This is the beginning of a review
of the Adventure Technology Hercules. In full disclosure I'm in no way
affiliated with Adventure Technology, but they did supply the paddle
for review. I'd like this to be done all at once, but a good
review takes time. So I decided to go with a rolling review in
progress. After consideration my standard for a paddle is no problems
for one full season of paddling, which for me is 100-200 days
depending on the year.
It's impossible to give a credible review of this paddle while ignoring
the elephant in the room; the Werner Sherpa. These two straight shaft
paddles are both fiberglass and fit in their respective line-ups the
same way; a blade just a touch smaller than their largest, making them
ideal for river running. I like this size of blade because it's a
little easier on the shoulders and joints but still large enough for
creeking. The Werner fiberglass paddles have a great history of
durability, but at the same time a reputation for wearing down quickly.
In my personal use I'd start with the larger Powerhouse because after a
few months of use it would be worn down to the Sherpa size.
The only surprise here to me is that it's taken Adventure Technology so
long to move into this segment of the market. Why the name choice I'll
never understand, every time I hear Hercules
The Nutty Professor
comes to mind. AT says the use of Innegra and Duraweave fibers in the
blade makes it more resistant to wear, unlike straight fiberglass which
chips away in small pieces. In light of that I've put a scale on one
blade to keep track of wear over the year.
This is Adventure Technology's first year making straight shaft
fiberglass paddles, and there are going to be some growing pains. Eight
days into testing my blade cracked. AT has since modified the blade
shape to resolve this issue and I'm now a few days into testing the
updated version.
So far I've used the paddle on the Upper Cheakamus, Balls to the Wall
section of the Cheakamus, and Box Canyon of the Ashlu in British
Columbia. In California I've used it on the South Fork of the Feather
River, North Fork of the Feather River, Salmon River, South Fork Salmon
and Box Canyon of the Sacramento.
The feel is certainly different than with a Werner, as there is more
flex in both the blades and the shaft. In use I've found the paddle to
be very nice for river running with a smooth catch and release. While
the flex is nice for the joints, it just doesn't have that same bite on
boof strokes. I'll have more to update on this as I continue to use the
paddle and monitor wear.
