Check these bad boys out!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSEBX-suGMM&feature=player_embedded
I noticed in the video the oars seemed to have a bunch of flex in them. I’m not overly fond of oars that flex that much, but it could just be my rowing style. If they are good oars, I hope NFO starts sending them out with their boats. The oars that came stock with the Skykomish I had were junk. I had the cheap plastic sleeve that connects them snap like a toothpick on me (in easy water too), ruining a float trip.
I agree they like sling shot you. Sorry about your oars. I have the Carlisle Aluminum and the psychedelic composite oars and no problem with either. I like the bigger paddle on the composite ones. I am awaiting delivery of a pair of 5’ers for my Escape. Not sure how much flex on 5’, but the lack of weight is going to be awesome.
Are you referring to the aluminum Carlisle’s with the Sky? Had those for years until I got the Sawyers. They were ok, better than nothing. I’ve never heard of them snapping either.
I’m pretty sure that they’re the same ones that Outcast, Bucks, CA, Water Skeeter and all the rest of the kickboats have.
For the flexing of the oars on the video, wouldn’t that flex help in rowing. Kind of like a power stroke at the end.
Yes. Mine had Carlisle blades but I’ve never seen the smaller Carlisle oar shafts like what came with my Sunrise (the plastic sleeve for the joint / 2-piece oars).
I’ve never heard of them snapping either.
Mine sure did, right at the cheap plastic joint. I was in semi-calm water and went to make a stroke on the oars and “snap”…
I’m pretty sure that they’re the same ones that Outcast, Bucks, CA, Water Skeeter and all the rest of the kickboats have.
For the flexing of the oars on the video, wouldn’t that flex help in rowing. Kind of like a power stroke at the end.
I’ve owned boats from Outcast, Creek Company and NFO, and the oars that came with the Sunrise was the only ones I’ve ever had with the plastic sleeve/joint. They flexed bad too, I think because of the plastic joint. The Sunrise was a great boat but the oars they sent with it were junk.
I have rowed plenty and I dont personally like an oar that flexes alot. A little flex is OK, but not like a recurve bow being shot. Get in some whitewater and those “full-flexing” oars spell trouble. However, some folks may like an oar that bends that much. Not me.
I like flex in oars. These seem to flex quite a bit, but my composite oars (the scadden ones) also flex quite a bit. Unless you’re seriously in good shape, especially your lower back muscles, you will appreciate the flex in composite or wooden oars. I use as spares a pair of aluminum oars. They really are stiff an a bit unforgiving!
I have a 6 1/2 foot pair of the NFO Litespeed oars that I have been using on my NFO Outlaw Rampage. I really like them, but I am an out of shape Old **** and only use the boat on stillwater. That said, I do sometimes troll from the boat and that means lots and lots of rowing in a day’s fishing.
For me, the flex of the shaft seems to act like variable gearing… ie: the beginning of the stroke is when you have the most strain on the oarsman, and the flex absorbs some of that strain, but gives it back later in the stroke as they spring back. The other thing that is great is that the overall weight of them is so low (my pair weighs in at less than 4 pounds) means you are swinging considerably less mass on the backstroke (when the oars are out of the water), and over the course of the day, the two factors combine to make me WAY less tired than when using the crappy stock aluminum oars or the Sawyer SST fiberglass oars I replaced them with.
For my purposes anyway, I am sold on these oars. Many detailed pics of them are on my Smugmug site:
http://michaelnel.smugmug.com/Boats/2010-03-06-outlaw-details/11432807_AVnPK#875948884_kwJ8b