Most paddle reviews are very similar because paddles are, for the most part, very similar. All SUP paddles have a blade, shaft and handle; there's not much for a reviewer to work with.
With that in mind, I had a look at the internet to see what paddlers look for when they ask ‘Which SUP paddle should I get. A few minutes of reading Facebook posts will reveal that paddlers are most frequently looking at price, weight and materials used in a paddle. Combine those three with my top three requirements, blade size, length and strength, and we have a framework for this blog.
Here we go!
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| NSP Vivace 84 SUP Paddle |
NSP Vivace SUP Paddle
This is my NSP Vivace 84 paddle with the standard shaft; it was supplied uncut by NSP and, after 2 sessions with my hacksaw, it is now 198cm long and weighs in at 441,5g. This is a light paddle!
There are 6 paddles in the Vivace range, three blade sizes of 74, 79 and 84 square inches and two shaft diameters, the RDM version with a 26mm shaft and the standard 29mm. The larger diameter is the one I am using.
Now, let's fit my paddle into the six categories for this blog, starting with Price.
Price
The market for top-end SUP Race paddles is competitive, and the price of NSP Vivace compares very favourably with that competition. This paddle has been used by the NSP Team throughout the 2025 season with some great results on the world stage. It has a proven pedigree.
The Vivace range of paddles retails at 370 Euros here in Europe; they are available for 299 Pounds in the UK or 375 USD in North America.
Weight
Of course, paddle weight is a variable, not a definite number that advertisers can use simply because it depends on how long the paddler cuts the shaft. If you look at adverts for SUP paddles, one important number often omitted is the length of the paddle used to get the headline weight.
I will therefore skip straight past advertising and point you at my recent blog about paddle length, then state that the NSP Vivace paddle I have is lighter and shorter than any other paddle in my garage. It is significantly lighter than the others.
It’s light. But not too light.
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| NSP Vivace and NSP Carolina Evo in action |
On the water, the lack of weight of the Vivace is noticeable, especially in the recovery phase of the stroke. And the Vivace does a very, very, good job of coping with me. I am tall, powerful and sometimes clumsy, and the Vivace, with the standard 29mm shaft, feels great on the water.
Construction
100% carbon. Easiest question to answer here!
There is, of course, much more to construction than stating it’s made of ‘carbon’. Charcoal is primarily made of carbon, and I don’t paddle with a paddle made of charcoal or BBQ with a carbon fibre paddle.
Off to the NSP website for some highlights:
- Double Dihedral Blade
- HDC CNC cut PVC Core, lightweight with minimal resin
- Full ABS rail around the blade edge for durability
- Laminated with eco-friendly bio-resin
The Bio-resin is important, more words from NSP
All composite paddles by NSP are baked after a bio-based polymer is applied. Supplied by Entropy Resins, we are aware that even bio-based epoxy impacts the environment. But replacing petroleum-based materials with renewable plant-based resources is a good move, recognised by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Entropy Resins products meet the program criteria and are all USDA Certified Bio-based Products.
Now, my three requirements, starting with
Blade Size
The Vivace range has three blade sizes, 74, 79 and 84 square inches. When I first read about the paddle, my initial impression was that the largest blade was a bit small for me. I am used to bigger blades, and in over 12 years of paddling, this is by far the smallest blade I have used.
The blade has a ‘double dhedral’ design. This is to increase blade stability through the stroke and reduce flutter, and this is something that I have noticed: dropping from a 95 square inch blade has taken some adjustment. I am still working on my stroke with Boothy, but even with a stroke that is ‘under reconstruction’, flutter is one thing I have not experienced.
I have experienced a bit more noise from the paddle at the front of the stroke, but we are now correcting for that as I iron out some bad habits!
After just over a month of paddling and several hundred KM, I am not thinking about blade size when training, adapting to my new equipment, and I like it. Speed is comparable with the larger blade I have been using, and it is easier to increase stroke rate when needed.
Length
All the paddles in the Vivace range are supplied uncut with a shaft length of 220cm, more than enough for paddlers even taller than me! The paddle shaft has a slight texture to it and feels good when paddling.
As NSP notes on the Vivace web page, cutting a paddle can be daunting. Luckily, they have a blog post helping to help paddlers get their new NSP paddle set up.
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| How to cut your paddle shaft with NSP |
My Vivace is now cut to a total length of 189cm, and tips the scales at 441,5g.
Strength
My requirement for a strong paddle comes from experience. I snapped my first paddle off-shore in Brittany over a decade ago, my second while trying to paddle faster than my buddy soon after. And since then, I have cracked a few more while paddling. I put a lot of stress on the paddle shaft; it is simple physics, levers, power and weight.
There is no way to know how strong a paddle is without stress testing it to destruction, which would be interesting but not an option for many, certainly not for me! Instead, I tend to avoid paddle shafts that are narrow and advertised for lighter paddlers, and that is why I chose the standard 29mm shaft from NSP.
In use, it feels just like a paddle should; there is some flex, not too much, and it has coped with distance and sprint intervals with ease, as well as some more adventurous paddling. I am confident it will continue to do so.
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| Not just for racing, the Vivace and Carolina Evo in expedition mode on a Swedish island. |
What do the Pros think?
Let's ask Blue Ewer. Blue is one of the best racers on the international SUP scene, and here is what he thinks of the NSP Vivace Paddle
Conclusion
The Vivace is a good paddle; it is light, strong, well-made and intelligently designed. The price is very competitive when compared to other high-end SUP paddles and, most importantly, it feels good when paddling. The smaller blade size makes it easy to increase stroke rate when needed, and the smaller blade puts less pressure on my joints, which, at my age, has to be a good thing. And this comes with no loss in speed, also good at my age!
I like it.
About NSP
NSP are one of the world's most successful SUP and surf companies with a huge range of SUP, surf and foil boards available worldwide. And they are one of the sponsors for SUP My Race!
You can find out more about the brand on their website and through their social media - Facebook, YouTube and Instagram
SUP My Race is the best Facebook group for Stand Up Paddlers, or so I am told, and I am proud to be the geek behind it.