Man, I am really dissapointed iwth my SRS dboat paddle. Maily cuz it SNAPPED IN HALF! god, cant they figure out how to properly make carbon fiber paddles like the flattie guy Patassi. I think that guy would tatally make a killing if he got into the dboat buisness.

Patasi does make a dragonboat blade..go to the Turbo website..

Though the SRS blades I used (not the first batch) had no problems..when did you buy yours? I'm in the market for a new blade right now.

This is the best blade going.

http://www.greyowlpaddles.com/PGS/COMPOSITE_RACING.html

What a bunch of idiots you guys are being sucked in by this guy! IF it did snap, which I highly doubt with carbon fiber, then you must be pretty strong. Or are you just saying this to promote other paddles. Where do you paddle that you just noticed it was "broken"! Not many teams are on the water March 1st. Amazing how many idiots are in the dragon boat forum. Our club has bought over 30 dragon boat paddles over the last few years and the quality and service has been first rate. Don't listen to bozos like this, do your own research!

I broke a SRS carbon blade this summer, it happens, some batches are worse than others, they're strong blades but if you are doing your job right one of these days the paddle will definitely break. Not to mention I'm a beast so that paddle didnt have a chance!

Hahaha, I was wondering where they were paddling at this time of year to break their blade.

In the bathtub?

ever hear of pool paddling, dumba**?????

Another me centric attitude. Some parts of the world (and Canada) have snow but many places (including in Canada) do not and they could be paddling outside in the sunshine as you spout your shit.

Hey dude, the first batch of SRS paddles had problems with the paddles coming apart..don't forget that. They fixed things up in the second batch though.

Don't know many teams that use full size carbon fiber paddles for pool paddling. Most team would use shaved down paddles as full size increases the resistance too much that you cannot get a true feel of the stroke. But maybe your team shaves down their carbon fiber.... must have a good sugar daddy....

Since we're on the topic of Carbon Paddles breaking, My variable-length Apex did split in half (along the side-length of the blade) after 2 seasons - I believe scraping on the side lead to a tiny crack, that allowed water in the blade and it eventually lost its composition. However the guys at Apex stuck to their lifetime warranty and replaced it free of charge.

Apex replaced my durablade on the spot when the shaft developed a small crack near the throat. I think most manufacturers including SRS and Grey Owl will do this especially if the paddle is only a season old. At least they better if they want a future in this market. Apex manufactures in the GTA so if you're in Toronto you can get quick service. Grey Owl is in Cambridge. GWN stocks most of both their paddles and they'll honour the Apex warranty. SRS makes their paddles in Quebec so that's not bad either for getting a replacement in a couple of days. If you buy a European or Chinese paddle, fugetaboutit.

Here out west we paddle EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.

One guy on our team had and SRS and it snaped within the first week of him using it.

Grey Owl is heavy.

The best paddle on the market is the Burnwater.

ever hear of pool paddling, dumba**?????

Well DUMBASS...as if he is using a full size carbon fibre paddle in paddle pool. What a f'in idiot you are.

Some team do it. not regulary, but as specific strength training!!!

Well I would hope it was a team of VERY experienced paddlers because its a good way to hurt yourself.JMO

Even without taking blade size into consideration, pool chlorine cannot be good for the finish of the carbon blades.

Epoxy is pretty inert , wouldn't worry about chlorine in a pool.

One of our guys managed to snap his Burnwater the other week, so in summary, all paddles however good normally can have a duff one!

SRS sold me a dud. They did howerever offer to replace it. Since mine was not the only dud on my team I took a refund instead.

Any of you watch the Olympics? If you have, you might remember that relay race in which one of the poles broke. High performance, top of the line, carbon fibre ski pole broke, and it's around $400 for a pair. That wasn't the only broken pole either.
My point is that the tools break. That's why there are warranties. Get your tools from a place that will warranty them promptly in case something does happen to them and enjoy using your tools, tools.

Yeah but I'm not an olympic athlete. If I buy a paddle I expect it to never break.

Yeah but I'm not an olympic athlete. If I buy a paddle I expect it to never break.
******************************************************

what a dumbass.

never say never.

idiot forum.

Hope your gloves don't get a whole in them from stroking your wee shaft.

I'm the one who wrote in at 5:18.

To the last poster who called me a dumbass: What is the problem with expecting a piece of equipment to not break? I recently bought a microwave oven and I expect it to work with no issue for a verry long time. When I buy a high end paddle and the salesperson tells me that it is made of the most durable materilas available then I expect that paddle to NOT break. If I buy the cheapest paddle or microwave on the market then I can't complain. I have seen SRS blades break with my own two eyes.

Oh, and no gloves here you jerk.

Any reference to gloves on this forum isn't necessarily about an accessory, it's about an attitude. And dude, you are a glove-wearing, 3-year paddling dumbass.

