedition paddlers. When worse involves worst, and a paddle breaks or a swimmer loses their one-piece paddle, having an additional is invaluable to proceed the river journey.
I had been dreaming of an unexplored whitewater gorge on the headwaters of my house river for almost 5 years. With my dry luggage stuffed with all of the requisite expedition wants, the Sherpa was an important merchandise to hold when it got here time to load up my kayak and dip into the Nooksack.
I’ve paddled with Werner paddles since I first started whitewater paddling, not solely as a result of model’s market dominance but additionally the sturdiness of their fiberglass paddles. The primary paddle I owned was a used one-piece Werner fiberglass paddle I purchased on Craigslist for $70. It was 10 years outdated by then and closely used, however I used to be ecstatic because it was the primary piece of apparatus to unlock the great thing about river exploration.
The Sherpa is the youthful brother to essentially the most basic paddle Werner has ever made in whitewater kayaking, the Powerhouse. With a barely smaller blade, the Sherpa has extremely related performance and a protracted and storied historical past in whitewater river working. Almost each exploratory expedition kayak mission has occurred with a Sherpa breakdown stuffed behind a loaded whitewater boat.
After discovering our means by the portage excessive above the river, we once more dropped into the river canyon because it opened into an enormous landslide, forming difficult boulder backyard rapids. After paddling the higher a part of the day by the gorge, scouting, portaging, and working technical rapids, we exited the late spring daylight and paddled again to civilization and farmlands.
Whereas, fortunately, this expedition didn’t require the usage of a breakdown paddle, as we prevented a paddle breaking, it’s at all times an important piece of apparatus in these kind of adventures. I felt an amazing sense of safety understanding that my spare paddle would deal with simply as properly within the whitewater as my major blade.
To offer this paddle an actual run for its cash, after the South Fork expedition, I used the Sherpa as my major paddle for an entire month of day-run whitewater kayaking on varied stretches of the native northwest rivers, various from class III to class V.
Testing within the Discipline
When loading up a paddle, I’m usually met with the issue of the place to place it. Have your buddies cramped round your paddles within the again seats, or take the danger and throw it within the again — both means just isn’t preferrred. The power to shortly break the paddle down is a superb benefit, and I discovered that all through my spring shuttles, I used to be breaking the paddle down right into a two-piece and stuffing it into secure locations.
I personally love the agility and performance of those paddles. The storability of a four-piece permits for simple packing behind a kayak. Relying on my load, I can have the paddle in two items and stow it alongside my seat, or I can break all of it the best way down and retailer it on one aspect of my kayak. On the South Fork Nooksack, I had the Sherpa in all 4 items, nestled into my dry luggage within the stern, whereas I elected to have it saved as a two-piece on day runs.
The paddle is solely straightforward to make use of, intuitive, and easy. With the continued improvement and progress of packrafting as a way of accessing rivers, the four-piece breakdowns proceed to take advantage of sense for packraft-oriented patrons who could also be searching for a stowable paddle. Its versatility has actually stood out to me as I’ve been testing the paddle.
Breakdown System and Efficiency
Werner’s breakdown system is confirmed. The four-pin system is constant all through all its breakdown fashions, and whereas fairly easy, this pin system stays some of the environment friendly and efficient technique of securing breakdown paddles collectively.
Nevertheless, don’t anticipate to really feel the safety of a full one-piece paddle, because the joints affect the paddle’s power, efficiency, and long-term viability as a full-time paddle in superior whitewater. It’s typical for a four-piece breakdown to have some wobble within the pin connections, which might worsen over time.
I felt this whereas paddling on the Center Fork of the Nooksack River Canyon, a technical class IV-V part of river the place a number of bigger rapids require full-strength ahead strokes, with must-make strikes. Right here, the paddle definitely responds, however the play inside every of the connection factors could be felt.
All through my expertise of paddling breakdown paddles, the connection will generate extra play, and this lack of rigidity is noticeable.
