ZRE: Dragon Carbon Fibre Paddle
12 Aug, 2008 by Tyrone PaddlesWho are ZRE?
ZRE stands for Zaveral Racing Equipment and their website is www.zre.com. ZRE is one of the leading manufacturers for top-performance paddles and you can see their awards won in the past here: http://www.zre.com/morenews/award.html
The ZRE Dragonboat Paddle:
I’ve always been asking myself before the day I got my hands on one of these, what is so special about them? Is it because they are made in the USA, uses aerospace material or they just look good? I read a lot of comments from other paddlers from the other side of the world and they kept saying these were the best paddles.
Okay, I am going to give my biased opinion as I have tested, assembled and sold numerous of these paddles. Firstly yes, the ZRE dragonboat paddles do live up to their reputation for being a very light paddle and it performs very well through the water. They have been designed from a paddlers mind combining the best possible materials that are used in aerospace and for Formula 1 racing. Currently these paddles weigh around 410g to 450g or 14.5oz to 16oz depending on what grip and length you choose.
What I like about the ZRE dragonboat paddles is that it provides flexibility. What it means is there are many different grips you can choose from and also many repair options if your paddle breaks.
The Grips: You can choose from:
- Plastic Palm
- Carbon T
- Carbon Palm
- Wooden T
It’s good to have the different grips because they allow for different conditions and each grip feels customised to your own needs. The other thing I mentioned is repair options. Because the ZRE dragonboat paddle is assembled in 3 separate pieces, if you one part gets damaged it can be easily replaced, rather than sending the whole paddle back. Most paddlers are also able to do this themselves. The downside is the paddle doesn’t look like a Burnwater or Apex Accelerator paddle showing a consistent carbon fibre weave. If you’re not fussed about how the paddle looks, then the ZRE will provide you with exceptional performance.
One last thing I did notice about this paddle is the sound it makes through the water on a return stroke. The resonating sound is a “whip” and if you heard it with a full team of 20 paddlers using ZRE paddles then you definitely know they’re coming.
Overall a great well balance dragonboat paddle that I would highly recommend for competition.
| Manufacturer: | ZRE |
| Weight: | 410g to 450g or 14.5oz to 16oz |
| IDBF 202a Spec: | Approved License Number 3031 |
| Material & Construction: | Carbon Fiber Blade, Carbon Fiber Edges & Tip, Pre-Impregnated Carbon Fiber Shaft and comes with a Carbon Fiber “T”-Grip |
| Country of origin: | USA |
You can see other reviews in our paddles review section
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GH said,
Wrote on July 4, 2010 @ 7:02 am
I question the strength of the blade on the new Dragon XL. The blade seems easily damaged if it comes into contact with another blade during use. I thought it was a fluke when it happened to someone else then it happened to mine. Now my blade has 2 gashes where you can see the foam core. I also have 2 Grey Owls, 3 Merlins (including the new CD3), and a Kialoa and the occassional blade to blade contact has not damage the blade in a similar manner. Even during a race when the boat next to us came close to hitting us we had blade to blade contact and nothing happened to my Merlin blade. So I have to wonder if in the pursuit of a lighter paddle (the XL is among the lighter paddles on the market) if strength and durability of the blade has been sacrificed. Sure it is nice that the paddle is made up of 3 sections making it easier to replace the blade, shaft or handle, but that should not mean frequent replacement of the blade because it lacks strength for less weight. The Merlin Ghost is lighter than the Dragon XL but uses a more durable honey comb aerospace grade aluminum in the blade so it too can take a hit without damage. At $280 I would have expected better from ZRE.