Aerial Whitewater Kayak Paddle Reviews
5-minute read + 4 videos
We’re super stoked about our new Aerial whitewater kayak paddle family and how it’s being received in the whitewater world. We pulled together a few review videos we found on YouTube to help you make your paddle decision too.
Our Aerial Carbon whitewater paddle (photo courtesy of Level Six)
[NOTE: Some of these folks were involved in our development process, as we invited many in the whitewater community to offer their input in its production. They each are committed to giving their honest opinions in their reviews.]
“One of the most durable paddles I have ever used.”
Wade Harrison’s YouTube channel currently has 10K followers. He focuses on reviewing kayaking and outdoor gear.
This review of the Aerial is what he calls a quick review:
Wade focuses on our revolutionary Lam-Lok™ technology that keeps the blades from wearing like every other whitewater paddle blade wears. Each paddle uses 32 feet of Kevlar stitching in the blades along the tips and edges.
“It actually works, everybody, and I have not been gentle on it,” Wade says. He likes the “tackiness” of the shaft, meant to keep it in your hands when it’s wet.
(PRO TIP: Wade added some neon yellow tape on the shaft for hand placement and also for visibility in the water when he loses it.)
“This [paddle] feels like it just does everything,” Wade says. “If I could have one paddle that was durable? I’d be totally fine with this—I have been fine with it, I’ve been using it!”
Wade’s video mate adds, “It seems intuitive in a way. It doesn’t grab your attention, it just does what it’s supposed to do. I’ve found myself not really thinking about my paddle too much, which is great.”
Wade promises a full-on review in the future, so be sure to look for it on his YouTube channel.
“It’s a quiver-killer”
Simon Coward of AQ Outdoors in Alberta, Canada gives us his “first thoughts” review on the Aeriel in this video:
Simon starts by going over the various options we offer in the Aerial family: Major and Minor lines, carbon and fiberglass materials, the different shaft and ferrule options.
He then explains what he means after he calls the Aerial a quiver-killer: “Having a paddle with an adjustable ferrule that allows you to change the feather of the blade and the length of the blade solves that problem of needing a playboating paddle and a river running paddle. Brandon likes to creek with a 30-degree offset and he likes to playboat with a zero-degree offset. So you can do that with one paddle here.”
Simon also likes that the blade shape is suitable for several whitewater applications. And that we offer 2-piece and 4-piece options that make travel and storage easy.
He touches on the weight of the paddle: “It’s not the lightest laminate carbon paddle you’ll get, but the swing weight feels really good. It feels very balanced and smooth in the water.”
Any downsides: As Wade mentions in his review above, Simon also notes the black-on-black measurements on the adjustable ferrule are hard to see, especially when the paddle is wet.
Admittedly, Simon’s video info is based on limited on-water time with the Aerial, so he looks forward to more history with the paddle to learn more about the full features and durability over time.
Join AQ Outdoors’ 7.5K followers for more paddling-related videos on their YouTube channel.
“Construction is super solid”
The next review is on a channel called Downstream V Creations, run by Matt Wallin, a 30-year whitewater veteran. His video review includes several minutes of him running the Upper Galley River in his area. He uses the Aerial Minor Carbon straight-shaft model:
Matt focuses on how the paddle feels in his hands and performs on his ride down the river. He likes the grip of the shaft on his hands, even when wet. He mentions the look of the shaft and blades—its iridescence and design pattern look very cool.
He says, “It’s got really good draw on it that’s pretty powerful, especially for the blade size. You can get a lot of strokes in with really good cadence. And it feathers really nicely.”
You can follow Downstream V Creations on YouTube for more reviews, whitewater kayaking and other outdoor videos.
“Very, very clever”
The final video in this Review Roundup is from Whitewater the Canoe Centre (WWTCC) in England. “Aqua Bound has added some really interesting features that make this paddle tough and super comfy to paddle with.”
Take a look:
The reviewer focuses on several key features:
- Lam-Lok™ kevlar stitching keeps the blades from delaminating and wearing at the tips. “It will keep your blades lasting a good long time.”
- The shape of the blades allows for “less water disturbance behind the blade, especially on any technical strokes.”
- The shaft feels very different when you first pick it up for a couple of reasons: the “sticky” feel and the triangular shape. “It felt a bit weird for the first five minutes but then it just disappeared into our hands so it’s really, really comfy. We always knew where that blade was relative to our hands.”
- He also mentioned the cool look, including the “bling” holographic Aqua Bound logo.
- An even flex through the whole paddle.
For more review videos from this canoe and kayak shop near London, check out WWTCC’s YouTube channel.
We appreciate all those here who took the time to review the Aerial whitewater paddle! We love the feedback from those in the paddling world.
Start here to learn more about our Aerial family of whitewater kayak paddles:
- Aerial’s Revolutionary Lam-Lok™ Technology
- Aerial Whitewater Paddles: Game-Changing Durability
- Aerial Whitewater Paddle Wins 2024 Best Paddle Award