Yoz...

[Anny]

What has happened to Yoz paddle blades lately?? sorry someone had to say this! Recently the new Yoz blade hit the market and at first seemed to be like a very nice blade, now after a season the vast majority of the blades are showingserious signs of damage, cracks, dents and holes right through the carbon outside and into the core are common. At first I thought this must just be the new assymetric/kinetic blades and Yoz hasnt got them quite right but recently a team mate has recieved a new symetrical blade and after a week it is already severly damaged. I remember no less that a couple of years ago yoz blades were excelent... is the problem that they have tried to cut the weight of the blade to compete with the likes of bracsa and DD? or has something else changed in the construction of the blade? I really think it needs to be sorted out either way before Yoz looses its once great reputation. And no it is not just a one off instance, there are many such examples of these cracked, dented and holed blades...

[Jimmy]

I don't know what you're on about. I bought an experimental light weight Yoz diamond paddle a few months ago, which should be weaker than the standard blades and it lasted the whole worlds tour and another half dozen sessions since we came back. No one will tell you that I look after my polo equipment either.:bang:

[tinkerbell]

Seeing as someone has brought this up...
I brought a Yoz kinetic in March and have used it everyweek.
About 3weeks before National League finals i received 2minor cracks and 2major breaks in the blade. I sent the paddle back to cameron butler who sold me the paddle, he fixed the cracks and returned it.
The paddle was then fine until about 2weeks ago, when i noticed another set of decent cracks in the blades.

Im not sure whether this is a use problem or a manafacturing problem, but im not happy at the lack of durability, if i had known the blades would break like this i would have invested a little bit more and got a different brand of blades.

Just my :twocents:

Dave

:thumbdown

[Polo Newbie]

Dave now you've ruined your Tinkerbell alias

:p

Seeing as someone has brought this up...
I brought a Yoz kinetic in March and have used it everyweek.
About 3weeks before National League finals i received 2minor cracks and 2major breaks in the blade. I sent the paddle back to cameron butler who sold me the paddle, he fixed the cracks and returned it.
The paddle was then fine until about 2weeks ago, when i noticed another set of decent cracks in the blades.

Im not sure whether this is a use problem or a manafacturing problem, but im not happy at the lack of durability, if i had known the blades would break like this i would have invested a little bit more and got a different brand of blades.

Just my :twocents:

Dave

:thumbdown

[Nick B]

Having used Yoz blades for 10 years now I have a fair idea about what damage happens to them. Firstly the construction is exactly the same unless you specify the light weight version. The cracks you speak about are most likely the result of being hit with other paddles and don't majorly effect the construction only and are easy to repair.

Cheers

[becks.c]

I still have my Yoz - which I purchased in 1998.

The only major damage to the paddle, was inflicted by my own ineptness when trying to replace the shaft with a carbon/kevlar one.

I have to say though, that the most damage done to my paddle (cosmetic dents etc) occurred in mens B grade - where players have strength, but not often skill. Also, in B grade leauges, the refereeing is sometimes a little too "free" - particularly in the paddle department (this combined with a larger than avg # of schlegals and prions - with aluminimum tips isn't great for carbon paddles)

If this is your first carbon paddle, and you are playing in a rough league, perhaps you could try using your old paddle in weekly leagues and your new one for serious games and other training?

[richk]

I didnt think metal tipped blades were legal?

[becks.c]

:D Lots of things in local B grades aren't "legal".

Off the top of my head NZRules '99 don't specifically disallow aluminimum tipped blades. But feel free to prove me wrong.

I think there is something along the lines of banning aluminimum tips in the latest ICF Rules (appendix with info on equipment?)


I didnt think metal tipped blades were legal?

[tinkerbell]

Will the person who makes Yoz paddles be in Auckland this weekend?

[polojoe]

yeah my yoz is less than a year old and its got 4 cracks in it... but i dont cry about it. anny (if that is your real name...)

[mike1982]

Ha i think anny is short for anonymous its just a guess but maybe anny could enlighten us
and as for my stance on yoz paddles i have seen old yoz paddles that are doin great and admittedly some of the newer ones do seem destined to not last as long
this could be due to the fact that younger players are purchasing them and indeed using them agains battleaxes like schlegles
however that would account for the surface cracks but the splits on the edge ive seen i cant figure

yeah my yoz is less than a year old and its got 4 cracks in it... but i dont cry about it. anny (if that is your real name...)

[Timmy]

What does b graders skill have anything to do with your paddles breaking becks. did you just say b graders have no skill to make your self feel better. i dont think they go out just to break your paddle.

[vish]

When I was young, I played for years with the old Taupo blades. The damned things got chips in them, but they were alright so long as you taped 'em up before the big tournaments. I couldn't believe how much it cost for a blade, might as well go out and get another whole paddle for about $60, knowing the repair techniques of some of my friends (you know who you are, Kieran M!).

I remember my first Schlegel- I was playing for the Witches and I won it in a spot prize. It hangs in my carport on my boat rack, so that I can dry my gear off it. Used it for years, even did K1 in it until everyone got sick of seeing the fluoro orange blades churning painfully past the clubrooms.

