Aqua Bound Tetra Review

OOhhh BOY, am I excited about this one! After paddling with an Aqua Bound Aerial whitewater paddle, I was super stoked to see the Aqua Bound Tetra come out, Aqua Bound’s newest high end flatwater/touring paddle. The list of similarities with the Aerial and Tetra is short but notable. They both have the sticky textured grip along the shaft, plus the triangular indexing and both use their Lam-Lok blade edge construction, both the Aerial and Tetra come in a variety of different sizes and styles. Past that the Tetra really is a stand alone paddle with few competitors in my opinion.

Let’s talk specs first, I’ve been using a 220cm straight shaft model with the Posi-Lok ferrule, and at approximately 21 ounces, it’s one of the lightest paddles I’ve ever encountered. This is Aqua Bound’s first foam core blade, and the ferrule offers 15-degree left or right-handed adjustments. A great deal of thought clearly went into its design, from the multiple ferrule options to the interaction of Lam-Lok with the foam core, and even the minimal sound it makes in the water.
Aqua Bound really put a lot of thought into this paddle, from the different ferrule options, how the Lam-Lok interacts with the foam core blade and even the sound the paddle makes moving through the water. For those unfamiliar, Lam-Lok involves about 33 feet of aramid thread stitched into the blade and through the foam core, securing the carbon layers to prevent delamination and wear.

One of the first things I noticed about the paddle once I got it in hand other than its weight or lack thereof was its blade shape. This is Aqua Bounds first foam core blade and they didn’t just do what everyone else was doing, they strived to add uniqueness and intervention. They actually played around with the shape of the back side of the blade to give it a very unique look and feel. If you look at one in person, you’ll see that the blade is quite thick towards the tip with a quick sweepback to the power face, this is (from what I have been told) to make the blade enter the water quietly and have less drag behind the blade as it moves through the water. And after trying it out, I noticed that it was true, plus the amount of foam built into the blade makes it more buoyant than other paddles I have used.

My first strokes on the water with the Tetra, I could tell this was something unique, and I’m not just talking about the graphic on it. It pops out of the water so smoothly and has such a distinct feeling when pulling on the blade. It almost feels like a hybrid between a Greenland stick and a wing paddle, offering the shoulder-friendly gentleness of the former with the solid, flutter-free pull of the latter. After a day of paddling, I felt I could have continued much longer, thanks to its light feel and ergonomic design. I also found that during sculling draws and slicing, the paddle naturally pivoted in my hand, feeling like a natural extension of my arm. The triangular indexing on the shaft is a particular highlight for me, as it fits my hands better than traditional oval or oblong indexing.

The grippy texturing on the shaft is something that might take time to get used to, I really enjoyed it on the Aerial and was stoked to see it on the Tetra! As I mentioned in my review of the Aerial, the dry grip definitely feels like almost too much grip, like waxing your paddle but as soon as you get it wet it feels so much better than a waxed paddle. I have also found that in colder water the grippiness almost disappears and it feels like a normal paddle shaft until it dries or warms up again. I will say one down side of this grip, is it likes to collect sand and salt from paddling in the ocean. A quick rinse takes care of pretty easily at the end of the trip, but if you have sensitive hands might steer you in a different direction.

For a quick comparison, let’s look at the Werner Kalliste, another high-end touring paddle that I also love. Both are low-angle, foam core, carbon paddles. Key differences are in their ferrules, weight, price, and some construction aspects. The Kalliste is a couple of ounces heavier and uses Werner’s tried and true ferrule system, while the Tetra features the distinctive grippy textured shaft compared to the Kalliste’s smooth carbon. The Kalliste also has a larger surface area by about 20 sq. cm. While the Kalliste is a comfortable, predictable, and smooth paddle, I believe the benefits and innovations of the Tetra, though slightly more expensive, offer a superior paddling experience that is well worth the investment in my opinion.

The Tetra is a truly unique and impressive paddle, and it has become my personal favorite low-angle paddle for touring. The Lam-Lok construction provides peace of mind regarding durability, and its lightness makes it easy to paddle for extended periods without fatigue. It strikes a perfect balance between durability and lightness. If you’re interested in the Aqua Bound Tetra or any of their other paddles, please stop by the shop to check one out!