Looks At Fluid Technology

Reviewed by Travis Kruger

Thanks to Lee Bonfiglio for a quick remedy to the situation, a new Fluid Technologies bentshaft! Lee has been involved in the paddle industry for a long time. Long enough that I remember seeing him absolutely schooling ALL the pro’s at Bob’s Hole Rodeo in his state-of-the-art Pirouette (that’s back when Joe Bob’s regularly made the pro’s swim). He’s been a leader in making great paddles the whole time. Enough of Lee, here’s the paddle lowdown:

The finish on the paddle is like a mirror. I told Lee the paddle was way too pretty to use, and that I was going to hang it above my fireplace. He assured me this paddle is every bit as tough as it is perty. If this paddle is half as tough as a Lightning paddle, then it’s tuff (yes, with two f’s).

The first stroke I took, I realized it was a great paddle. The asym. blade is similar to some crank paddles we used slalom racing in the past, and is extremely efficient. The blade pulls straight and doesn’t flutter like many others on the market right now. You have a feeling that all your force is being applied to the water. But play qualities are not diminished by the efficiency of the blade design. It still braces, feathers, rolls, etc perfectly for a play paddle. It definitely feels like a sports car when you use it the first time.

Most people comment on the lightweight of these paddles, and I would have to agree. It is the lightest bentshaft I have ever used. One thing that keeps weight down is the resin control in the Fluid Tech. paddle. For example, If you look at an older AT, they are extremely resin rich, which adds weight and drops strength. But what is more important is that the Fluid Tech. paddle has super low swing weight. This is the “weight” that you really feel when you paddle. And with the moves that people are pulling now, the last thing you want is a swing weight slowing you down.

The shaft is a fairly standard type bend and is not very radical. It has a 30 deg. offset. The idea is that if you just barely lift your arm, the paddle is rotated to the feather for your left stroke. Probably old technology to a lot of people, but folks that have been boating a while may really benefit by trading in their older 45, or 60 deg. paddle. The shaft seems to require quite a bit of wax, at least while new, but it doesn’t twist like many bentshafts. I have heard people comment that the paddle is pretty flexi, but I haven’t really noticed either way. If you need an extremely flexible paddle for tendonitis type reasons, you may want to do more research. One interesting thing is that the shaft is offered in small diameter, or standard diameter (the subject paddle was standard shaft).

I tried a 194cm length first. It seemed a little long to me for the boat (Kingpin). I was concerned that a shorter length would bring my grip in too tight, but Lee assured me a 191cm would have the same grip distance. I swapped out to a 191cm and absolutely loved it. So if you are about 6’1”, I guess I’d recommend a 191cm.

I’ve said plenty of pro’s, but I guess I don’t really have anything bad to say about the paddle. One big beef is that the retail price is a little steep, however this paddle is probably one that is worth it. Since paddles are really one of the only things that typically outlast our other gear, it is a little easier to justify spending money on this important tool. If you want a great bentshaft paddle that will stay around a while, I would highly recommend taking a look at a Fluid Tech paddle. Then as Joe Dirt says, “you should change your name to Kickin’ Ass, I WOULD!”.

Travis Kruger

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