Affordable, Efficient, Powerful... Aquabound Paddlesports Manta Ray Aluminium
Clint Taylor
For kayakers and kayak fishermen alike, a paddle is one of the most crucial pieces of equipment. A good paddle allows you to efficiently propel yourself through the water with ease and also allow for comfort while paddling. Although there are many paddles to choose from on the market, Aqua-Bound Paddlesports has a wide range of paddles to fit any field of water sport, whether it be recreation, whitewater, or angling. For myself, I need a rather inexpensive, rugged, powerful, durable, and long paddle for kayak fishing. I researched for quite a while before I found the Manta Ray Paddle from Aqua-Bound Paddlesports. I have a very large kayak at a little more than 14' long and just short of a 36" beam. With such a large kayak, there is much more weight to propel through the water and much more width, which requires a long paddle. The Manta Ray Aluminum paddle can be purchased with a length up to 240 cm, which is the length that I use on my Jackson Kayak Big Tuna. This length is great so that I am not having to compensate my center of gravity to reach my paddle out further in the water. This length is also great so that I can properly paddle with a good upright stance and not hit the port and starboard side of my kayak.
The blades of the Aqua-Bound Manta Ray paddle are made out of abx II resin which is reinforced with fiberglass. I have put this paddle to the test with very harsh use within the last couple of weeks. It is not so much that I abuse my gear, but much rather that I find myself in very remote waters which are run and pool like rivers. This is basically several long pools of water separated by short runs of rapids. Some of these pools are quite deep, but depending on the area, I can be in less that 8" of water catching giant bass. With the abx II resin blades, I can use my paddle as a push pole to propel myself through shallow water, and while I am traveling through some rapids, I can stick the large blade of the Manta Ray paddle in the water to help me maneuver quickly and with power. On many other paddles, they would very quickly deteriorate after this type of use with some signs of weakness being a bent shaft or a deformed or cracked blade, but this is not so with the Manta Ray Aluminum Paddle. The blade has very little flexion, which is great for propelling bigger kayaks and for powerful strokes through the water. The blades are also extremely large, with 104 sq. in. of blade surface area. This is almost unheard of in the paddle industry, but Aqua-Bound has made this a reality for owners of big kayaks and those who want and require a lot of horsepower.
The shaft of the Manta Ray Aluminum is nothing special, but rather extremely durable and long lasting. The shaft is composed of anodized corrosion resistant aluminum which will allow you to paddle in both freshwater and saltwater. The shaft comes in a two piece and four piece configuration, which you can select when purchasing your paddle. The two piece paddle is a little less complex, but the four piece paddle will work good if you need to save some space. Although this paddle shaft is not carbon, it is quite light, weighing in at 37.75 oz, which includes the weight of the shaft and the blades. This is very light and will allow you to comfortably paddle on the water all day long whether you are hooking giant Largemouth Bass, Pike, or Tarpon, or just having a recreational paddle out on the water enjoying the weather and the sunset. Whatever you may be using your paddle for, the Aqua-Bound Manta Ray Aluminum will definitely serve extremely well and last a long time at that. Check out the Aqua-Bound Manta Ray Paddle here or go to the Aqua-Bound home page here to check out some of the other great paddles that Aqua-Bound produces.