Werner Ikelos Bent Shaft Paddle

The Werner Ikelos is a beautifully constructed two piece carbon fibre paddle, with a full sized touring blade, suitable for strong experienced high angle paddlers with good form and fitness.

The paddle blades have a foam core encased in carbon fibre which makes them extremely lightweight and buoyant.  The outer edges of the blades have been laminated with a Dynel fibre layer for impact and abrasion resistance.

The big aggressive blade provides a solid catch and an efficient, powerful forward stroke, free from blade flutter.  The blade releases from the water effortlessly and transitions between maneuvering and bracing strokes are smooth and responsive.

The paddle splits apart for easy storage and incorporates a neutral bent shaft design.  The idea behind this is to place your hands in a more ergonomic paddling position while maintaining the balance and feel of a standard straight shaft.

I personally prefer the feel of the bent shaft and have found that I tend to grip the shaft far more lightly then that of a standard shaft.  The bent shaft also stops your hands inadvertently sliding inwards along the shaft.

The adjustable ferrule system works incredibly well and allows blade feathering from 0 to 60 degrees left or right in 15 degree increments.  The locking mechanism makes an audible click when engaged and a small sight-hole allows the feather angle to be clearly displayed when the two halves are joined together.  The release button is flush with the shaft, which makes paddle handling very comfortable and reduces the chances of an accidental release.

When connected together the paddle has the look and feel of a one piece paddle and the adjustable ferrule is as solid and stable as the day that I first used it.  This really is a stand out feature unique to Werner paddles.

The buoyant foam core and large blade area deliver a solid brace that you can depend on.  In fact I have never felt a paddle that’s more stable to brace with. 

The Ikelos is a standout choice for kayak sailing applications, where quick reliable transitions between power strokes, bracing strokes and stern rudders are essential.
 

Conclusion

The Ikelos is Werner's top of the range paddle and has the price tag to match.  However the expensive purchase price is offset by exceptional build quality and performance.  I find that the Ikelos does all things well, but where it really shines is its ability to seamlessly link different paddling strokes together.

The foam core and carbon fibre construction which makes the Ikelos paddle so lightweight also leads to design characteristics which do not make them the most impact resistant.  You do need to be mindful of this when in shallow water or near submerged reefs or rocks.

I thought  I would finish with an interesting observation I recently noticed, which highlights just how well the Ikelos performs.  I have three leading brand kayak paddles which I store on a rack one above the other, two of which  have a significant layer of dust forming on them.