Gearlab Kalleq

Zoe11

Established Member
Joined
May 22, 2023
Messages
102
Location
Chilliwack BC
Has anyone had any experience with this paddle? They claim that "This paddle is praised by kayaking enthusiasts worldwide for its exceptional performance and design" and I'm wondering how true this is.
I saw a guy just off of Saturna last week with a similar paddle and he seemed to just effortlessly paddle through the waves which intrigued me.
Tia
 
Has anyone had any experience with this paddle? They claim that "This paddle is praised by kayaking enthusiasts worldwide for its exceptional performance and design" and I'm wondering how true this is.
I saw a guy just off of Saturna last week with a similar paddle and he seemed to just effortlessly paddle through the waves which intrigued me.
Tia
So I've been using a Kalleq since June of 2020. I love it so much that pretty much the only times I use a Euro blade anymore is when I'm instructing (so the students won't think the only reason I can brace, sweep and draw is because I have "the magic paddle.)
gearlab pratcise 2.jpg
 
So I've been using a Kalleq since June of 2020. I love it so much that pretty much the only times I use a Euro blade anymore is when I'm instructing (so the students won't think the only reason I can brace, sweep and draw is because I have "the magic paddle.)
View attachment 15326
That's good to hear! I have the Delta 15S, it doesn't weigh much and neither do I so it doesn't take much to get it going and keep it going. So many times I think to myself that I have too much paddle as in it just feels like I really don't need to be pulling that much water to keep momentum if that makes sense. Did you find it to be much of an adjustment switching over?
 
That's good to hear! I have the Delta 15S, it doesn't weigh much and neither do I so it doesn't take much to get it going and keep it going. So many times I think to myself that I have too much paddle as in it just feels like I really don't need to be pulling that much water to keep momentum if that makes sense. Did you find it to be much of an adjustment switching over?
Hi Zoe,

Actually a lot of things are easier with the GP. Doing forward strokes with torso rotation is easier. The buoyancy and and lack of sharp, slicey blade edges means it's a lot more forgiving of setups for braces and rolls. You do have to paddle at a slightly higher cadence to get the same forward propulsion as a big Euro blade, but it's much easier on the wrists and shoulders.
 
I’ve had mine for about 3 years now and love it. I bought it site unseen having never used a Greenland paddle before and now it’s my main paddle. I’m 6”2’ 240lbs and have the 230cm. My Werner Camano is 220 cm and my Shuna is 215 cm. I was going to get the 220 cm Kalleq, but I was advised to go with the 230 cm for my height. I bought it from James Manke kayak, on Vancouver island, whom I took a rolling course from, but now they sell them at WCK, after a salesman there said they wouldn’t be getting any because they are inefficient lol. Anyway for a while I kept thinking in my head 220 or 230 which one should I have gotten. I am glad I went with the 230, I think I’d have found the 220 a bit lacking in power. If I want max power I just paddle at a higher angle and if I want it super easy I just paddle at a low angle. I’m actually a mid angle paddler so it’s just perfect. For a shorter person the 210 or 220 would be fine. It’s definitely a more enjoyable and easier paddling experience and when I go back to a euro blade I kind of feel out of shape. As far as power goes my 230 is great, only a couple of times I’ve switched back to my Camano in the strong currents at Cresent beach between sand bars when the tide was really pulling and it just gave me a smidge more power. The Kalleq is super light, and I hold it slightly off the loom on the oval part. You need to have it slightly canted when paddling and it’s super quiet, slicing the water barely leaving a ripple. You can also get a special rolling paddle float for it that has handles, it’s really nice too. You need your skirt on as it has no drip rings and always drips. Though I have a partial skirt for warm days on quiet lakes that works great. You can add drip rings to it, but then it would interfere with the sliding of it from side to side if you became proficient at that move. It floats very well and is great for rolling, it has a lot of buoyancy. The only negative is it almost feels sharp when your hand is on the end of the blade if your doing a long sweep stroke, and big hands are a plus when holding the end. I would highly recommend purchasing it from a dealer if possible as buying and shipping from Gearlab are in US dollars and Canada customs will gouge you big time for duty. There are a few shops in Canada that sell them.View attachment 15328
 
