Shaft Construction and Stiffness

We offer the following types of shaft construction:

• Skinny shafts (sweep and scull) are our new shafts with smaller diameters.
• Ultralight shafts (sweep and scull), are lightweight, all carbon fiber shafts that are most commonly used for recreation and racing at the highest level. Over the years we have refined the construction of this shaft to be as durable as possible. The lighter weight saves a significant amount of energy at higher stroke rates.
• Low Inertia (Low i) scull shafts were introduced in December 2004 for scullers looking for oars with lower overall weight and lighter "swing weight." The overall weight is approximately 5 oz. less per scull than our standard Ultralight construction, while the swing weight is reduced by 18%. "Swing weight" refers to the weight at the blade, felt each time the oar changes direction. A reduction in swing weight becomes more significant at higher stroke rates. Lighter rowers may realize more benefit from these sculls than heavier rowers.
  
  Note: Low i sculls are more susceptible to impact damage than the Ultralight sculls and have to be handled with greater care.  As with any decrease in oar weight, balancing your boat may be more difficult until you get used to the change.

Standard Stiffness Options

Shaft stiffness is mostly a matter of personal preference. Softer shafts will flex more easily on the drive and some athletes like this feel.  Stiffer shafts flex less on the drive but some users worry that this stiffness could contribute to overuse injuries.  Most users order medium stiffness unless they have a clear reason for preferring soft or stiff.

A blade and shaft work systemically to create a perception of stiffness. A blade that creates more resistance in the first third of the drive will feel stiffer, as will a shorter oar.

Our stiffness measurements are made using a standard length shaft. A very long oar will feel more flexible that a short oar of the same stiffness.

* Every shaft is tested for strength and graded for stiffness. Stiffness is measured in terms of the deflection in the oar when a 10kg weight is hung from the neck as shown in the drawing above.

The Morrisville Monster

Every oar is tested for strength in the Morrisville Monster (shown above) and leak-tested before it leaves the shop.