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The paddle
seemed lighter than suggested by its actual weight. I was inclined
to use a high-angle, aggressive stroke. Avoiding a noisy splash
required a careful entry, which was rewarded with negligible
ventilation of the blade. Although the blade seemed to plant
strongly, my stroke felt slightly short, possibly due to some
flexing of the shaft. A lower-angle stroke felt acceptable,
although, on a few unusually careless entries, the blade tried
to turn parallel to the surface. Gunwale clearance was good
for such large blades on a short shaft.
The smaller-than-average shaft and slick finish encouraged me
to over-grip the shaft, tiring my hands.
Slightly sanding the grip area would have allowed a more relaxed
grip.
Sweep
strokes felt quite effective, despite the short length, although
I had to be careful to bury the blade fully. In sculling braces,
the flow of water across the blade separated and made for a
lot of splashing, but the support was good enough to keep the
blade at the surface. Rolls felt effective, and the paddle was
easy to maneuver underwater.
If Malone’s
combination of a small-diameter shaft and large blades is appealing
to you, the Black Harbor is a handsome paddle for the
price.
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