Last edited:
I’ve had mine for 3 years now and love it. I bought it site unseen having never used a Greenland paddle before and now it’s my main paddle. I’m 6”2’ 240lbs and have the 230cm. My Werner Camano is 220 cm and my Shuna is 215 cm. I was going to get the 220 cm Kalleq, but I was advised to go with the 230 cm for my height. I bought it from James Manke kayak, on Vancouver island, whom I took a rolling course from, but now they sell them at WCK, after a salesman there said they wouldn’t be getting any because they are inefficient lol. Anyway for a while I kept thinking in my head 220 or 230 which one should I have gotten. I am glad I went with the 230, I think I’d have found the 220 a bit lacking in power. If I want max power I just paddle at a higher angle and if I want it super easy I just paddle at a low angle. I’m actually a mid angle paddler so it’s just perfect. For a shorter person the 210 or 220 would be fine. It’s definitely a more enjoyable and easier paddling experience and when I go back to a euro blade I kind of feel out of shape. As far as power goes my 230 is great, only a couple of times I’ve switched back to my Camano in the strong currents at Cresent beach between sand bars when the tide was really pulling and it just gave me a smidge more power. The Kalleq is super light, and I hold it slightly off the loom on the oval part. You need to have it slightly canted when paddling and it’s super quiet. You can also get a special rolling paddle float for it that has handles, it’s really nice too. You need your skirt on as it has no drip rings and always drips. Though I have a partial skirt for warm days on quiet lakes that works great. You can add drip rings to it, but then it would interfere with the sliding of it from side to side if you became proficient at that move. It floats very well and is great for rolling, it has a lot of buoyancy. The only negative is it almost feels sharp when your hand is on the end of the blade if your doing a long sweep stroke, and big hands are a plus when holding the end. I would highly recommend purchasing it from a dealer if possible as buying and shipping from Gearlab are in US dollars and Canada customs will gouge you big time for duty. There are a few shops in Canada that sell them.View attachment 15328
Thanks for the info it'll come in handy when I can find one to try out. When I was younger one of my lifelong friends lived/lives on the Rez in Ft. Langley and I would spend many evenings learning and helping him and his grandfather build kayaks. The kayak paddles that his grandfather would make were amazing and very similar to a Greenland but I never had the chance to try one. They must be efficient as they used them back then as well! lol
 
I tried one for a bit and found it very quiet and not my cup of tea. However, as far as Greenland paddles so it's very nice. I much preferred it to the wood ones I have tried in the past.

We're carrying Gearlab at WCK now and I'm sure we'll put a stick into the demo fleet this year.
 
Ya for sure it’s probably not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s probably going to take a little bit of paddling time to get used to the difference too, holding the paddle slightly angled, when the angle is right you’ll know it and it just becomes natural, if you go too short in the length I could see that perhaps a person could find it lacking in speed and power a bit, on Gearlab’s web site they only size them by Easy, Regular (the best of both sizes) and Max Power so I found that made it confusing to decide on a size. I have plenty of power and speed with my 230 cm, and know that 210 would not be suitable for me, but for someone 5’ it’s probably fine. It’s an easier paddle but still not a free ride. I guess I was lucky to have found out I really liked it after spending a wack of money on one without trying it first. I am really happy with mine but I don’t own a bent shaft paddle and would be very hesitant to buy one without trying it out on the water first. CPS you should have 3 sizes for rental on a reservation basis at WCK, rent two sizes out at say $80 a day with that $80 going towards a purchase if desired, because where can the average paddler try one out? It’s a big purchase at around $700. Get some deck balls/beads too. The Kayak Academy in Washington state has a Kajak sport carbon paddle that’s adjustable too from 215-228 cm.
 
Last edited:
I saw a guy just off of Saturna last week with a similar paddle and he seemed to just effortlessly paddle through the waves which intrigued me.

