The blade
The Flyte takes its shape from slalom racing and carries 735 cm² of area. The catch is assertive, the blade sets early in the stroke and holds its line through the power phase, then releases cleanly at the exit rather than flutter towards the end. Paddlers with a tidy forward stroke tend to get on with it quickly, and it rewards the effort put into technique.
It sits between the Creeker and the Pro in both area and attitude, and is a good fit for anyone who wants more purchase than a mid sized blade gives without the full bite of a freestyle blade.
Glass or Aircore carbon
Aircore is VE's carbon blade construction. A carbon Flyte is lighter and stiffer, and on a blade this size the extra stiffness is easy to feel in the first part of the stroke. Glass weighs a little more, has slightly more give and costs less. Carbon blades on a glass shaft are a middle route that takes weight off the ends of the paddle.
Straight, cranked or split shaft
A straight shaft is the default. A cranked shaft keeps the wrist in a more neutral position, which suits anyone with existing wrist, elbow or shoulder trouble and which plenty of paddlers prefer simply for comfort. A split shaft breaks into two pieces for travel, expeditions and spares, with length and feather adjustment you can change on the bank.
The other VE whitewater blades
The Creeker at 700 cm² is the more forgiving option and the one we sell most of. The Pro at 740 cm² goes the other way, with the hardest catch of the three.
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How to choose a VE whitewater kayak paddle covers blade size, construction and shaft choice across the whole range.
