Aqua Bound’s Sting Ray vs. Tango Kayak Paddles
4-minute read
Our Sting Ray and Tango kayak paddles are both designed for low-angle paddling. Either one makes it easy for you to spend long days on the water without soreness or fatigue.
Pictured here is Sting Ray Hybrid in Sunset Red and Tango Carbon
Here we explore their similarities and differences so you can make your best purchase decision.
The Sting Ray line is our best-selling kayak paddle. The Tango, at a higher price point, offers a few benefits to consider over the Sting Ray.
Let’s take a look…
Comparing the Blades: Materials, Shapes and Colors
It’s the blades where you’ll notice the most difference between the Sting Ray models and the Tango models.
Our Sting Ray line is made of carbon-reinforced nylon blades or fiberglass-reinforced nylon blades. They come in solid colors. The color choices depend on which model you’re looking at:
- Sting Ray Carbon: Black
- Sting Ray Hybrid: Sunset Red or White
- Sting Ray Fiberglass: Sunset Red or Electric Green
Sting Ray blades in carbon-reinforced nylon and fiberglass-reinforced nylon (photo: Five2Nine)
Tango’s blades are very different. While the Sting Ray’s blades are injection molded, each Tango’s blade is handcrafted one by one out of multi-laminate carbon or fiberglass. They’re formed by compression molding in a special press made just for us.
The carbon model is available in Black. The fiberglass model is available in three eye-catching color options: Northern Lights, Geo Punch and Solar Flare. Each translucent blade is made by layering silk fabric and fiberglass.
The compression molding process we use for Tango's blades allows us to produce these kinds of brilliant patterns and colors
The shape of the blades between the two models is very similar. The Sting Ray models have 92.5 square inches of blade, while the Tango models have 96 square inches of blade. The Tango’s are just a hair wider and shorter.
New, starting in 2026, is our revolutionary Lam-Lok™ edge protection. We first developed this technology for our Aerial family of whitewater paddles. It’s been so well received that we decided to use it to beef up some of our Tango paddles, too.
Lam-Lok™ is about 15 feet of aramid thread stitched back and forth along the part of each blade that sees the most impact. Our tests show that this stitching will increase the life of the paddle by five times. The layers don’t get a chance to delaminate, even after many seasons of regular use.
You can see the Lam-Lok™ edge protection around this blade (photo: Avery Rosenthal-Murray)
Tango Carbon now has Lam-Lok™ as does Tango Fiberglass, with the Geo Punch and Solar Flare colors. If you’d like to save a little money and you’re not hard on your paddle, the Northern Lights color is made without this edge protection and will still give you many years of faithful service.
Comparing the Shafts
Sting Ray comes in two shaft options: 100% carbon or fiberglass. The shaft material you choose will also influence the type of ferrule option you have (more on that in the next section).
We offer a 2-piece and 4-piece Sting Ray with the fiberglass shaft, both with the snap-button ferrule. Our Sting Rays with the carbon shaft are available with either our Posi-Lok™ ferrule or Versa-Lok™ ferrule. With the carbon shaft models, you also have your choice of carbon-reinforced or nylon-reinforced blades.
The Tango is available with a couple of different types of carbon. We use 3K plain weave carbon in the bent shaft model. It’s known for its extreme stability, strength and ability to be shaped for ultra-comfortable ergonomics. The straight shaft models are constructed of T-700 carbon.
You can choose a 2-piece or 4-piece model, or a bent-shaft option with either the fiberglass or carbon blades.
Tango Fiberglass in Northern Lights (photo by Rob McNamee)
Comparing the Ferrule Systems
The ferrule system is the mechanism that connects the two halves of the shaft together at the center. The Sting Ray Hybrid and Carbon models and the all the Tango models come with these ferrule options:
Posi-Lok™ ferrule with a carbon construction and several feathering angles
Versa-Lok™ adjustable-length ferrule with composite construction and unlimited feathering angles
The Posi-Lok™ is especially functional and easy to adjust—even in mid-stroke:
The Versa-Lok’s™ length adjustability (up to 15 cm) is ideal if other people will also use your paddle, or if you use boats of different widths:
If you choose the Sting Ray Fiberglass, you’ll get the snap-button ferrule with two feathering angles, 0º and 60º
Comparing the Weight Differences
We pride ourselves in the high-quality materials used in our paddles, and their hand-crafted construction. No matter which of these paddles you choose, you can be confident in its performance and durability.
But one of the big differences in the materials between the two models—the Sting Ray and Tango—is the varying weights.
You wouldn’t think a few ounces would make that much difference. And it probably doesn’t if you only paddle for an hour at a time. But when you’re on the water all day long or for many days in a row, you’ll notice!
The Sting Ray models range from 33.5 ounces (Fiberglass 4-piece) to as light as 28.75 ounces (Carbon 2-piece).
The Tango, on the other hand, is just 28 ounces at its heaviest (fiberglass) to a feather-light 23 ounces for the 2-piece straight shaft Carbon model.
Sting Ray Hybrid and Sting Ray Carbon paddles (photo by Thrive Visuals)
Comparing the Prices
Of course, all these factors affect how these paddles are priced.
[What we’ll list here are 2026 prices. They may have changed by the time you read this, so check our product pages (linked below) for the current pricing.]
The Sting Ray models start at a very affordable $139.95 for the Fiberglass 2-piece and go up to $289.95 for the Carbon 4-piece model. There are ten options altogether.
If you love recreational low-angle kayaking and get out several times a year, you’ll love a paddle from the Sting Ray line.
See our entire Sting Ray paddle line
We have eight Tango models starting at $349.95 for the Fiberglass 2-piece and top out at $574.95 for the Carbon bent shaft.
Are you an avid touring kayaker with highly discerning taste? The Tango is for you.
See our entire Tango paddle line
Kayaking Lake Tahoe (Photo: Avery Rosenthal-Murray)
Got more questions? Get in touch with our friendly Customer Service team today: 715-755-3405 • sales@aquabound.com
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