One of the questions I get asked quite a bit is whether expensive carbon paddles are actually worth it, so I decided to do a few back-to-back tests over 8 lengths of Hilsea Lido (536m).
Test 1 — large vs medium carbon
My first comparison was between the Frank Pro Steel Large and Medium carbon paddles, with and without my Nu+ Large pull buoy.
Without any aids I swam the distance in 9:15. Using the large paddles without a pull buoy took that down to 8:27, while the medium paddles came in at 8:46. Add the Nu+ Large pull buoy and the times were 8:02 with the large paddles and 8:09 with the medium.
The interesting bit was that once I added a decent-sized pull buoy, the difference between the large and medium paddles almost disappeared. The medium paddles also felt kinder on my shoulders and let me keep a slightly higher stroke cadence.
My conclusion from that session?
Train with the large paddles, race with the medium ones.
Paddle Test 2.0
This time I compared Frank Pro Steel Large Carbon, ARK Blade Large Plastic, and my old Speedo paddles. The results were:
- Frank Carbon: 7:53
- ARK Plastic: 8:05
- Speedo: 8:28
The Franks were quickest, and interestingly I was 9 seconds faster than my previous test with the same paddles.
The final question was whether the Frank Medium Carbon could beat the ARK Large Plastic, as they're almost exactly the same size.
The results?
- Frank Pro Medium Carbon (73g, £125): 7:57
- ARK Blade Large Plastic (100g, £28): 7:58
Just one second…
So, is the Frank worth nearly an extra £100?
Over 536m, probably not. But they do feel noticeably lighter and stiffer, making them more comfortable to swim with. Would that become more important over a 5km Swimrun swim when your shoulders are starting to tire? Maybe.
This season our Team Söuthsea Swimrun Rockstars mixed team missed first place in Cornwall by just over 10 seconds, and then missed the podium at Studland by about 40 seconds. So sometimes a few seconds really do matter.
If you're on a budget, my advice would be:
- Buy the biggest pull buoy that fits comfortably between your legs. I think this gives the biggest performance gain.
- Get the biggest paddles your shoulders can comfortably handle (around an inch/2.5cm bigger than your hand is a good guide). Stiffer is generally better than lots of flex.
If budget isn't an issue… well, like plenty of triathletes already do, just buy carbon everything! Carbon paddles, carbon shoes… maybe carbon swim hats are next. 🙂
Whatever you choose, just get out there, run free, swim free, explore new places and enjoy it with friends. That's what Swimrun is really about.