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| Figure 1 |
As many in the kayaking community know, last year I reviewed the 2002 version of the Waterstick Zen ProBend paddle for BoaterTalk. I found it to be an excellent paddle, with my only hesitation being that its thicker grip design required some "getting used to". As I said then, "It takes some adjustment of technique, and Waterstick is not bashful about telling you that right up front. 'It's worth it', they say, and they're right." Ongoing usage after that review reinforced my opinion - that the Zen was a industry-leading paddle, but that its learning curve was a distraction and deterrent for newbies.
Soon after, Waterstick released their newest grip design: A thinner style first discussed at OR2002. Since the grip was the only serious design question to be raised during my previous review, I felt that a followup review was in order to let the paddling community know how the two designs compared. Waterstick agreed, and after some delay in getting the paddle to me it finally arrived and I was able to do a direct A:B comparison.
Much about the old and new Zen are identical. To get the most out of this review, you should first read my earlier analysis of last year's Zen.
For this review Waterstick supplied their new ProBend Zen in 191 centimeters, right hand control, with 12 degrees of offset and their Revolution blades. This paddle is identical to the one I last reviewed except for the new grip design and the lower offset (12 versus 30 degrees). All of these parameters are variable and you can order just about any combination imaginable.
Figure 1 above shows one of the cosmetic differences: The Waterstick logo has moved to the power face of the blades. This change is more even recent than the grip redesign... the early 2003 Zens had the logo on the backside of the blades, like the 2002's. I'm not sure why Waterstick made the change. It obviously makes no performance difference.
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| Figure 2 |
Figure 2 is a view along the length of the paddle shaft. It is obvious from this view that the grip area is markedly different from last year's. The 2002 grip had a different diameter than the shaft itself. As you can see here, the new grip looks almost like a straight shaft was "bent" in a couple of places.
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| Figure 3 |
Figure 3 - a "paddler's view" of the paddle looking toward the powerface of the blades - reveals an important aspect of the new Zen's design. If you glance quickly and don't know better, you might think this was a straight shaft paddle. The ergonomic grips and their associated bends in the shaft nearly vanish when the paddle is viewed on axis with your forearms. This fact is vitally important to how a paddle feels in your hands, for reasons which we'll explore in more detail below.
Yellow conformal tubing (presumably heat-shrink) is used at the three manufacturing joints. Note the joint in the center of the shaft, even though this is not a breakdown paddle; I suspect this yields some economies in manufacturing.
Waterstick offers the Zen in a variety of standard offsets including "custom" values. In an ergonomic paddle - one which attempts to accommodate the natural angles of the human wrist - the offset affects not only the blades but the grips themselves (remember, for proper indexing the grips need to be aligned with the blades). Offsetting the blades alone would be easy since they are manufactured separately from, and only later attached to, the shaft. But to offer multiple fixed offsets on a one-piece shaft means an individual mold for every offset value.
Now consider this: The two halves of the shaft are always identical (other than overall length). If you kept a stock of just four standardized components - left shafts, left blades, right shafts, and right blades - you could assemble paddles of any length and any offset. No more multiple molds, no more guessing at the correct quantities of this or that component. Build four identical components and just assemble them into whatever you need. There are some serious economies of scale to be realized in an approach such as this, not to mention the ability to offer custom offsets at virtually no additional cost or delay over "standard" values.
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| Figure 4 |
In Figure 3's overall view, the paddle's label was visible toward one side of the shaft. Figure 4 is a closeup of that label. While last year's label was a proud statement regarding the paddle's Canadian heritage [grin], this new label is more commercially oriented and identifies all the technical variables determined during assembly. As shown, this paddle's length (191 cm) and blade offset (12 degrees) are highlighted. Other possibilities can be clearly seen, as well as a "Custom:" field which reflects Waterstick's willingness to accommodate special requests. I suspect this adhesive label dramatically simplifies stocking and handling at both Waterstick's factory and at their dealers worldwide.
I've already mentioned the Zen's unique appearance, and as first shown in Figure 1 nowhere is that more apparent than in the large surface areas of the blades.
Waterstick has two premium blade designs. The Revolution is their more "traditional" blade. The intent of the Revolution is to give the paddler all of Waterstick's design and fabrication advantages without requiring the steep learning curve of their more radical Power blade.
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| Figure 5 |
Looking carefully at Figure 5, you can see that the Revolution blade comprises three distinct "panels" whose inside edges are approximately defined by a line along the shaft and a Y-shaped ridge near the blade edge. This makes the blade look like it was assembled from three pieces, including a triangular piece at the end. Careful inspection reveals, however, that the blade is indeed a monolithic piece; the carbon fabric is continuous across both faces of the blade.
