What is the best SUP racing paddle?
The Grand Prix (made by Werner Paddles) is the best SUP paddle designed specifically for racing. Made of 100% carbon fiber, weighing in at an amazing 14.5 ounces (413 grams), and built with cutting-edge technology, every design detail is carefully crafted to get racers to the finish line first. The Grand Prix has rave reviews and is endorsed by some of the best SUP racers in the world.
The Grand Prix – The Ultimate Race Paddle
Hardcore. Fast. Light. Powerful.
This paddle is not intended for surfing or whitewater. This is a race paddle carefully crafted for training and race day. Extensively tested design for comfort and to reduce injury and strain while maximizing paddle flex and strength.
Designed to be the lightest fastest race paddle with the most stable confident forward stroke for all race conditions. The Grand Prix has a unique blade shape for less abrupt catch and higher cadence, and it’s the perfect size to maximize power.
It is designed for a softer feel and has a unique 12-degree shaft to perfectly-sized-dihedral-blade offset, which allows for a more vertical blade position, keeping you in the power phase longer and helping to clean up your exit, getting you to the finish line that much faster.
The Grand Prix is made with the most advanced materials and process to perfect the race paddle for elite-level flex, perfect balance, comfort, and ultimate performance at an unbelievably low weight.
The Grand Prix comes in three sizes: 86, 93, and 100 sq inch blades. It also comes in either regular or small shaft (small is best for most women and youth). Below are links to the current prices on Amazon (free shipping, 30-day returns).
14.5 oz (413 g) Werner Grand Prix 86
14.75 oz (420g) Werner Grand Prix 93
15 oz (427 g) Werner Grand Prix 100
Remember that blade size is determined by your body weight. Women, teens, and small framed men should choose the 86. Most paddlers will choose the 93, and large framed powerful paddlers will want the 100.
Don’t fall for the misconception that a larger blade surface automatically equals more power. It’s a balance. Think cadence. Think quick smooth catch. Smaller blades are lighter. The blade size needs to be right – the right size to maximize the power of your stroke, the right for your body size and strength for the perfect stroke balance. (Too large of a blade for your body while training and you will quickly have shoulder and elbow pain and injury.) A bigger blade is better for those with a slower cadence, who are very strong, and for short sprints. Think smaller blade for a faster cadence, longer races, and for less muscle and body strain. (Save the oversized blades for surfing.)
The Grand Prix is the ultimate race paddle…the icing on the SUP racing world cake. It’s the very best.
Happy Racing!
-MJ
About Me – Welcome to One Step Closer to Nature!
Hello, my name is Megan Joseph! Welcome to my website! I am a lover of all things nature and outdoors. I grew up in rugged Idaho, surrounded by mountains and nature, and spent summers backpacking and packing our horses into remote corners of the state as a child with my parents and sisters.
When I graduated from high school, I moved to a beautiful ski town, Jackson, Wyoming which only perpetuated my love of mountains, waterways, and fresh air. After getting married and a few years of living on the line between Teton National Park below the towering Teton Mountain Range, riding our bikes past the expansive elk refuge and only miles away from Yellowstone, we relocated and spent the next ten years raising our three baby boys in rural New England where we enjoyed exploring a new face of nature in Connecticut’s thick forests, rock wall lined farms, sandy beaches, gentle surf, and tiny islands. And only thirty minutes from Rhode Island beaches and waves…pure joy!
Some of my greatest joys are getting my hands dirty working in my garden, watching my boys explore up and down the banks of the river behind our house, and hearing the clucking of our 18 chickens as they meander and scratch the dirt looking for bugs – they seem to wake up each morning as excited as the day before to explore and enjoy the abundance of the outdoors as much as I do!
My life mission is to help families and individuals get back into nature and spend more time outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I believe this is where we thrive and can be our healthiest and happiest.
As a writer, I have always loved research and writing about health, hobbies, and the outdoors. I enjoying compiling data to motivate and inspire others.
Wishing you many adventures outside, and encouraging you to take one step closer to nature!
-MJ