GEARLAB KALLEQ My Greenland paddle journey

[@patgarrett3746]

It's great to see your kayaking journey. I know Tim also. He helped me with my standard lay-back roll last year. Small world!

[@MikeProut]

A small world getting smaller all the time! Thanks for leaving some kind words. 😊👍

[@raybeers2457]

Slick piece of gear sir.

[@MikeProut]

This thing is insane engineering!

[@raybeers2457]

@@MikeProut kayak paddle or ninja weapon....you decide!

[@MikeProut]

Lol! Or fish filleter. Vegan fish that is lol.

[@datapro007]

Great video - informative.

[@MikeProut]

Thanks Dan!

[@joannemorris8900]

Couldn’t wait to see what you had to say after your dropped the paddle teaser on social. Love your gear reviews. Can you tell me what variable determines the length of ones Greenland paddle? Looking forward to hearing what you have to say about its performance on the water in your experience. Balance bracing last night. Now I’m imagining it with a light weight carbon fibre Greenland paddle. You always inspire my friend 👍👍👍!

[@MikeProut]

Shorter paddles are great for touring. The longer paddles are great for power. The middle size is kind of in between. That’s how gear lab sizes their paddles. Thanks for stopping by my friend. Thank you for the comment. See you on the water soon.

[@caseypulham4128]

It looks like a fantastic paddle. Would love to hear a report back after you paddle a few hours with it. I am considering moving into a carbon fibre GP, but the circular ferrel, rather than an oval shaft just makes me second guess it. Happy paddling.

[@MikeProut]

Can’t wait to get out with it! 😊👍

[@paddockpaddler]

Casey, where you grip the paddle is oval, just further to the centre is round. But probably a personal thing as to how good it fits in the hand.

[@jamesiversen]

Casey, you may already know by now, but GearLab has a new model called the Ipik coming out later this year with shoulders and an oval shaft. I just picked up a Kalleq and look forward to trying it out as I was too impatient to wait for the Ipik to become available. 😎

[@MikeProut]

On the waiting list! Lol.

[@jamesiversen]

@@MikeProut Ha! I figured you’d already know about it. 😉 I may pick one up in the future, but for now the Kalleq will serve me well!

[@robertkerner4833]

I’m just starting my journey to try something other than a Euro blade. Do you suggest starting the GP journey by building your own or having one built? I live near a reputable builder and am trying to balance trying to carve one myself with limited woodworking skills ( I know it’s not rocket science) versus “my time is worth money” have one built correctly the first time. Your production quality is excellent and I enjoy any video involving bikes or kayaks and coffee!

[@MikeProut]

What I would recommend is if you know a local builder of decent paddles maybe they could lend you one to try out before you buy one. Then you could see if you could even build one similar. It is a fun experience to try making your own and it is also good to have a quality paddle built. Good luck! And enjoy! 😊👍

[@robertkerner4833]

@@MikeProut thanks

[@yianaki53]

Informative video, thank you for that Mike. You mentioned the Kalleq you purchased is 220cm, what are your physical dimensions that led you to choose 230cm?

[@seanpwro]

Any follow up after having used the paddle for a while? I'm not sure I'm so impressed with the quality yet. I've had mine since September '21, and have had a couple of issues. Right out of the box, the lock for the joint came out and remained in the wrong side of the paddle when I took the paddle apart. Seems like the glue they used failed. Not a huge concern, since I like the paddle and leave it joined most of the time. However, after my last paddle yesterday, I found water in that side of the paddle. Not only is there water inside, but I cant seem to find out how it got in there, or how to get it out. I have contacted Gearlabs, and am awaiting their response, but seems like this thing is heading downhill after only three months of use. I'm fastidious in taking care of my gear, so this is a big disappointment.

[@MikeProut]

Definitely going to do a follow up video. Sorry to hear your paddle crapped out. Hopefully their warranty will come through for you. Stay tuned.

[@CheekyMonkey888]

did they honour the warranty? I ve read of several people having trouble with the first paddles made

[@MikeProut]

Gear lab came through amazingly with the repair. Haven’t had any issues since they took it back and fixed it. They are really good at honoring their warranty.

[@wavesoffun]

One slight problem that people should maybe be aware of is that the Gearlabs are sometimes tricky to split. Because the fit is so snug and the fit is a square peg in a square hole, you can't rotate it slightly to separate. It's really important to ensure they are clean, with no grit and always wash with clean water and put a bit of lubricant on. It sometimes take two people to separate if you don't keep it clean!

[@MikeProut]

Thank you for the heads up! Haven’t had any of those issues yet. 😊👍

[@silentrabbit247]

Could cut a small piece from a old bike inner tube to cover the joint and button - preventing fine sand etc getting in, and rinse before taking it off.

[@ltkgaming8547]

I'm picking up an used wooden GL paddle. Any recommendations on what to look for? It's 2 years old so not sure how long one (wooden) lasts. Any thoughts! Thank you.

[@MikeProut]

Sounds like a good start! There are some basic measurements you can aim for. Ideally if the paddle blade is on the ground the opposing paddle blade should reach your fingers when your arm is fully reached upwards. Generally the loom is approximately the width of your kayak. Those are just basic principles. Ultimately you can use any paddle pretty much. If the paddle is made out of wood it can last many years. Especially if it has been finished with oil. Basically just re-coat it every fall or once a year. If it’s a spair varnish you can sand it and add a little bit of varnish to all the bumps and bruises. Good luck and enjoy.

[@ltkgaming8547]

Thank you so much!

[@ltkgaming8547]

I just bought the Ipik, wanted the kalleq but it was out of stock. ( However, I have a really hard time take it apart. Do you have the same issue? I've heard people waxed the connection to help preventing this issue but not sure how.

[@MikeProut]

I have not had this issue. I mainly keep my paddle part except for when I’m using it and I always am very mindful about not letting sand and dirt get into the connection area. Hopefully somebody else will make a comment that has been experiencing this issue that may have resolved.

[@faceblub]

Thanks for this great review, how tall are you?

[@MikeProut]

Thanks. Im 6’1”. 😊