Long Term Review
It’s been a year since I took delivery of my Oti paddle from EO SUP. A 465g, 2085mm long piece of SUP artistry with a 90 square inch blade that has accompanied me on many paddle adventures. Here is my long term review…
Recap
EO SUP are one of the sponsors for the Facebook group I run, SUP My Race. Last year they supplied me with 2 paddles, the 2021 version of the Oti and an adjustable 2020 Fortis paddle, both with 90 square inch blades.
You can read about my first impressions of Oti here https://rideandpaddle.blogspot.com/2021/02/eo-sup-oti-paddle.html
Sore words from the summer here https://rideandpaddle.blogspot.com/2021/07/lighter-stronger-faster-paddles-from-eo.html
And you can get information about all of EO SUPs products here https://eo-sup.com
Living with a SUPer model
This paddle really has been used! According to Garmin I have paddled over 1800 km since February 2020 when Oti came into my life and the vast majority of that has been with this paddle in my hands. The only times I’ve not used Oti I have been using one of the the racier Fortis paddle, more on that later. This means that the other paddles I have in the garage are now a bit dusty!
Not only have I paddled further and faster than I have ever paddled before but I’ve done so without any injury, in 2020 I had nearly a month off the water with a shoulder problem that has not resurfaced. This is in part due to the medium stiffness shaft and in part to the blade design. The combination I have is very forgiving while also retaining a racy feel. Further and faster in one package.
The Oti has also been used by others, without exception their feedback has been positive with particular praise for the handle shape and feel and for the characteristics of the blade, the shallow ‘w’ design giving a really positive feel in the water appreciated by experienced paddlers as well as novices.
Once past the technical specification the talking point on the Oti and the other paddles from EO SUPs is the wood. The handle and blade of the Oti are crafted from Obeche wood by EO in Latvia and are both beautiful to look at and fantastic to use . I am very pleased to report that the gloss finish on the Oti still looks as good today as it did 12 months ago despite the sometimes rough handling it has had.
The blade hasn’t survived a year completely scratch free as a series of particularly tough shallow water trips at the end of autumn caused a few minor dings along the bottom edge of the blade but these were easily sorted with an epoxy board repair kit and a little patience. Other than that the only care the paddle has had all year is a wipe down with a cloth after use.
Conclusion
After a year of use there is no other paddle I want to pick up and take to the water when I go out. This paddle is light, strong and feels fantastic in the water. It is forgiving on days when I'm not feeling on it and it responds on days when I am flying. I have paddled faster with this paddle than I have ever done before and I have paddled further.
It is perfect for me.
The fact that it still makes me smile when I pick it up and notice the way the water and sunlight highlighted the wood in the paddle is a big bonus. I do not want to change it.
Into 2022
This year will see me spending more time with the Oti’s racier stablemate, the 2022 version of the Fortis. I’ve had the paddle since September but have had little time on the water with it and it will be interesting to see if the Fortis will take the place of Oti in my line up.
Now that Spring is on the way I have started to train again I hope to get more time on the water the the 2022 Fortis and my race board and will be writing about them soon …