The Paddles Our Ambassadors Love to Use the Most
14-minute read
Aqua Bound’s Ambassadors come from a wide range of nations and paddling expertise. We asked them what their favorite paddle is and, not surprisingly, received a wide range of answers.
Photo courtesy of Molly Hagbrand
Knowing what these folks love to use and why may help you make your own paddle purchase decision easier. Or it may open your world to new paddling options you may not have previous experience with.
We’ll group them into different paddling niches since our paddles are designed for specific environments. Look for your favorite niche…but also explore environments you may not have thought of yet, or have been wanting to learn more about.
Understandably, these elite paddlers use high-end products. The paddles they love may be above your personal budget. But don’t assume they’re not for you.
If you love to kayak, packraft or paddleboard, look closely at the reasons why they love to use these products. High-end paddles aren’t just for the elites. They’re also for the enthusiasts who love to get on the water and appreciate the benefits these products offer.
(Our shameless plug!)
Favorite Sea Kayaking Paddles
Whiskey and Tango Fiberglass or Carbon Paddles
These paddles have been a mainstay since their introduction in 2017. Until last year (more on that below), they were our lightest sea kayaking paddles available. They remain a favorite of many of our Ambassadors.
Devin Ashely Brown is a long-distance river kayaker, with experience on hundreds of miles of the Mississippi in a stretch as well as some marathon river races. She says, “I love my Whiskey Fiberglass! I started out with a Stingray and the Whiskey was a heck of an upgrade!”
Marcel Bieg agrees with her. He works with paddlers of all ages and disciplines in his area of the Pacific Northwest, and the Whiskey tops the list for sea kayaking as well.
Aqua Bound’s Tango Carbon kayak paddle
Emil Gyllenberg lives in Sweden where he runs a kayak rental and education hub, and is active in the kayaking community there. “I really like the Tango Carbon as it is so light weight,” he says. “I am a paddler who does more long distance paddling and it is nice with the low-angle blade and a paddle that saves my muscles.”
[NOTE: The Whiskey has high-angle blades designed for an aggresive paddling style while the Tango has low-angle blades designed for a more relaxed style over many miles. They’re made with identical materials.]
Dane Hallinan paddles every day for work and play in his native Australia. As the owner of a kayak touring company, Dane says, “I require the highest quality gear to conserve energy and avoid injury. My go-to paddle is the Tango Carbon, for its lightweight design and efficiency. This paddle has enabled me to push the boundaries of my long-distance paddling, extending my journeys to 50 kilometers a day (31 miles).”
Caj Koskinen is one of our Ambassadors from Finland. He loves the Whiskey Carbon. “It has been awesome on flatwater and also as a light spare paddle. It is so light that you can clearly paddle longer and harder on flatwater.”
Beth Poliquin has lived and sea kayaked around the Hawaiian Islands, on Lake Superior, the coast of Maine and now lives in West Virginia. Her go-to favorite is the Tango Fiberglass. She says, “It’s made kayaking easier and more enjoyable for longer. I’m usually out for time and distance, so the light weight and stiffness are so helpful.”
Tango Fiberglass in Northern Lights
Bree Roberts has spent over a decade guiding sea kayak tours in Vancouver Island, Canada. She gets specific for us: “My favorite paddle is the Tango Carbon 2-piece Bent Shaft. The blade moves smoothly and silently through the water and the shaft has a nice feel to it that I havn’t experienced with other paddles. Ergonomics are very important for longevity in sports. The bent shaft provides a natural position for my hands and wrists while the lightweight material is very effective in preventing shoulder exhaustion. I often provide this paddle to my guests who may be feeling strained, or perhaps they arrive with a preexisting injury, or just need a little pick-me-up.”
Kevin Whitley, who’s sea kayaked over 4,000 miles of open sea around the US and in big water bodies like Chesapeake Bay, simply says:“The Tango Carbon is my favorite. I’m a low angle paddler.”
Ella Vallance is our newest Ambassador, joining us in 2026. Another sea kayaker from Canada’s western coast, she’s been an active part of her parents’ kayak guiding business her whole life. She says, “The Sting Ray Carbon 2-Piece paddle will always be my favourite. Light as a feather and with a smaller blade, this paddle makes for an excellent, affordable long-distance touring option, especially for female paddlers. It’s not hard on your body unlike heavier, larger-bladed paddles, and the all-black carbon fibre makes for a sharp look!”
(That goes to show you that you don’t need the most expensive paddle to love it!)
Ultralight Tetra
Our most recent sea kayaking paddle is the Ultralight Tetra, with its foam core blades and available in two ferrule options. Released just last year in 2025, it’s making a splash in the sea kayaking world in more ways than one! In fact, it won a handful of awards that year.
