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Werner Bandit whitewater canoe paddle
By TIM ROBINSON | September 2025
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I love this paddle. I’ve seriously been thinking about having the shape of this paddle tattooed on my arm. Jacob and I both use them; I bought one for my partner; and we even bought two more (barely) used ones for loaners—they’re that good. Let me take you through why this paddle is so great.
The Bandit, made by Werner Paddles, is made for whitewater and just feels right. For a few reasons I’ll go over, I feel a greater sense of confidence when grabbing the water and pushing it around with this paddle.
The blade is ironically made out of glass. That’s not where my mind would go if I were designing a strong paddle, but somehow this fiberglass blade is tough. Our Bandits have endured some whitewater abuse and are holding strong. Over the years the shape of the blade has changed slightly as the edge gets slowly sanded away with each rock it hits and I’ve read some online complaints about this. Sure, I imagine that it will eventually affect the life span, but still, the edge is like a badge of honour for all the whitewater trips this thing has seen, so I don’t mind.
The Bandit’s aluminum shaft is also weirdly strong. I didn’t think that aluminum wasn’t a strong metal, but I can confidently pull off the most aggressive pry, even off of aluminum gunwales, without the slightest hint of damage to it, or even a flex. (Which, for young readers is a bit of a “flex" itself, ha… ha?) They made a version of this paddle that is a bit lighter, with a carbon fibre shaft, but that feels like it’s trading some strength for less weight, and I don't find the Bandit heavy. The carbon version is also all black, which is a terrible idea. Why give yourself the extra challenge of trying to find your paddle after a swim? Bandits now have a new style adjustable handle, but we don’t have any of those so I can’t speak to how good that system is.
Subtle scoop
The feel of the Bandit’s blade in the water is where this paddle shines. Werner put in some serious R&D testing for this one. A whitewater paddle needs to make its user feel confident in reaching out and effectively grabbing water to make the boat do things. A common problem with flat wooden whitewater paddles is that they can waffle under pressure. It’s a tiny back and forth vibration, like the paddle isn’t sure which way to let the water off the power face. Not with the Bandit. The slight scoop is designed to avoid this. No waffle—just a confident command of the water. The blade isn’t too big either. I’ve used big wooden whitewater paddles with a massive pizza spatula blade and it’s too much. The Bandit grabs just the right amount of water for me. Some smaller people might find it a little too much and so they made a cute blue version named “Bandito" with a slightly smaller blade, but otherwise the same.
The scoop on the blade isn't exaggerated so much that (accidentally) paddling on the backside won’t feel awful like using a kayak paddle the wrong way. Once in a while, for whatever reason,I find myself pulling the blade on the wrong face, and while my power stroke isn’t as effective, it still works just fine. This also means all of the classic strokes which need a little finesse, are fine too. I can do a Mason-style bow cut or jam, and it works beautifully with a Canadian stroke. Pulling off a decent silent stroke is more of a challenge, but that’s mostly for showing off anyway.
Similarly, some paddles of a similar “Voyager" shape can sometimes splash the user in the face. Ever experience that? I’m sure I’m not the only one. With a strong power stroke a little pop of water comes up at an angle straight to your face. Our friend, the Bandit, respects you enough not to do this, not even for fun.
The T grip on it is a bit of a wonder. It looks like a basic whitewater paddle T grip. They are designed in a sort of non-ergonomical way in order to have a bit of a hook on the end for reaching out to snag gear, boats or even people. Usually this sacrifices comfort. Whatever magic was put into this paddle, it somehow doesn’t hurt even after long paddles. I used to bring a second paddle for whitewater trips with long flatwater sections, but I don’t bother anymore. I’ll still have some other kind of paddle in the boat as my backup, often a simple Grey Own Voyager, but I never use it. I’m happy with my bandit.
Since Jacob, Stefan (when he’s in a canoe) all use Bandits We differentiate whose is whose with yellow tape on the shaft just under the handle. Mine is three stripes. Kind of like an SOS come to think of it. Anywhere in the space between where your hand goes and the T grip works, by the way. You just don’t want tape where you’re holding the paddle or where it touches the canoe on a pry. Avoids the wear on it.
Everytime I lend out a Bandit to someone on a canoe trip they end up ruined for other paddles.
So if you’re wondering why these paddles are so damn expensive. That’s why. You’re not buying a brand or a flashy piece of gear for minor improvement. This is quality.
Comfortable T grip
Tim's beloved Bandit
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