Ainsworth takes pride in creating the strongest, lightest and most durable canoe and kayak paddles on the market. Since the first foam core glassfibre blades produced by Ainsworth in the early 70’s the company has continued to push the boundaries of composite technology.

Ainsworth manufacture four ranges of paddles from entry level to professional. The entry level ABS plastic range gets beginners on the water at a low cost. The Nylon glassfibre composite range is tough but light to offer superb durability and performance. In the AFT and AFT Professional ranges, a unique construction method is used which allows the blades to float, giving the user maximum efficiency.

ABS – entry level blade

The budget range, entry-level blades are constructed from super tough ABS plastic. The bomb-proof ABS blades are ideal for beginners as they will take endless abuse but are still light at hand. [back to top of page]

NYLON/GLASSFIBRE COMPOSITE - intermediate level blade

These mid-price range, intermediate level paddles use a tough nylon-glassfibre composite construction for superb durability and performance to give a tough, ‘all round’ paddle. Launched in 2006, the material yields 260 Mpa tensile strength - that’s over double the strength of the nylon 12 used in many other nylon paddles. Ainsworth’s Nylon blade is much stiffer than any other nylon paddles. The shaft is pressed into the blades with hydraulic pressure to a depth of 10cm, ensuring a watertight joint and a continuous feel from shaft to blade tip. The high strength of the material means that the blade can be made lighter: for example the whitewater N104 Sidekick weighs in at only 1200g. [back to top of page]

AFT – intermediate level blade

These mid-price range, intermediate level paddles feature AFT - Advanced Foam Technology - blades. These are made using a unique polyurethane foam construction to produce a paddle which is tough but is also light and floaty. The superb buoyancy in the lightweight blade makes it a sheer delight to use – it’s excellent for support strokes and, with maximum efficiency in each stroke, saves the paddler energy over long distances. [back to top of page]

AFT Pro – advanced, professional level blade

These top of the range yet affordable Professional blades build on the AFT technology and utilises a unique new manufacturing method to produce high quality, lightweight, stiff paddles. The blades have a hollow section in the back of the blade that reaches almost to the tip of the paddle. The overall weight of the blade is lighter than water – so it floats. The hollow core gives exceptional stiffness and stability in aerated water. The blades have exceptionally fine edges which reduce resistance to a minimum upon entry to the water.

They also offer superior durability to fibreglass blades- which tend to wear excessively fast on contact with solid objects, i.e. rocks! This is because the graphite filled/P.U. construction bounces rather than stopping dead and wearing.

AFT Pro blades are constructed by placing 4 layers of interwoven glass fibres in a specially designed mould, and injecting at 3000psi with a graphite filled/P.U. material. [back to top of page]