The Ultralight Tetra • photo courtesy of Lars Klüser
Oriol Geli has been working in the kayaking industry for years in his native Spain, where he also trains the next generation of kayakers. He says, “I’ve been using for the Ultralight Tetra 2-Piece for over a year and I can’t be happier. It also got loved by all my mates who tried it!”
Tim Hamlet co-owns a paddling company in northern Scotland. His go-to is also the Tetra. “It is a work of art in itself,” says Tim, “but to paddle with it is a joy. It dances around my kayak and propels me along at tremendous speed. Both lightweight and durable, the Tetra Ultralight is a masterpiece which will no doubt keep me paddling for many years to come.”
“I love the new Tetra paddle,” says David Horken, a sea kayak guide and instructor with a couple decades of experience in his Ireland home plus as far afield as Antarctica. “I was lucky enough to be involved in testing the prototype of this paddle and the end result is simply amazing.”
Lars Klüser is another sea kayaking instructor, coach and paddling veteran in his native Germany and elsewhere in Europe. He loves the Ultralight Tetra 2-Piece Posi-Lok. “It’s an incredible paddle providing a very good catch and propelling the kayak on high speed, while providing an incredible amount of buoyancy for all kinds of bracing. The paddle is furthermore indestructible, both in the harsh sandy-salty conditions of the Wadden Sea and in the rocky territories of Scandinavia.”
Favorite Kayak Surfing Paddles
Several of our Ambassadors specialize in kayak surfing—riding the waves along the ocean coasts where they live, and “rock hopping” among the boulders and small islands.
Here are three of them, each with a different favorite paddle—which tells you how personal these choices are:
Jonas Alexandersson works in his home country of Sweden as a kayak instructor and guide, as well as in other parts of the world. He specializes in teaching kayak rolling. He says, “My favorite for used to be the Whiskey, but not I have found an even better one for kayak surfing—the Shred Carbon 4-Piece.”
Kayak surfing with the Shred • photo courtesy of Jonas Alexandersson
(NOTE: We designed and market the Shred as a whitewater paddle, but as you can see, it has other applications!)
We introduced Oriol Geli above in the sea kayaking section. Oriol also loves kayak surfing, and his top pick for that is also the Ultralight Tetra. “The feeling of the grip and the feeling of the blades in the water are awesome!”
Jalle Stjernberg is a Swede who’s been an active instructor and expedition paddler for years, especially in wilderness kayaking. He says, “I used to love the Tango. Now I actually prefer the Aerial Minor Carbon. Even though I’m not a whitewater kayaker, the Aerial suits me very well—especially in surf or a rock-hopping environment. It”s a bit heavy, but it doesn’t matter. It makes up for that through the shaft that feels ‘grippy’ and how the blades push through the water.”
Favorite Packrafting Paddles
We’ll move on to our Ambassadors whose main paddling specialty is packrafting. These lightweight-but-rugged inflatable boats can be used on flatwater, rivers and whitewater. They’re especially well-suited for wilderness trips that require hiking or biking to the destination.
Packrafting with the Whiskey Carbon • photo courtesy of Jeffrey Creamer
Rodrigo Alfonzo has the distinction of becoming the first ACA-certified packrafting instructor in his native Mexico. He’s a huge proponent of the packrafting scene there. Rodrigo says, “My favorite paddle is the Aeriel Major Fiberglass. I have used it on every expedition and packraft course. It is a great paddle for running whitewater and reliable on remote expeditions.”
Max Clemencon serves a similar function where he lives in France. Every since his first time in a packraft he’s been helping build the European packrafting community. His favorite is also the Aerial Major Fiberglass, for several reasons. “The grip and the indexing is great. I always know where my paddle is, even when I’m upside down. The grip allows me to hold the blade in a more relaxed way which consequently reduces my hand and arm fatigue. I can feel the blade gripping the water and I can really pull on it. Even though it is a 2-piece, it feels like a 1-piece because has no play to it. And the paddle looks fantastic!”
Jeffrey Creamer is a packrafting instructor, a backcountry expedition paddler and works in development and testing with Alpacka Raft: He says, “For me, the 2-piece Whiskey Fiberglass is the perfect blend of weight and stiffness for a primary paddle on moderate deepwater runs and as a lightweight backup for difficult backcountry whitewater. The 2-piece ferrule system doesn't develop play with use.”
Jacob Kastrup Haagensen is a Dane who now makes his home in Sweden. As a filmmaker, he has several paddling films under his belt, as well as independent film festival awards. He says, “This is a hard question to answer: ‘What’s my favorite paddle?’ I would still say the Whisky for most of my packrafting trips, but the Aerial paddle for whitewater runs a close second.”
We introduced you to Caj Koskinen above in our sea kayak section. He also is an avid wilderness packrafter in Scandinavia. His vote for favorite paddle is determined by the type of water he’s on. “The Aerial is great for whitewater,” he says, “and the Whiskey Carbon has been awesome on flatwater and also as a lightweight spare paddle.”
