So I am looking for a new paddle and I am contemplating the werner double diamond foam core or the player carbon blade. Realistically I get a good deal on both of those paddles so I am wondering who has experience with them and how have they stood up? In what situations have you found the different builds fail or succeed. All help would be appreciated.

i have a carbon player i love it, i have paddle with the DD and the DD seems to be alot more bouanat but i have heard after you wear off the outer egde and water get in to it it starts to rot the foam. The player won't because it is made of mostly Carbon!!

Both are good paddle but if you take it hard on a paddle i think the player is the way to go even though it shows scracthes really easy because it is pure black (just surface scratches).

I have not heard of the foam core taking on water and rotting. I have a friend who teaches two times a week and paddles hard for himself about 3 times a week. He has used a foam core for five years. When you compare the blade to that of a new foam core there has been very little wear on the blade. I know that the glass werner blades will loose some of their lenght due to blade wear but what about the carbon over the long term? (like 5 years)

I paddle with DD's and personally I would buy the Players next time. For the extra money they are not worth it and do seem to chip easy, compared to my old werners.

If you really want the foam core blades then go for the Shoguns they are way more sexy!

Thats how i choose all my gear i don't go by price or performace i go by how sexy it is!!!!!!!

Sexi is always a factor. It is the blade that picks up chicks when you have your life jacket on and they can't see your bod.

So why do you like the Shogun blade over the DD?

Several of my friends paddle with dds, shoguns and ATs in the uk they are nice to use but are not as durable! Also if you pierce the carbon through to the foam, the foam will suck in water! so as long as you dont brace off rocks etc n r xtra careful or dont mind wearing your paddle down as quickly then get the foam core if you want a durable paddle go for the glass or carbon lay ups

[quote:d5e3c3f030="Urge"]Several of my friends paddle with dds, shoguns and ATs in the uk they are nice to use but are not as durable! Also if you pierce the carbon through to the foam, the foam will suck in water! so as long as you dont brace off rocks etc n r xtra careful or dont mind wearing your paddle down as quickly then get the foam core if you want a durable paddle go for the glass or carbon lay ups[/quote:d5e3c3f030]

I find it interesting that you say that. All the advice I get locally says that the foam core will last longer as far a scrapping wear goes. I am told that if the blade is pinned between two rocks it will break before a carbon blade will. But the carbon blade will be scrapped down faster than the foam core. I asked my buddy who paddles with a foam core about water sucking in and he looked at me like I was from space. He has had his paddle for 5 years and paddles about 3-5 times weekly up to class V and loves the foam core. You can see that his wifes carbon blade has lost shape due to wear in relation to his and hers is newer.

This can happen very easily, speak to the importers and they will tell you the same they are a performance paddle and are not as strong as the standard blades, Several people who use them locally have managed to pierce the drive face on a dd and a shogun and the foam sucks in water! THey all had to use epoxy resin to patch the hole and they all said they would use the standard carbon or glass blades in the future!

Your friend seems to be lucky to have had them last so long if he is paddling grade 5 but again if you hit the edge they seem to bare up much better than if you manage to hit the face of the paddle! At the end of the day you pays your money and take your choice! Which ever you end up with be it the player or double diamond you will have a very nice stick!

thanks for the clarification. My friend's have not encounter a power face hit it is the edges that have seen the damage.

Really which ever paddle you buy it going to be there for a while both are extremlly durable.

[quote:5da962dcf1="wakerules24"]Really which ever paddle you buy it going to be there for a while both are extremlly durable.[/quote:5da962dcf1]

AS said before the standard carbon and glass blades are more durable than the foam cores.

Foam cores are nicer to use and originally designed for slalom as the blades are more buoyant and give a nice pull through the water and give more support in arrated water better but at the cost of durability.