Dragonboat Blog | The Dragonboating Resource

dragonboat talk for dragonboaters.

The Trivium S12 Dragonboat paddle is very unique and could be said to be the lightest dragonboat paddle in the world, at 340g or 12oz! Though that may be a good thing for some, it is very hard to own one of these paddles as Trivium don’t make enough to sell around the world. When I last spoke to the supplier they said they only produce a limited number of paddles per season and most people have to wait between 4-6 months before getting a paddle. Some clubs have even waited 9 months in Australia for their paddles to arrive and gave up waiting, purchasing other paddles that can be delivered within a couple of weeks.

Now why all the fuss and delays? Trivium paddles are delicately hand-made in Lithuania and they are carbon composite paddles consisting of carbon fibre and Kevlar. The reason for a composite of materials is because it needs to retain it’s strength, especially if it’s this light. Something I have noticed about paddling with such a light paddle is it often tends to feather the water and if there is the slightly wind it’s also very easy to loose control of the paddle. One reason why I have decided not to own a paddle that is too light.

The Trivium S12 is bipartite and the handle is joined to the blade via either a ‘GLUE’ connection or an IDBF approved ‘SCREW’ connection. Personally I have not liked seeing joints between shafts and the hassle of un-gluing just to adjust the length is a big job for the average dragonboat paddler. The other issue I feel is that it also weakens a paddle’s durability because there is an extra joint compared to a paddle being assembled in a one-piece construction.

Trivium S12 paddles also offer various grips:

• Sculpted (more like a Palm Grip)
• Ergo T (like a T-Grip, except more rounder around the edges)
• Ergo Medium (a slightly thicker version of the T-Grip)

It’s a positive for the Trivium paddles to have different grips as it can be customised to each individual paddler’s needs. In addition, Trivium have taken the extra step for customisation of their blades and offers individuals and clubs a choice of colours. Needless to say it may be why there is a long waiting period to supplying these paddles.