La BONGA CANOE PADDLE
Named by Ian Locket, the winner of our paddle-naming contest, this paddle pays tribute to George Bonga, a legendary voyageur, fur trader, and guide whose resilience and skill helped shape North American history.
This teardrop shaped beavertail paddle has a shorter, wider blade profile making it an ideal paddle for paddling in shallow rivers. It is designed to efficiently pull through shallow water smoothly and quietly. Being wider than the rest of the Badger paddle lineup, it is also a popular choice for paddlers who like a short powerful blade that provides great acceleration.
Most river paddles offer a more squared-off blade. Because we are sticklers about smooth and quiet blades here at Badger, we have offered this traditional version with a more smoothed out fluid blade to pull through the water.
For Pack-boats: Compared to our other models this paddle has a higher shaft to blade ratio allowing for more leverage on the river for steering strokes. Pack-boat paddlers, who sit on the bottom of the canoe, have also found this to be an effective paddle because they can have a shorter overall paddle where the shaft is suitable for their stoke and the blade, being shorter, is easier to get in and out of the water from a sitting position.
Badger’s signature hand shaped transitional ridge (between the shaft and blade) allows for a strong backbone traveling well into the paddle blade. It then gradually tapers into the blade allowing for uniform flex towards the centre. The ridge also creates a smooth flow of water around the blade on the surface allowing for a more smooth and fluid stroke.
