Essential Paddling Gear for On and Off the Water
1. Adventure Technology Oracle Carbon Paddle
The Oracle is both a touring and downriver paddle featuring lightweight carbon construction and a high angle blade that improves boat control and maximizes stroke efficiency, especially when bracing or rolling in choppy conditions.
$300. atpaddle.com
2. Bomber Gear Bomb Dry Top
The Bomb Dry Top includes several upgrades and a little extra armor for those who consistently push limits. Highlights include the double-stitched, taped and patched seams, four-way stretch neoprene, and cone-shaped cuffs with fused (not glued) gaskets. Looking for bells and whistles? How about a hidden emergency whistle stitched into the top? Bomber Gear has also beefed up the design by adding abrasion-resistant nylon to the elbows and polyurethane reinforcement to the shoulder panels for additional durability in the areas where you need it most.
$299. bombergear.com
3. Chaco Mighty Sandal
Chaco’s lightest sandal is also its most comfortable and durable. The strapping system allows custom adjustment to keep your feet secure and to personalize your fit. The super-grippy outsole keeps you grounded on wet or dry terrain. Our tester wore them on downriver paddling expeditions, swimming hole cliff jumps, and fords across waist-deep water. They dried quickly and provided excellent traction and performance. They were equally impressive at the pub afterward.
$90. chacos.com
4. Sazzi Digit Sandal
The name and design are derived from the woven sandals worn by the Anasazi tribes who used their footwear to navigate the rugged terrain of the American Southwest. Today, the Sazzi translates into a strong, agile and light five-toed sandal. The Digit has a single independent toe, four toe posts, a lateral stability system, and a heel strap to accommodate rugged trail and water environments. It’s made from 100 percent recyclable PLUSfoam, a material that also boasts anti-microbial properties and impressive traction in wet and dry conditions.
$100. sazzi.com
5. Wave Sport Recon
Wave Sport’s all-new Recon is one of the most versatile high-performance boats on the market, ideal for creeking, river trekking, and class IV-V+ boating. The continuous rocker profile makes the Recon very fast and easy to boof, and its upswept shape allows the Recon to resurface and unload water quickly when blasting through holes. The domed stern deck minimizes back-ending in holes and drops, and the location of the full stern chine combined with the generous side wall flare provides superb stability and control when carving, moving across a current, or tracking.
$1099. wavesport.com