That might have been me! I live on Saturna, so the surrounding waters are my playground. I have a Kalleq and a Werner Cypress, and switch between the two depending on my mood. I absolutely love the Kalleq! If you’re visiting Saturna in the future, you’re welcome to try mine.
 
That might have been me! I live on Saturna, so the surrounding waters are my playground. I have a Kalleq and a Werner Cypress, and switch between the two depending on my mood. I absolutely love the Kalleq! If you’re visiting Saturna in the future, you’re welcome to try mine.
It probably was you as I only saw two others out on the water. I have a cabin on Mayne so it's a short paddle over to Saturna. Next time I'm headed your way I'll let you know and thanks for the offer.
 
Ya for sure it’s probably not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s probably going to take a little bit of paddling time to get used to the difference too, holding the paddle slightly angled, when the angle is right you’ll know it and it just becomes natural, if you go too short in the length I could see that perhaps a person could find it lacking in speed and power a bit, on Gearlab’s web site they only size them by Easy, Regular (the best of both sizes) and Max Power so I found that made it confusing to decide on a size. I have plenty of power and speed with my 230 cm, and know that 210 would not be suitable for me, but for someone 5’ it’s probably fine. It’s an easier paddle but still not a free ride. I guess I was lucky to have found out I really liked it after spending a wack of money on one without trying it first. I am really happy with mine but I don’t own a bent shaft paddle and would be very hesitant to buy one without trying it out on the water first. CPS you should have 3 sizes for rental on a reservation basis at WCK, rent two sizes out at say $80 a day with that $80 going towards a purchase if desired, because where can the average paddler try one out? It’s a big purchase at around $700. Get some deck balls/beads too. The Kayak Academy in Washington state has a Kajak sport carbon paddle that’s adjustable too from 215-228 cm.
I agree that WCK should rent a few paddles. It would suck to buy one and want to use it as a javelin at the end of the day.
 
i got my first Gearlab paddle in 2017, was using it yesterday
had wood paddles before that, still use one of them on sunny calm days
have a second newer / lighter / sharper edge Gearlab as my go-to
and a Werner ikos bentshaft as the go-to bakup
 
I think a retailer would sell a lot more of them if people could try them out first. They only need a set or two, not a big collection of rentals, just make it on a reserve only basis. Let people try a couple of sizes out, with the money going towards a future purchase if desired. OMG monkey see monkey want, that’s why I have so much gear lol.
 
I'd think a problem with a "trial" is it seems there is a learning curve/technique for the Greenland paddle that is different from the spoon blade. If people try to use it as just a substitute for their Euro Blade, they may become disappointed, or wet.

In the Reviews/Videos I've researched, it is not uncommon to take a while before new muscle memory is established. That's not to say a person can't appreciate some of the benefits on day one, but as a retailer, I'd think you'd need to invest more than just handing the paddle to a potential buyer and saying, "Try this."
 
I'd think a problem with a "trial" is it seems there is a learning curve/technique for the Greenland paddle that is different from the spoon blade. If people try to use it as just a substitute for their Euro Blade, they may become disappointed, or wet.

In the Reviews/Videos I've researched, it is not uncommon to take a while before new muscle memory is established. That's not to say a person can't appreciate some of the benefits on day one, but as a retailer, I'd think you'd need to invest more than just handing the paddle to a potential buyer and saying, "Try this."
Speaking of videos, after watching a few on how to build them I'm going to build one for myself and if it works out well I'll lend it out for others to try.
 
I’d build one myself too, but every time I go to Home Depot I can’t find a straight piece of wood.
 
I’d build one myself too, but every time I go to Home Depot I can’t find a straight piece of wood.
When I built one of my sailboats I needed a 26' clear 6x6 for the mast. Windsor plywood brought it in for me and they'll also bring in smaller stuff as well. When I had my Wood-Mizer I would cut clear for customers all the time and it might be worthwhile checking with some locals who own band mills and see if they can help you out.
 
Back
Top