The Innovation Behind the STINGRAY Paddle by Mad Scientist Jimmy Terrell Quickblade

It’s been just over two years since the launch of the Stingray Paddle by Quickblade. When this paddle first hit the market, it definitely turned heads. Many paddlers thought “what the heck is that thing?” as the paddle looked extremely different than anything else that has been on the market. With a blade is only 10 inches long (25cm) (which is half the length of most traditional blades) the thought behind the design is essentially – the reduced blade length reduces the catch and exit time by 100% as it takes half the time. Curious to know more about the Stingray!? Join us as we sit down with the mad scientist himself – Jimmy Terrell to discuss everything about this innovative paddle!

Hi Jimmy and welcome back to TotalSUP today! We’re stoked to dive into the Stingray paddle with you! First things, first, what inspired you to design the Stingray paddle?

It was an idea that I’ve had for a while after watching underwater videos or various paddle blades. Watching the evolution of foil designs inspired me to make some prototypes in 2022. All of the prototypes were designed and intended for outrigger (sit down) style paddling initially, but we later found that a smaller size worked really well for SUP and the standard sizes worked really well for SUP foiling.

That is incredible that the growing world of foiling inspired the design! What are the key features that differentiate the Stingray paddle from other paddles on the market?

Mostly it is much shorter and wider than most other paddles. The lower section of the shaft where it connect to the blade has a very small diameter which minimizes any cavitation as the blade works best when submerged quite deep into the water.

That’s great! How does the design of the Stingray paddle enhance performance in terms of speed and maneuverability?

It takes 1/2 as long to put the paddle all the way in the water and 1/2 the time to take it all of the way out of the water because its blade is 1/2 and long as most others. The blade has a slight winged effect that allows it to drive slightly forward as you push it downward deeper into the water.

The winged effect of the blade is truly fascinating! What materials are used in the construction of the Stingray paddle, and how do they contribute to its overall durability?

The materials used in the paddle are custom woven “Hex ” Carbon fiber and epoxy resins, the blade has an expanded ABS core with solid ABS black edging.

Can you explain the paddle’s angle and blade shape, and how they work together during strokes?

The paddle has a 12 degree angle which is slightly more than most of our designs. It also has a subtle “V” cross sectional shape that helps make the blade more stable and easier to exit into the feather for the recovery. What is unique about this thin foiled shape is that it performs a similar effect in reverse as the blade starts to exit from the water it wants to thrust forward slightly and efficiently all of the way to the exit. To maximize the “winged” foil effect of the blade, we developed a special unique all carbon shaft that is tapered on both ends, providing minimal drag below the pulling hand and having a little more flex at the top hand by the handle, while having a slight oval shape where you hold it with the bottom hand.

This paddle is truly the definition of innovation! What type of paddler would benefit most from using the Stingray paddle?

The Stingray has been extremely successful in outrigger canoe racing. Its proven to work well in most all conditions. It’s probably more efficient and effective in longer distances as its less fatiguing.
It’s a very popular paddle right now for older age group paddlers and women’s crews. Although it is catching on in the open men’s division now too.

Marina Del Rey’s Masters men’s team just won overall the Rig Run OC6 race in Santa Barbara yesterday. Women’s teams and age group teams have been winning most of the divisions this year in Southern California races this season so far using Stingrays, but this was the first race that was won by open men using Stingrays. So it will be interesting to see how popular they become worldwide! We have several crews going to Brazil for the outrigger World Championships this coming August and most of Team USA crews will be using Stingrays.

Stingrays are truly winning paddles! Are there different sizes or configurations available for the Stingray paddle to accommodate various paddlers’ needs?

Yes, right now there are 3 blades sizes 65, 72 and 79 square/inches. We also have 3 shaft options, straight carbon, double bend carbon shaft and double bend wood laminated shaft options. We also created a very comfortable hollow carbon palm grip  that comes standard on the Stingray, or you can custom request our carbon T-handle if you prefer.

How does QuickBlade ensure the Stingray paddle remains lightweight while maintaining strength and performance?

We have a weight tolerance for each component as well as minimum strength requirements for each component. When we introduced the Stingray we had some issues with the top of the blade failing but we recalled the first round and re-engineered them to be stronger and they’ve been holding up very well since then.

I think this is probably the most important question to end the interview with… Where can customers purchase the Stingray paddle?

Paddles can be purchased directly from Quickblade www.quickbladepaddles.com as well as our authorized dealers.

Thank you so much Jimmy for taking the time to sit with us and share the story behind the stingray paddle!

To learn more about Quickblade visit quickbladepaddles.com

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