Ray Special

Don't let the antiquated shape of this ottertail fool you. The Native Americans had a practical eye for design. This paddle in addition to being well crafted, is ergonomically more comfortable to use than conventionally shaped modern blades. Initially, I was a little nervous at Mr. Fishell's recommendation of such a long length (64"). But I found the size to fit just right. (Surprisingly my smaller wife was able to use the paddle comfortably also.) The narrow blade makes underwater recovery much easier than a wide conventional paddle. (The wider blade of a conventional paddle is difficult to control during the underwater recovery because a slight change in pitch can cause the blade to vear and bang against the side of the canoe.) I didn't have this problem at all with your paddle. It's much easier to control the angle of attack (pitch) with a narrow blade while rotating the shaft. The power stroke was much smoother and easier on the arm muscles than a conventional paddle. I think this is because the full surface area of the blade only comes into effect midway through the stroke because it takes time to plunge it to its full depth. So the load on the arms is smoother and less abrupt. I could see paddling all day very comfortably with this paddle.
I intend to use the Ray's Special as my primary paddle for all of my lake paddling where there is sufficient depth. It moves plenty of water so I can see using it in a fully loaded tripping canoe. In summary I'm very pleased with the paddle and believe it will get a lot of practical use.

Finally made it out to the river. Between weather and work I just couldn't catch a break and unfortunately this paddle has been propped up in the corner. I'm a avid kayaker with a couple of narrow beam fast sea kayaks and my primary blade is a traditional all wood Greenland paddle. When the weather gets colder I tend to use my Northstar solo canoe more. Fishing, watching the birds just honestly enjoy being out on the water. It's been cold and windy with some snow last few days and today the weather broke so I went for it. Wind died and sun came out just a great afternoon all to myself. Now to the paddle. Ray Special oiled cherry. Immediately liked the length and also width of the handle. Using a Greenland in my kayaks I take longer strokes reaching more forward and going back further before exiting than most people do. Same principle applies here. Found myself liking the angle of the lower portion of the blade for the exit when coming out of the water. It honestly didn't take me long to get acclimated to it. I found myself going a little further than I had planned and had a stringer of perch then the race against the quickly dropping sun was on! That's when I really became fond of this paddle design. I have a Badger that's always been my favorite and have been using Beaver/Ottertail blades when in the canoe. This puppy had me moving! Conditions were perfect and I was impressed by the speed that I was getting. Unfortunately a lot of people get conditioned to what they think is the norm ( I see it so much with kayaks ) and never really learn or progress in their skills. This is a flatwater blade and I truly believe it will be great for what I use it for. The speed, reach and blade design have already sold me. First time out with it but it was a solid 5 hours of enjoyment. By the way the blank that Greg used for this paddle was totally top notch in my opinion. Nicely done and I sincerely appreciate your work. Bottom line is it's most definitely a keeper, high quality and I foresee it becoming my favorite. Thanks Greg and once again congrats to you both on the new future paddler! 😃

Just got back from the first outing with our new Ray special and could not be more happy with it. The buying process was just as sleek and nice as the paddle is. It is heavier than my previous one but one stroke of the special equals three strokes with others. On top of that it felt like I had better control of the canoe. I am very new to all of this so my opinions are that of a beginner at best, but a very happy one.

My fiancé purchased this paddle for me Christmas of 2021. It arrived in January of 2022. I've been canoeing since I was ten years old. I've always preferred wood paddles. I'm older now and have some arthritis in my shoulders. This paddle is the smoothest paddle I've ever used and is the easiest on my shoulder. The control that it gives me is second to none. I want to take care of this paddle, so I always take a second for when it gets too shallow for the Ray Special. This is also the quietest paddle I've ever used. I chose the oil finish. I keep a bottle of mineral oil and a rag where I store my paddles. I pour a bit on and rub it in all over. I wipe it off so it's dry when I'm done. Quick and easy. This paddle is truly a gem.

Very light weight. Be respectful and use only for its intended purpose. And don't be critical of a little blemish or asymmetry in the grain. This is made from a natural substance called wood, and constructed by a human being. So don't expect it to look exactly like the picture on the website. I much prefer this to my fiberglass/carbon fiber/plastic paddles. It just looks and feels right.

I got the traditional all-varnished special because I just don't have the time to oil my paddle at this point in my life. Maybe I can handle putting some varnish on it once a year. It's a great paddle, and I will buy another.