Quoting Waterstick's technical writeup, they employ a "special surface profile that is designed into the blade with advanced 3D computer solid modelling software. This unique profile acts like a built in skeleton transferring stress across the blades surface in an even distribution. The profile is visible as a unique Y shaped ridge extending out from the center axis towards the outer tips of the blade. These ridges are not just bumps added to the surface to make it look cool but rather a precisely designed lattice of ridges and spines that transfer the stress of the tip onto the long axis of the blade."
Waterstick claims that their blades are "lighter and stronger", and that their paddles have very low swing weight. The "low weight" and "low swing weight" were definitely evident to almost everyone who reviewed the Zen. Virtually everyone who picked it up out of the water immediately commented on its light weight; this was particularly true of those who owned other brands of bent-shaft paddles.
And if Waterstick saved the name "Power" for their other blade design, I can't imagine what it must feel like. These Revolution blades delivered exactly what Waterstick promised: Lots of power in a lightweight, light swinging paddle. Every reviewer stated that the Zen gave them more power than their current paddle.
In my personal testing, the increase in power was so pronounced that I had to consciously scale back a bit. When I first started reviewing the Zen, I was overpowering certain moves like cartwheels and thus driving my playboat ahead of me unnecessarily. I was not accustomed to a paddle this powerful in a package this light, and it frankly took me a little while to revise my technique. But the payoff was worth it - I'm able to do things with this paddle that, in the past, were beyond my existing skill set.
One subtle but important improvement in this year's Zen ProBend is the alignment of the blades. If the opportunity presents itself at your local paddling shop, pick up bent-shaft paddles from several manufacturers and examine how the angle of their blades relative to the center section of the shaft. It seems every manufacturer does this a little differently - and it has a huge impact on how the paddle "feels" with respect to balance and static torque.
Remember earlier in this article where I emphasized how, in Figure 3, this year's Zen ProBend might be mistaken for a straight shafted paddle? That's because the blades are in alignment with the shaft from the perspective of the paddler's forearms. Just because the grip area is angled doesn't mean the blades have to be. Waterstick is doing it right with the Zen ProBend. Compare other manufacturer's bent-shaft paddles and see how they look - and feel.
To help you compare the old with the new, this article includes side-by-side photos of each grip from front, bottom, and top. The left photo of each pair shows the old grip, while the right photo shows the new grip from the same point of view.
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| Figure 6a | Figure 6b |
Figures 6a and 6b show a front view of the old (a) and new (b) grips. You can see that the old grip had a noticeable swell for your palm area, whereas the new grip is more smooth - indeed, from this perspective it's almost like an extrusion of the shaft itself.
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| Figure 7a | Figure 7b |
Figure 7's bottom view really highlights the difference in the grip profiles. The old (a) grip's handswell area is impossible to miss, and was one reason for the "weird feeling" that most people noticed when first trying the Zen ProBend. (The other reason was the imbalanced alignment of the blades to the main shaft, which has also been improved.) The new (b) grip's profile has none of the handswell, just a gentle ovaling which provides positive, almost subconscious index feedback to your hands. This profile makes the Zen ProBend comfortable for paddlers with smaller hands, a group which was not well served by last year's design.
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| Figure 8a | Figure 8b |
I saved Figure 8's top views for last because they summarize the differences between the designs. As with Figure 7, the removal of the handswell and the overall profile change is readily apparent in Figure 8. Also visible is Waterstick's unique "dimpling" which provides increased surface area for the shaft to interface with your palm.
To be honest, I cannot say that the dimpling has a noticeable effect on the paddle's performance. I'm not aware of the dimples while I paddle; they're subtle enough that they don't really remind you of their presence. Perhaps that's as intended, but I can't say if I'd miss the dimples or not. They certainly don't bother me - I just don't know if they deliver any benefit.
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| Figure 9a | Figure 9b |
Figure 9 shows how your hand interfaces with the two grip designs. Look carefully at the region at the root of the thumb and it's apparent that the old grip "filled the hand" more than does the new design. There's more clearance around the shaft in the new design, which in this case translates to better feel and improved comfort.
Another subtle difference: Look at the angle of the index finger. On the old grip, the index finger is slightly out of alignment with the other fingers and not "closed" as completely. I'm no ergonomic expert, but I believe this may have contributed to grip fatigue as your finger muscles were forced to tighten to different degrees. On the new grip, all four fingers are aligned and the fingers are closed to the same extent.
One side benefit of the Zen ProBend grip change is the ability to slide your hands around a bit. I'm a fan of wide grip width - I prefer to place my hands farther apart than many bent-shaft designs permit. The old Zen ProBend grip with its handswell design forced your hands into a specific location. Fortunately it was wide enough that could work with it, but it didn't permit any flexibility in hand positioning.
That's all changed with this year's design. Referring to Figure 9b again, the new grip's width and continuous cross-section allows you to move your hands around a bit. I find that while I start my hands more or less centered in the grip area as shown in Figure 9b, during paddling my hands subconsciously move out to the widest point on the grips - right up against that outermost bend. Others evaluating the new paddle chose to keep their hands in a little more. Such flexibility is a welcome improvement.
