Yakgrips Take-Apart Kayak Paddle Grips, No-Slip, Prevents Blisters - Cascade Creek

I previously had a YakGrip in Black and was very pleased with it. It was comfortable and held up well. Recently I bought a new paddle but wanted to keep the YakGrip on my old paddle so decided to buy another one. Since my new paddle was orange I thought it would be nice to have a matching grip. This was a mistake. I've only used it twice and there are already holes in the fabric! My original black one I've had for more than a year (and probably 50 or more uses) and it still is fine. Maybe the colored ones are made of different material??? Or maybe they have just recently cut corners and aren't the same quality as the older ones??? Also, the orange one is all dirty and stained looking after the first use. Let's face it, it is being used outdoors and isn't going to be always in a perfectly clean spot. The black doesn't show stains. Go with the black. I wish I did. I would have only given this review only one star except I had a good experience with the black one.

June, 2017 UPDATE. I ordered another set of these today and added three photos below to illustrate a point I'm trying to make with this update. The point is that these are very good for what they're designed to do, but they should be considered "expendable," not a life of the paddle purchase if you regularly paddle difficult waters where your grip on the paddle is very tight. The wear shown in my photos is what you'd expect after two full seasons of ocean and river paddling. One photo shows not only the typical wear on the nylon covering, but also typical deterioration of the neoprene rubber beneath it, the result of countless compressions and expansions within a very limited area. The paddle shaft is visible through one of the holes. Shoes wear out after heavy use, and so it is with these. I don't fault that. Think of the damage to my thumb and fingers if the grips were NOT there. I bought another set because, after reviewing all the alternatives, these are the best on the market. The wear is identical whether the grip is black or some other color.Many reviewers complain that these "slip around" on the shaft. They do slip and that can't be stopped unless you securely tape them in place, as described in my June, 2015 review below. The photos show how they're taped. We don't buy these to accessorize the paddle, but rather to counter a specific problem ("paddler's thumb"), so the aesthetics of tape doesn't matter if tape is necessary to keep the grips where they belong. Having gone through four sets of these, I've tried everything (two-sided carpet tape, rubber cement, etc.) and nothing ultimately has worked for me other than the tape placements shown in the photos. If the grip slips only .001" with each stroke, after 1000 strokes the grip will have moved an inch. After 3000 strokes, three inches. The neoprene rubber "walks" an imperceptible amount with each stroke, but the strokes add-up. I recommend 3M "Tough" tape because it seems immune to UV sunlight damage, is easy to work with, and it removes easily after long outdoor use without leaving adhesive residue.Below are my 2013 and 2015 reviews so you can see my thoughts on this product over time.June, 2015 UPDATE: I rated these 5 stars when I last reviewed them, but I've reduced that to 3 based on my last pair. By now, I've had several pairs, purchased at different times over four years. The quality of manufacture has slipped, and the manufacturer seems to have listened too much to the whiners who complained that the split-shaft version was initially difficult to get onto the paddle shaft. Well, now they're loose enough to easily slip on, so easy that they slip around too much in use, making them useless as tactile reference points for where to keep your hands on the paddle. The newest ones move around and twist during each paddle stroke. You have no choice but to tape them as I suggested (below) in my original review. The second gripe is that the sewing of the seams on the newest model is poor, leaving a "lump" where there once was a flat seam. Yes, you can orient the grips to try to minimize the annoyance of the heavy ribbed seams, but it shouldn't be there to begin with. They should be sewn as they originally were, not as the new ones are. I'm going to check-out some of the generic knock-offs, which cost half what these do, in case the knock-offs still have some of the qualities these once had. For me, a pair lasts only one season before the rubber disintegrates at the pressure points, and before the thin nylon fabric covering begins to discolor badly and wear through.I've used these extensively on my paddle with a straight carbon shaft on both the ocean and flat water, and I like them.They aren't perfect, but I would never go back to a bare shaft. They help prevent paddler's thumb, which is the boney knot that develops on the inside of the thumb from holding the paddle shaft too tightly with your control hand. Yes, they do slip, but I stopped that with some of the new Scotch "Tough" outdoor, UV resistant duct tape. They do get wet and stay wet longer than a bare shaft, which is not a problem if you habitually wear neoprene gloves. A very slight amount of power is lost from each stroke in compressing the rubber grips, however with all those things admitted, they're still really nice to have and it's better to have them than not. You can also stop the slipping (as others have said) with a dab of silicon, or two sided carpet tape, or duct tape. The idea is to protect your hands, and these do that very well.

This was a good purchase and I recommend the grips. I was getting blisters on my thumbs when I paddled and also have arthritis in my hands, so wanted to try these paddle grips. I'm overall very happy with them. I no longer get blisters and my hands are much more comfortable when I paddle. The grips were also easy to install and dry pretty quickly when they get wet. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is the fact that they do move around a bit and have to be readjusted on a long paddle--not that they're constantly on the move, but (as would be expected since they are removable) do tend to creep down as you paddle. That was a minor inconvenience, however, given how effect they are in preventing blisters and providing hand comfort.

I got these for two reasons.First, I've lost/forgotten my kayaking gloves too often and I figured it's a lot harder to lose or forget something that's literally on the paddle.Second, the shafts on all my paddles are black, and when it's 100 degrees and sunny that gets irritating, so I figured this could add a lighter colour.It works pretty well for both. These things fit VERY snugly on the paddle shafts, and are a pain to get on and in the right position even when fully wet, so I don't see them shifting at all once in place. That said, make SURE you get them positioned where you want them!Sadly the construction quality on these things is pretty bad. There's already a rip in BOTH grips and the seams are coming apart on one. I honestly don't think they'll last very long.

I bought these for my wife who was complaining about sore hands after kayaking. The grips are easy to install by slipping over the ends of the paddle after disconnecting the paddle in its middle. It did help to wet the grip to slide it over the paddle shaft. My wife's paddle is a little thinner than the "standard" paddle and the Yakgrip is kind of loose and tends to slip out of position with longer term paddling but my wife still likes it and it definitely has added comfort to her paddling. It would be nice if these were to come in a couple different sizes so they would fit the thinner paddle shaft a little better but I guess the price might be higher for a more custom fit. Would buy again.

These are really nice, the only reason i give it 4 stars is because they are a little to thick for me and make the paddle feel a little weird to hold but i am sure i will get used to it. They are nice and soft, give a good grip, and seem to be well made, i included a couple photos of the stitching so you can see it. I have a 2 piece solo canoe paddle so i ordered the proper set, they can be pretty tough to get on, i almost wish i would of got the set for a 1 piece paddle because they use Velcro, the instructions say to wet the inside, well i soaked the whole thing in water and it went on a little easier. I would almost suggest applying a small drop of dish soap to the paddle shaft to make them slide a little easier.But with a little patience they finally went on, worth the effort.The color is really nice too, a great addition.