DESIGN OF TURBO PADDLES:
In 1970, I met and competed against Mike Johnson, the legendary US paddler, in Newport, California. Everybody used wood paddles, except Mike who had made his paddle from carbon fibre. I was so impressed by the performance of the carbon paddle, and by the potential of that material, that I started to design and make carbon fibre sprint racing paddles from that moment on.
Another significant turning point came when I applied the wing blade design (which was introduced for kayak paddles in Sweden in the mid-80s) to the canoe paddle. This innovation greatly helped paddlers like Steve Giles to many wins.
OPTIMIZING THE PADDLE FOR THE EVENT AND THE ATHLETE:
The structure of a paddle (shaft length, size of blade, and angle of blade feather), is optimized for the individual athlete, taking account of body weight and height.
Also, we have designed, and make available upon request, paddles which optimize the efficiency with which they propel the boat, depending on the distance and the duration of a particular event (short, middle or long distance races). The blade design differs for the various distances based on the angle at which it is inserted into the water, the frequency of the stroke, the distance from the gunwale, etc.
MATERIALS:
Our main material is Carbon Fibre.... also called graphite fibre, carbon graphite or CF. It is a material consisting of extremely thin fibres about 0.005–0.010 mm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in microscopic crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fibre. The crystal alignment makes the fibre very strong for its size. Several thousand carbon fibres are twisted together to form a yarn, which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric.
Carbon fibre has many different weave patterns and can be combined with a plastic resin and wound or molded to form composite materials such as carbon fibre reinforced fabric to provide a high strength-to-weight ratio material. The density of carbon fibre is also considerably lower than the density of steel, making it ideal for applications requiring low weight. The properties of carbon fibre such as high tensile strength, low weight, and low thermal expansion make it very popular in aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, military, and in many competition sports, such as sprint paddling. However, it is relatively expensive when compared to similar materials such as fibre-glass or plastic.
IInsist on paddles manufactured from this material. Carbon graphite fibre is stronger and lighter than any other material generally used for making paddles. Many makers use a mix of carbon, kevlar and glass. The result does not compare in quality to pure carbon fibre. Why use the other materials? The other materials are easier to use. However, glass fibre will soften over time.
Another reason: carbon fibre is significantly more expensive, so many makers are trying to save on expenses. Carbon fibre is more difficult to shape and cure, and requires special technologies for manufacturing. TURBO PADDLES is a pioneer and leader in this technology.