Nevertheless, this isn’t to say that the efficiency is considerably diminished; if this have been your first expertise with a real whitewater-style kayak paddle, you would definitely be excited by its ease of use and luxury. For studying, flatwater use, and sophistication II-III, this paddle shall be greater than ample for major use.
Longevity and Sturdiness
The longevity of those paddles is unmatched. I’ve associates who nonetheless have their first Werner paddles after 10 years of superior whitewater paddling, worldwide journey, and true expedition expertise.
When it comes to their market-standard value and unimaginable life, these paddles are a wonderful funding. Nevertheless, the fiberglass blades are inclined to put on down over time as a result of abrasive surfaces and rocks they usually encounter in whitewater rivers. The frequency of use will decide this put on and tear.
I’ll be aware that the scratches, chips, and blade put on definitely grew to become clear after a month of paddling, and this isn’t irregular. Over time, the loss in blade dimension will affect efficiency, limiting the quantity of water you possibly can grip with every stroke.
But, I proceed to purchase fiberglass paddles due to their sturdiness. The fiberglass is very dynamic, virtually spring-like at instances, and because of this, it could stand up to an incredible quantity of drive earlier than snapping.
The fiberglass additionally strikes an ideal stability, being very light-weight whereas staying sturdy, in comparison with different carbon paddles available on the market which can be extremely light-weight but brittle and vulnerable to breaking simply.
Blade Form and Specs
I examined a 200cm paddle with the choice for a 30-degree right- or left-hand offset. I are inclined to at all times use a 30-degree right-hand offset on my whitewater paddles — the market normal. Earlier than buying, it is best to think about size and offset choices your self.
When deciding on a whitewater paddle, it’s vital to grasp what sort of paddler you might be and your supposed use for it on the water. Blade dimension can have an incredible affect on how a paddle will carry out. To dive deeper into these specs, we will evaluate the size of the Werner Sherpa and its huge brother, the Powerhouse.
| Paddle | Blade Floor Space | Size x Width |
|---|---|---|
| Sherpa | 680 cm | 46cm x 19.5cm |
| Powerhouse | 720 cm | 48cm x 20cm |
Whereas the numbers could not stand out as wildly totally different, with solely a 2cm distinction in blade size and 0.5-cm distinction in width, these small variations will create a noticeable change within the paddle’s efficiency. The ability we get out of the paddle relies on how a lot of the blade we’ve within the water on every stroke.
These paddles are designed to stability a big sufficient blade for responsive and lively strokes whereas additionally making an attempt to keep up a nimble and comfy paddle for long-term use. I look right here on the numbers that point out the general “blade floor space.” This total floor space will dictate the quantity of water which you could pull with every stroke and, thus, your paddle stroke energy.
Werner calls the Powerhouse a “full-size” and the Sherpa a “mid-size” blade. This designation could provide help to think about what sort of paddler you might be: mid-size or full-size? Werner has confirmed over greater than 20 years that the fiberglass blade building of its whitewater paddles continues to function the market normal in whitewater paddle sports activities.
The Sherpa is simply one other instance of Werner’s responsive paddles, that are powerful however nonetheless user-friendly. A standout design factor of this paddle is the reinforcement backbone on the again aspect of the blade, which permits for enhanced blade maneuverability when linking strokes, gives blade stiffness, and makes up for its total power.
Werner Sherpa Paddle: Conclusion
Once I found whitewater kayaking, it opened my world to an entire new sort of journey, self-exploration, and problem. These river canyons are actually a few of the wildest and most magical locations on earth, however they arrive with challenges and dangers that have to be mitigated with correct planning, coaching, and gear.
A breakdown paddle is an important piece of security gear, and as I’ve come to the conclusion of springtime testing, I can solely assist however say the Werner Sherpa 4-Piece Paddle is a wonderful selection for paddlers searching for a dependable and versatile paddle. Its efficiency in difficult circumstances, ease of packing, and sturdiness make it a standout possibility for adventurers.
Whereas there are minor areas for enchancment, such because the slight wobble within the connections and its long-term lack of blade form, these components don’t overshadow the general constructive attributes of the Sherpa. It’s actually a wonderful paddle.
