Introducing – Mitchell Blades

Mitchell Blades are superbly constructed performance sea kayaking paddles, quite unlike anything else available in the Australian market. They are made to a construction standard which on inspection is instantly convincing, with the concept of a light ‘swing weight’ inherent in the design. Whether you have a long, traditional sea stroke, or a more modern high angle paddling style, there is a Mitchell Blade which will suit you. Funky colours round off the package – striking, well designed, brilliant quality paddles for sea kayakers.

Each of our Touring paddles are well balanced and have a positive feel in the water. By incorporating a wide dihedral, they all offer smooth quiet paddling with zero flutter. The dynamic profile of these blades makes them effective and stable in choppy conditions.

We have stock in all three blade designs, in Carbon Hybrid & Carbon Stealth layups (see layup information below) in a variety of striking colours. Carbon hybrid blades feature a coloured rear & black power face. Shafts are available in the fantastic Vario-S Lock Split (allowing a 10cm length range with the security of an Allen key locking system – see details below) as well as straight shafts. Lengths in stock range from 200cm to 215cm in straight shafts.

Mitchell Blades Bombora

Mitchell Blades Bombora HV (NEW)

Mitchell Blades Bombora LV (NEW)

The Bombora has a strong but not exhausting catch, a smooth feel through the stroke & with the shortened face a quick & easy exit. It is a tremendously strong paddle for technical paddling & strokes, yet doesn’t need a huge amount of grunt to cruise distance. We are noticing sea kayakers skills rising around the country. The days of the thin bladed ‘touring’ paddle with a long 220cm+ shaft are limited as paddlers are becoming technically more proficient and seeing the benefits of a higher angled stroke to their overall cruising & playing. The Bombora is our attempt to accommodate this into a cutting edge design, made to make the kind of paddling we do more enjoyable & rewarding. Click HERE to read Rob Mercer’s review of this exciting new paddle design. Introducing the new crank shaft, the Bombora HV & the Bomborah LV, with a narrower shaft & 610cm2 blade area.

Prices (including National delivery)

Carbon Zenith One Piece $575

Custom length & feather 1 piece

Carbon Zenith Split (Vario S-Lock) $575

Carbon Zenith Crank (Vario S-Lock) $595

Mitchell Blades Voyager

The Voyager is an excellent choice for touring. It has been designed for paddlers performing on the surf and enjoying journeys on oceans, rivers and lakes. The voyager’s blade widths offer firm stable strokes, and won’t tire out a paddler on a long cruise. Very much a flat blade with the performance & strong catch characteristics of a wing blade, without the downside of the instability a wing can bring to support & bracing strokes.

Blade Length:	50cm
Blade Width:	17.5cm
Resistance Area:	625sq cm
Prices (including National delivery)
Carbon Hybrid One Piece $525

ORDER MITCHELL BLADES NOW THROUGH OUR ONLINE STORE

About Mitchell – Construction, Design, Layups & Shaft options……

(by Lance Mitchell, paddle maker)

Blade Fabrication
All Mitchell blades are produced from the most advanced state of the art materials and crafted to machine accuracy. Each blade 'Style' has a variety of compositions, from a selection of the finest carbon, top grade woven fibreglass fabrics, and high tech 'aerofoam' cores. The lay-up of these blade materials is construction engineered to ensure optimum strength and durability.

The 'end caps' of our blades contain a polyester material and a concentrate of a specialised glass flake compound called 'Cotton Microfibre'. This compound is used as an anti-corrosion apparatus protecting certain parts of jet planes and tankers, but typically in marine constructions to coat structures and oil rig pipelines from the ever eroding sea. Used in our end caps it provides the blades with super resilient tips. We are the first in the industry to use this compound, which is also used within our paddles to help prevent wear, but mainly to increase strength and reinforcement.

Our blade materials are bonded together with tough superior epoxy resin systems, some of which contain 'UV protection'. They are ultimately compressed in our highly polished pressure moulds giving them their brilliant high gloss finish and perfect equilibrium.

Blade Design
After years of paddling with my Uncles wooden paddles the task of finding a paddle that could match was impossible. When I started kayaking, synthetic paddles were not even in the race, they were no way comparable to wood. However, since then with new technology and materials they have moved on dramatically. I have tried and tested many on the market and none of them had what I was looking for. It left me no alternative but to design my own aqua dynamic paddle.