My shoulders and arms are pretty much wrecked, and it's mostly because I did the wrong exercises and paddled too hard for too long with heavy, rigid paddles. The thing is, nobody had special carbon fibre blades in those days.

My first set of decent blades were the Rough Stuff Tempest Polos. When I got those puppies I would take them down rivers and bash them against rocks and still be able to play polo with them. When they got stolen, I was heartbroken. Sure, they were assymetrical, but THOSE were indestructable. I now own some Double Dutch, which are lovely, but god knows, I've seen some people even destroy those!

:D Like, hell yeah, I've been known to have my boat broken and my arm partially amputated, so it figures that a paddle might get cracked once in a while. Legally of course, cause we play to the whistle, eh folks? ;) And yes, Timmy, B Grade is a lower skill level than A Grade or New Zealand representative levels. I don't think anyone in B grade deliberately goes out to do anything other than score goals, but that doesn't mean they aren't rough while they have fun. It's all part of the learning experience. If it makes anyone feel better, my hirage rates for the orange battleaxe are reasonable!!! :wavey:

[Paul]

"The thing is, nobody had special carbon fibre blades in those days."

Just how old are you vish? ;)

[vish]

:p Mate, I've had time to progress from a Combatt, to a Stingray, to a Powerplay and I've still had two Vamp S's. I remember when Acrobats and Cyclones were introduced! :wavey:

[guest]

haha Vish you are showing your age eh!!!!!!(Life only begins at 21 hehehe)
HI everyone, hope all are well. Thing are going good here in Adelaide and all are well.
Eoin

[DeanM]

:p Mate, I've had time to progress from a Combatt, to a Stingray, to a Powerplay and I've still had two Vamp S's. I remember when Acrobats and Cyclones were introduced! :wavey:
Heh, I remember 1991 Nationals when the coolest boats in the junior grade were the Combatts with the special shallow back decks that the Christchurch boys had. I believe they achieved this by putting a block of foam down the back with glue on top and bottom, then standing on the back deck until the glue set. Boy, those boats could turn compared to what we were used to; we looked on those boats with envy; we were from the Wairarapa and were overawed with the sophistication.

- Dean

[Ant C]

Heh, I remember 1991 Nationals when the coolest boats in the junior grade were the Combatts with the special shallow back decks that the Christchurch boys had. I believe they achieved this by putting a block of foam down the back with glue on top and bottom, then standing on the back deck until the glue set. Boy, those boats could turn compared to what we were used to; we looked on those boats with envy; we were from the Wairarapa and were overawed with the sophistication.

- Dean

Plastic Combatts at that...... they were all the rage at the Masterton pool until that fancy fibreglass stuff came along with basically everyone under the age of 15 making the junior national sides...... that's many many moons ago Mr Mischewski, back to the days of Inspiration!

Those Nats were down in Chch weren't they?

Hows Julie and the fmily down there, and is Keiren still playing??

[Aaron Fear-Ross]

Combats...I remember those, funny spud like boats

If you buy a composite paddle and have used it for a season then you have to expect it to be a bit bashed up. Especially so if you are playing with fixed goals like in the divewell in Chch or against metal edged blades.
Composite blades are strong but if you want them light then they are only going to take so much abuse, as long as you fill in any dents/holes straight away and don't leave them out in the sun then you should still be able to use them for another couple of seasons.
Yoz blades are just as strong as any other composite that I have come across, I have seen both DD and Braca blades snapped across the spine let alone cosmetic damage.

Basically, it's a contact sport, unless your blades are snapping within a stupidly short period of time or are blowing out then you probably don't have much of an argument.

A

[Und123]

"Basically, it's a contact sport, unless your blades are snapping within a stupidly short period of time or are blowing out then you probably don't have much of an argument."

I think that was the basis of the arguement that the latest batch of "yoz" blades last year were of a poorer quality than the previous years, in particular there were numberous cases of blades cracking right through laminate into the foam core when other blades have not, and this can not simply be put down to "those damn schlegels" or rough play, there was an actual problem there for a while, im sure Cameron would be able to comment further here.
I remember my old Yoz blade lasted me for approx 4 years and is still going strong with no cracks somewhere, just as light as there new ones too, various fellow team members purchased new ones last year and are already in the market for a new set of blades, there were numerous similar cases of this up and down the country.

[cpbutler]

Yes it is a contact sport and things get damaged, how mad were you when your nice boat got its first crack? The Yoz blades were made to a different layup than previous blades and thus had different properties plus a different production process so things weren't perfect at first.

All paddles have a weakness somewhere or they are probably too heavy. I have seen far more Double Dutchs break than a Yoz, but they are lighter so people are prepared to pay the bit extra. I have sold more Yoz than Double Dutch, but the numbers are pretty close.

A number of the blades got punctures or cracks, I am unsure whether this would have been a bubble in the laminate, a sharp object or a laminate that wasn't up to some of the bumps. Having seen and fixed a few I could tell that while unsightly they were in no way compromising the strength of the blade as long as sensible people made sure that the crack was covered and no significant amounts of water got into the blade. I fixed any that were given to me for free, but Yoz certainly didn't believe they were warranty claims.

Can but wait and see what they are like this year. :D