I hope your not talking to me. I posted at 5:18 and 6:40. I critique the SRS blade and that makes me a dumbass? You must be an SRS rep who can't handle criticism.

Is everyone who wears a glove a dumbass?

Is everyone who is in their third year of paddling a dunmbass?

Martin Doctor (Olympic champion in 1996) wore a glove on his top hand at the 2002 world dragon boat championships, he must be a real dumbass.

There was no World Dragonboat Championships in 2002

Maybe you are confused as 2002 was the year you became a dragonboater and as such is the most important year in your oxygen deprived brain. Your new team uniform that you spent 6 months on a committee to pick out and get samples must be a little tight for your middle age flabby torso.

Hope the glove matches your uniform..I mean you spent so much time and money picking them out why not match!

In 2002 Martin Doctor raced with the czechs in Rome at the club crew worlds.

so you my friend are oxygen deprived.

This thread is kind of funny if you read it from the top down. So far I have noted a broken Burnwater, SRS, and Apex carbon paddle. I would have said that it seems to leave us with Grey Owl except I have had a Grey Owl Raven (Outrigger canoeing) paddle break in my weak little arms as well.

This is hardly quantitative research but I think it is safe to assume that carbon fiber paddles in general offer some great advantages in terms of weight and stiffness of the blade and shaft however they seem to be less durable. It is a tread off guys figure it out.

stupid glove wearing 3 - 4 year dragon boaters are takinbg note of how their coaches pool of idiots actually regard them.

More then likely your current coach or one of his/her idiot friends posted all the nonsense that accurately reflect how a large portion of the Flatie communitee regards us stupid spandex wearing fat water glove wearing dragon boaters.

Sure there are all nice nice while taking your money, but....

"In 2002 Martin Doctor raced with the czechs in Rome at the club crew worlds.

so you my friend are oxygen deprived."

Ha ha!


anyways, the poster above me is right, carbon paddles will snap after a period of time, since they tend to break down. Look at the number of sticks that snap during NHL hockey games....but, again, this is just from wear, not using the paddle a couple times and having it snap (which seems to be heard about some of the SRS paddles - maybe they've made enhancements though?)

Much better analogy to compare to a hockey stick (those $200 + ones can break) to a paddle than a paddle to a ...microwave.

It seems as if each make has had a break.

And here we didn't even know that SRS made hockey sticks

To the poster at 9:56. You are an idiot. Martin raced at the worlds in Rome with a glove on and in a one-piece spandex suit. I assume you are a flatwater paddler who thinks very highly of yourself. You should go on a flatwater forum to vent your anger at the world.

hehehe.do you think he was making a fashion statement??

How the heck do you remember what some dude wore almost 4 years ago at a race?
TFF

Maybe we should start a discussion thread for Gloves. Pro's, Con's, perhaps a poll? Do you wear a glove? Why? When? What brand?

SRS Shill: I heard SRS is making a new dragon boat glove and it rocks!

Anti-SRS Guy: I heard they rip and cause blisters!

SRS Shill: Up yours you fat-arsed dragon boat wannabe, F#CK YOU! Buy Canadian! I need a new car! Grrrrr.....

(Just kidding SRS guys, I have no problem with you)


Seriously, what's the issue here? Some people wear gloves, some don't. In the spring, the water is cold and it's bloody murder on the hands. Dragon boat is not the same as C-1 or other canoe disciplines, your hand gets MUCH wetter. Wetter=colder. What's wrong with a glove?

I wear one in the spring, and take it off by summer. No big deal.

I wore one in Hong Kong because the paddles were shite and they ripped our hands apart.

Sounds like common sense to me.

I remember Martin wearing a glove because he sat alone in seat one with nobody next to him or behind him. That draws attention.

Gloves are fine.

Anyone who has an issue with that has an insecurity problem.

yeah, and I remember cuz every time I got tired during the race, I stopped and looked around and cleary saw The "Doc" with a glove on. Man he looked awesome...it really got me going for me finish...although I did have to stop near the finish line and lift my head up so I could see myself in those neat finish line photos.

nothing wrong with wearing gloves to keep your hands warm.

its when "they" wear them when its 96 degrees in the shade sweetheart.

Carbon is stiffer and lighter but also can be brittle if the shaft gets the tiniest nick in it. Anyone of them that gets bounced around on the dock or on land, gets dropped a few times while you are putting it in your car, etc. is going to break if you can generate anything on your paddle.

Oh yeah....you're all a bunch of dumbass jerks.

This thread is awesome.

You all suck!

Now seriously I have a burnwater and love it. SRS does not have a great name on my team but I've never seen a paddle break.