Katja and Caj Koskinen • photo courtesy of Jacob Kastrup Haagensen
Caj’s wife Katja Koskinen is also on our Ambassador team, and is an experienced paddler in her own right. She says, “Last year I got the Aerial and it became my all-time favourite paddle when packrafting in whitewater. It is my favourite paddle at the moment and the one I use the most.”
Alejandro Strong is a registered guide and ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor in his home state of Maine. He gave us a longer answer, highlighting three favorite paddles (including one that isn’t a kayak paddle).
He says, “Each paddle is so well designed for its purpose. If I’m paddling Class 3 and above, I want the Aerial Major 4-piece. I know my hands will be planted without slipping for must-make strokes. When I plan a bikerafting trip with a mix of flatwater and Class I and II rapids, I go for the Whiskey 4-piece. It’s light, efficient and breaks down so quickly. But the paddle I’ve had the most fun with is my Aqua Bound Edge, which has gotten me through close to 20 years of canoe adventures, from multi-week trips, to slalom races in my C1. The blade barely shows all of the rock bashing I pretend isn't a regular part of my paddling!”
Favorite Whitewater Paddles
We introduced our Aerial line of whitewater paddles in 2024 to high acclaim (as you have already seen from some of our whitewater packrafters). It’s become the go-to paddle for most of our whitewater kayaks, although not all!
Here’s what some of them have to say:
Trey Harrell grew up whitewater kayaking in New York, and has since been around the world on big rivers. He says, “The Aerial Major Carbon Straight Shaft 2-piece has been my primary paddle since I got it. I love how it feels almost sticky on the grip even when it’s wet. The adjustable shaft allows me to rapidly change my paddling style throughout the day depending on my needs.”
Trey Harrell with his Aerial Major Carbon
Luca Hovsveen and his twin brother Mathys (next on our list) are young Norwegians who are still in high school (Norway’s version of it). Luca says, “My favourite paddle is the Aeriel Carbon 2-Piece. The paddle is light, and the adjustable length and angle on the blade makes it so you can adjust it to your personal liking. I have seen great progress in downriver with the Aeriel paddle because of the power I get out of it. It has helped me so much with creek and downriver play. The paddle is also super fun in freestyle paddling, mostly because of the adjustable angle.”
Mathys Hovsveen says, “My favourite paddle is Aqua Bound’s Aerial. It has made me a better paddler because the paddles are better than the ones we had before.”
Jeremie Lamart has numerous certifications in whitewater guiding and instructing as well as wilderness rescue and First Aid. “The Aerial Major is by far my favorite paddle! I use it for everything,” says Jeremie, “and people always have a ton of questions about it when they paddle with me. I have two of them, a fiberglass and a carbon one and I love them both. I really enjoy the blue blades of the fiberglass version. I love it so much that I’m actually planning to get a third one with a straight shaft for playboating. The Aerial is the only paddle I need!”
Jeremie Lamart • photo courtesy of Jacob Kastrup Haagensen
McKenley Newman is an American who’s lived in Germany for about a decade, and is active in the whitewater worlds of both North American and Europe. He says, “I was fortunate to try out the latest addition to Aqua Bound's lineup last year in Sweden at a small paddle fest on the Västerdalälven. There, a few other AB Ambassadors were paddling with the Aerial, which immediately piqued my interest. After just a few laps on the local run, I knew I wanted it in my quiver. The blades feel crisp entering the water and don’t flutter during hard draws. The feathering has a smooth, natural feel, especially when sculling. Lastly, it’s surprisingly gentle on my well-used shoulders. The paddle is stiff yet offers a touch of forgiveness, making longer sessions on the water noticeably easier on my body.
“The paddle I’ve relied on the most and that has made a personal difference, is the Shred Carbon 4-Piece. Whether on remote runs or teaching lessons, it’s incredibly reassuring to know you have a solid, nearly unbreakable blade as a backup when needed. Kayaking is as much a mental sport as it is a physical one, and a big part of that is having confidence in your gear. Knowing you have a dependable backup when things go wrong or chaos ensues gives me a significant mental boost while paddling. The Shred 4-piece has been there for me on countless journeys, providing exactly that.”
Favorite Standup Paddle
While stand-up paddleboarding isn’t a huge part of our market, one of our Ambassadors, Beth Poliquin (you met her above in the sea kayak section) has become an avid SUP racer wherever she lives.
Aqua Bound’s Malta Fiberglass SUP paddle • photo: Kate Wright
She says, as with the Tango, “The Malta Fiberglass for SUP has made paddling easier and more enjoyable over long distances. The light weight and stiffness are so helpful when I’m going for time. Plus, it’s really a good looking paddle!”
How can our friendly Customer Service team help you pick out your next paddle? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or sales@aquabound.com, or choose our online chat option.
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