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| Figure 10a | Figure 10b |
I'm going to use some of the same categories here that I used in my review of last year's Zen.
Power: Waterstick's Revolution blades are the most powerful blades I've ever used. I'll repeat an experience I cited before.... People first learning to roll are very dependent upon blade power. During one review session with the Zen, I was also teaching a newbie how to roll. She was hitting perhaps 20% of her rolls with another brand of paddle. On a hunch, I handed her the Zen - and her success rate instantly jumped to nearly 100%. Obviously, as newbies gain experience they depend upon the paddle less and less... but there's a real message when an inexperienced beginner realizes that much difference from just a paddle change.
Weight: The Zen is extremely lightweight for its length, blade size, and shaft diameter.
Swing Weight: The new Zen has retained its remarkable "zero swing weight". It continues to feel lighter at the ends than in the middle. It's as if its mass is concentrated between your hands. With most paddles it's obvious that there is "something on the ends", where the blades contribute a fair portion of the overall mass. And because the blades are all the way out on the ends, they have a huge effect on the perceived swing weight of the paddle. The Zen is different... it's as if the blades are weightless. People speak of "stroke rate" and how it is affected by your paddle's swing weight. Several of our reviewers mentioned the "speed" of the paddle, and I can honestly say that the limiting factor to the Zen's stroke rate was the speed at which I could move my arms.
Stiffness: The Pro-Bend shaft is stiff, stiff, stiff. Some people like ultra-stiff paddles, others prefer a little more compliance. If you like stiff paddles, you'll love Waterstick's shaft. If you prefer a little more compliance, you need to check it out instead of making a blind purchase. Even if you hate stiff shafts, though, don't write off the Zen. It's quite likely that the other ergonomic features will make up for the stiffness and deliver a net improvement in paddle performance.
Static Torque: This is an area of distinct improvement in the new Zen. Last year's grip and shaft system suffered from the same problem as every other bent-shaft paddle I've used: At rest, it wanted to "twist" in your hands and settle into an orientation different than that which you'd use for actual paddling. This meant you had to grip, ever so slightly, to keep the paddle oriented properly in your hands. Last time I said "I mention it here only because they've done such a great job of engineering everything else about this paddle that it gives me hope they'll address this common issue in their next revision". Well, they did address it and it's no longer an issue. In fact, the overall paddle is now so well balanced that you can "twirl" it in your two hands without it feeling sloppy. That very unscientific test says that its center of mass is nearly coaxial with the shaft's longitudinal axis - which in turn means its static torque is close to zero, as it should be.
Overall Feel: The new Waterstick Zen ProBend "just feels right". Unlike last year's grip, which gave the paddle an initially weird feeling, the new Zen feels completely natural from the moment you pick it up. It becomes an unconscious extension of your arms and hands, one less distraction while working on your newest move. I've owned, tested, or demoed just about every major brand of paddle out there and this is the only one that feels like it was custom designed for my unknown identical twin brother.
The Waterstick Zen ProBend is the best bent-shaft paddle I've ever used, period.
I struggled with writing that sentence, because it makes me sound biased - which I'm not. I'm sure another, better paddle will come along as industry knowledge and experience progress. But having reached that conclusion, it would be dishonest to not include it here. I review paddles of all types and report my findings to the paddling community, and holding back information (good or bad) is inappropriate.
If you took my recommendation and read my review of last year's Zen, you know I had already found it to be an excellent paddle. My one hesitation was its grip design. It took me several hours of concentrated focus to adjust to it, and many to whom I loaned it were put off by the older grip's size and feel. Everyone loved the power... everyone loved the swing weight... but the grip's ergonomics just loomed too large for many to keep using it.
So what happens when they take a paddle that has a single criticism - and correct it? You get the 2003 Zen ProBend. You get the best bent-shaft paddle on the market. I apologize for repeating myself, but that's just how I feel after several months of extensive testing.
The standard advice for buying new whitewater equipment is "demo, demo, demo". There are no exceptions to that advice, but if there were, the new Zen ProBend would be the first. This paddle feels so natural to so many people that it's the first whitewater product I would feel confident about recommending to a buyer sight unseen.
If you're considering a new paddle, the Waterstick Zen ProBend should be at (not near, but at) the top of your list. As a sanity check and to avoid later doubts, you should also check out the top end bent-shaft offerings from other paddle manufacturers. If you do so with an open mind, I can predict where you'll likely end up: Buying a Zen ProBend. And loving it.
Richard L. Hartman is an Engineer and freelance reviewer of whitewater equipment whose articles appear in a variety of online and print media. To provide equipment for review or inquire about hosting Richard's reviews on your site, send email to richard [at] richardhartman [dot] net. Article and photographs are Copyright 2003 by Richard L. Hartman, Spokane WA USA. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. This article may be referenced by a web hyperlink if done so in its entirety.