Who is this Doctor?

http://www.martindoktor.cz/


Martin Doktor vlastně ani neměl jinou volbu, než se stát rychlostním kanoistou. Jeho rodiče - matka Zuzana a otec Josef - se tomuto sportu věnovali v různých formách již dávno před tím, než se jim 21. května 1974 narodil druhý syn. Prvorozený Tomáš je o šest let starší.

První projížďku lodí absolvoval Martin Doktor ve čtyřech letech. A vzápětí bylo jasno, že nebude poslední. Naopak. V sedmi letech se zapojil do tréninkového procesu v Pardubicích, kde vyrůstal. Jako žáček začínal k nelibosti otce na kajaku. S přibývajícími roky si vedl stále lépe a lépe. Otci, kovanému kanoistovi, se nezdařilo ani jednoho syna odlákat od kajaku. A tak u Martina Doktora pomohla lest a přátelé - vodáci. Až když 18. dubna 1986 dostal na míru vyrobené kanoistické pádlo souhlasil s přestupem do kategorie, která ho nakonec světově proslavila a pasovala na jednoho z nejlepších českých olympioniků historie.

Nové kanoistické pádlo dodalo Martinovi ještě větší odhodlání a motivaci na vodě něčeho dosáhnout. A krůček po krůčku, trpělivě mířící k medailím, se v září 1988 dočkal Martin Doktor reprezentačního dresu. Tehdy ještě československého a socialistického. Další milník kariéry, který mladému závodníkovi naznačil: Ty to můžeš někam dotáhnout.

A stalo se. Martin Doktor vyhrál juniorské mistrovství světa (či juniorský Světový pohár). Přechod do seniorské kategorie neznamenal vážnější problémy. Naopak vyhlášení soupeři - Ivan Klementěv či Nikolaj Buchalov - tušili, že jim přibývá vážný konkurent v bojích o medaile.

Svými výsledky a vítězstvím v Hamburku v létě roku 1992 dokonce "donutil" otce přestat kouřit.

V únoru 1994 se sešla rodinná rada Doktorů a rozhodla, že i přes značné investice založí vlastní tým, který syna připraví na olympijské hry 1996 v americké Atlantě. O půl roku později si Martin Doktor kanoistikou začal vydělávat. Platil ho svaz kanoistiky. Rok před olympiádou "Doktoři" dvakrát zamířili do Atlanty. A položili základní kámen... Ještě v témže roce se z Martina Doktora stal profesionální sportovec - kanoista, když "přestoupil" k ministerstvu vnitra ČR, které mu nabídlo na tu dobu nadstandardní měsíční plat ve výši dvaceti tisíc korun.

Začátek roku 1996 prožil Martin Doktor se svým týmem na tradičním soustředění v Jihoafrické republice. Následovaly další přípravy a poslední předolympijské soustředění v USA.

Třetího srpna 1996 se stal Martin Doktor olympijským vítězem v kategorii C1 na 1000 metrů.

Čtvrtého srpna 1996 se stal Martin Doktor olympijským vítězem v kategorii C1 na 500 metrů.

Respektovaný, ale veřejnosti málo známý kanoista, se během jediného srpnového víkendu proměnil v národního hrdinu, celebritu a nakonec i Sportovce roku 1996.

V roce následujícím Martin Doktor uzavřel svou sbírku zlatých medailí že všech tří největších akcí - olympijských her, mistrovství světa a Evropy.

Přestože jako kanoista dosáhl všeho, pokračoval v přípravách na další a další závody. Němec Andreas Dittmer a Rus Maxim Opalev přibrzdili Doktorovo sbírání drahých kovů. Přesto pravidelně vyhrál prestižní Světový pohár a mířil k olympijským hrám v australském Sydney. Stejně jako v Atlantě se ve výsledcích obou kategoriích objevily před jeho jménem stejné číslice. S tím rozdílem, že jedničky vystřídaly osmičky. Zklamání.

Ani to však neuzavřelo kariéru Martina Doktora. Dál bojoval s narůstající konkurencí a radoval se z každého, i když ne tak výrazného úspěchu. Medailí přibývalo, jen lesk se změnil ze zlatého na stříbrný či bronzový.

Vrcholem čtyřletého snažení od Sydney 2000 budou 27. a 28. srpna dva závody na olympijských hrách v Aténách.

Dvacátého října 2000 se Martin Doktor oženil s dlouholetou přítelkyní Kateřinou a devátého října 2001 se jim narodil syn Felix.

Isnt' that Dittmer in 1?

Flatties in a db..hahha.

Skiing


Weights



And to prepare for a rigorous dragonboating season..

Canoeing


HAHHAAHAHA

oh and he loves canada..go steve giles!

Wow thanks!!

Flatties everywhere are cringing..

No Dittmer, say it ain't so...

WHAT?

NO GLOVES?!!