Mission

WaveDog Paddles is focused on bringing wood paddles back into the mainstream of whitewater kayaking.  Free from corporate bureaucracy, our homegrown approach has resulted in a truly revolutionary product.  From the bent shaft form lamination to the polymer coated blades.  Finally, hand crafted bent shafts at prices comparable to mass produced composites.

Why Wood?

If you are paddling with a composite stick, you will notice WaveDog Paddles are a bit heavier.  Try them out on your local river.  Once you experience the unparalleled flex, power, beauty, and durability of WaveDog, they do not think you will mind a few extra ounces.

Values

WaveDog strives to earn your proud support.  The materials are purchased from suppliers committed to sustainable forestry.  Wavedog actively supports causes that help the sport of kayaking as well as the general human condition. 

About WaveDog

Passion for the sport is a prerequisite for everyone at WaveDog, but they are downright obsessive when it comes to the quality of their paddles.  The Golden and the Collie models underwent 24 prototypes and two years of testing before meeting their standards.  While their paddles will stand up to the steepest creeks, the WaveDog is meant to inspire pictures of fun and playing around.  It reminds us to enjoy the sport for what it is and nothing else.

Paddle Construction

WaveDog is unique in that we achieve the blade feather and bent shaft without making any cuts or joints in the paddle shaft. From the tips of each blade, our shafts are a solid unit creating the strongest possible configuration. 

Shaft construction starts with the highest quality quarter sawn white ash. Shaft lay-up consists of 3 layers of ash and 3 layers of aircraft-grade quartersawn Sitka spruce. Our laminate design is a tried and true method of bending wood and creating a strong lay-up while remaining lightweight. By using only quartersawn woods, the grain orientation is optimal and is much stronger than regular flat-sawn wood. In the final stages, an extra strip of wood is added to the grips for dimensioning. This strip is available in either Ash or Bloodwood.

The blade core is comprised of 2 layers of aircraft grade Baltic birch. Glued and bent at the same time, the blade construction is strong, yet lightweight and slicey at the same time. A thin strip of stainless steel is attached to the edge of the blade in the high wear tip area before the polymer is applied. The polymer is a unique blend that is used for military applications. It is similar to spray-on truck bedliner, but much stronger. Our polymer is applied at a high temperature and pressure to ensure maximum adhesion to the blades, and dries almost instantly, to ensure that it stays on how it was applied. This is used to coat bulletproof vests and the bottoms of Hummers to protect from mine blasts.

On the water you’ll be amazed by the powerful forward stroke created by our spooned blade design. Regardless of the type of stroke you are performing, the blades have zero flutter and they release quickly for smoother loops and lighting fast cartwheels. Once you try a WaveDog you’ll understand why we say these paddles are “a boater’s best friend”.