Spine
Our new blade profile has a flatter wider spine which allows the paddle to slice effortlessly through the water. The end of the spine blends into the blade and its ridges are rounded off to assist the flow of water across its back.

End Cap/ Tips
The ends of our new blades have been capped raising up in two tiers to the tip. This gives the blades thicker edges where it is most needed to help prevent wear. It also makes the end of the blades extremely strong, tough and ridged. Combined with the material and 'Cotton Microfibre' they're harder than coffin nails.

Incorporated Strength Curl
The curl at the neck of the blade has been kept in from the older design. It has been moved closer to the shaft and acts as a strength feature for both the blade and shaft. It also keeps the surface area ridged compared to most other paddle blades.

Dihedral
The power face of our new blades have a dihedral. This plays a very important part of the design. Paddles without a dihedral catch optimum water, but as the water escapes the blade surface it causes 'flutter/torque'. This can effect your grip because you will subconsciously tighten it, which will stiffen up your strokes, lead to fatigue, and effect your overall performance. An aggressive or, too much of a dihedral will cause power loss by directing water off the blades too quickly. Our blades have a wide dihedral which gently directs the water off the blades surface evenly. This has proven to give our blades 'zero flutter' whilst paddling. The dihedral starts at the neck of the blade and slowly fades out towards the tips so not to effect feathering strokes. Finally, the tip of the blades are scooped in very slightly and the parallel edges of the arc are flat so no power is lost during paddling.

Lance Mitchell.

Layups

Carbon Hybrid - 80% carbon & 20% carbon kevlar

Our Carbon Hybrids are spectacular. They are built to a similar construction to our Elites, except having carbon on one side and a coloured carbon kevlar on the other. This makes them one of our most exotic looking paddle ranges, and like all our blades they are constructed with the polyester and special compound glass flake tips. Fabricated with kevlar creates blades that are very impact absorbent, thus making these light high performance paddles ideal for more aggressive paddling.

Colours Available: Red Power Face, Yellow Power Face, or Orange Power Face

Carbon Stealth - 60% fibreglass & 40% carbon

Our Carbon Stealth's stand out from the crowd. These blades have a 100% carbon power face, and can come with the front face coloured with one of our six striking pigments. This composite paddle is light, and offers the exotic look of carbon, but without the cost! You will find no other blades on the market so stunning as these comparable. Colours Available: Golden Yellow, Tango Orange, Flame Red, French Blue, Royal Purple, Crimson Pink and Mint Green

Shaft Options

Straight Shafts

Our high-grade imported whitewater straight shafts come in three constructions; Carbon, Carbon Kevlar and a Carbon Fibreglass composite. The carbon and composite shafts are wrapped with a decorative carbon checkered pattern, and the carbon kevlar has a decorative twill weave pattern. The shafts are finished to a high gloss glaze to match our blades, and they all have comfortable built in index/hand grips. Any of these straight shafts are a good choice for most paddlers. They offer strong stable all round use for all abilities.

The Carbon shaft is the lightest and stiffest. It gives a paddle that extra lightness, a great choice for competition and touring paddlers. The Carbon Glass shaft is also very light, plus it provides flex. It is commonly used for all whitewater applications. The Carbon Kevlar shaft is the strongest. It weighs approximately the same as the Carbon Glass, and is just as flexible. The kevlar absorbs shock waves much better than carbon, and providing flex it gives the shaft more feel. Ultimately it is the best Straight shaft to use for whitewater.

We offer two different diameter sized shafts. The shaft is an important part of the paddle and can effect a paddler in many ways. Smaller hands holding a larger diameter shaft will have an insecure grip in which the paddler will consciously grip tighter. Evidentially paddlers with larger hands usually subconsciously grip a smaller shaft too tightly. In both instances it will cause fatigue and possible forearm or wrist strain. All these whitewater straight shafts are available in either a Small, or Standard sizes.

Vario S Lock Shaft

The ‘Vario S Lock’ device is used for our Allen key adjustable locking shafts. This shaft allows the angle to be infinitely variable for right hand control and gives an increased length up to 10cm. This shaft is the best choice for a Touring paddle and, comes in either a Straight or Ergo Crank (by special order). This is the best locking system we’ve seen for a split paddle, making a split paddle feel every bit a single piece with the secure lock.