I met Art Carlow, owner of Gullwing Paddles through a post he made on LinkedIn. He asked one of our outdoor groups if anyone was familiar with Gullwing Paddles. I was not, so I asked for one to test. I’m glad that I did.
Art quickly sent a new GullWing 230 cm for us to try out. It came in a nondescript brown box and the only assembly required was to snap the paddles into the shaft. Easy and fast.
Aside from the unique shaft design, one of the first things I noticed is how light it is. The powder-coated aluminum shaft weighs less than my other paddles, and the padded grips add to the comfort. Here is the gullwing compared to a couple of other paddles that I own.
The blade is also different. It has more of a curved spoon shape than the standard taper found on most paddles. According to Art, this is more ergonomic and allows you to glide through the water without much lifting.
To field test the gullwing paddle, I took it out on two kayak fishing trips. Each trip required a fair amount of straight forward paddling as well as maneuvering into coves and along the bank.
It performed very well. The unique blade shape is quite effective in the water, and I noticed almost immediately how much easier paddling was on my shoulders. When I set the gullwing down to play a fish, it did not shift or move.
The only drawback I see is the lack of drip guards, but I believe that these are available at other retailers.
Here’a a brief video I put together on the gullwing paddle, which includes shots from a recent kayak fishing trip.
We were quite pleased with the gullwing paddle and would recommend that you try one out when you have a chance. Enjoy!
