Introducing Aqua Bound’s New Ultralight Tetra Kayak Paddle
8-minute read
We’re thrilled to introduce our new-for-2025 Ultralight Tetra kayak paddle. This premium touring paddle has already won awards in the industry and garnered excitement among kayakers everywhere.
Our brand new Ultralight Tetra kayak touring paddle (photo courtesy of Headwaters Kayak)
Our team here at Aqua Bound invested over two years in research and product development for this paddle. It made its debut at Canoecopia 2025 in nearby Madison, Wisconsin just a couple of weeks ago.
To tell you more about the Tetra, with its many innovations and benefits, are Kate Wright (Aqua Bound Marketing Manager) and Mac Sandberg (Aqua Bound Director of Revenue Growth & Innovation):
What’s most exciting for Aqua Bound followers about the new Ultralight Tetra?
KATE: At the end of the day, we want our followers to know we heard them. People have been asking for a full foam core paddle and for innovation in paddle sports for so long. We poured all of that interest and feedback into this paddle.
MAC: We listened to what our customers were asking for and then did a significant amount of research as to what’s wrong with the current paddles available. With the Tetra, we set out to design what customers say they want, address the issues of what’s currently on the market, and make it cool.
We always try to push the boundaries of what’s possible. What’s new and exciting that our customers can get super fired up about.
Who was most vocal about asking for a paddle like this?
KATE: This feedback was from across the board, especially our retail partners and our team paddlers. But we’ve had so much input from all different categories in the industry asking for this kind of product. As Mac said, we tried to go above and beyond to address problems they brought up, as well as what we found in other areas to combine into the finished product.
Clearly, something was missing if people in all those different categories were asking for something like this.
(Photo courtesy of Headwaters Kayak)
Who is the target audience with the Ultralight Tetra?
KATE: We designed this product for the discerning paddler who has enough experience to understand the small nuances of paddles. The person who knows the tiny little tweaks that can make a large difference. And someone who is paddling enough over distances that an ultralight paddle makes sense.
That doesn’t mean other people can’t use this paddle, of course. And we’re finding quite a few people outside that top-tier paddler who are interested and are buying it. We had plenty of intermediate paddlers purchase the Tetra at Canoecopia (the world’s largest paddlesports expo).
MAC: As Kate’s saying, the elite paddler will appreciate the very fine details about it versus the intermediate paddler who will like how cool it looks and how light it is. They’re still going to be able to use it and love it. But the feature list is long and distinguished, and you have to be at that higher level to appreciate all of the minutiae on that feature list.
What are those key features that make Tetra stand alone?
MAC: From a technical standpoint, we set out to target some of the known issues with other foam core paddles on the market. There were breakage issues. They were kind of fragile. So we set out to fix that. The break strength of our stuff is above most of the other competitive market products at that level.
We employed a new manufacturing strategy when we built the foam core blades that not only protects the face of the paddle but also the edges. The edges themselves can be a point of contention on foam core blades. On a very expensive paddle, they can easily break and delaminate, which means your whole paddle can become junk pretty easily.
We used a new manufacturing strategy to address that and some high-end technical materials. We also implemented our Lam-Lok, which has never been done in a full foam core paddle. That means there’s 33 feet/10 meters (per paddle) of aramid stitching around the blade edges that dramatically reduces edge wear and delamination.
Next, we took out one full joint. Where normally the blade is glued into the shaft, with the Tetra, the blade and half the shaft are manufactured as one piece. So we were able to lighten it up and reinforce that area. It gives superior performance on the water for people who are doing super-technical strokes.
One of the main points of contention with competitor paddles is that the main breakage area is between the blade and the shaft. We were able to get rid of that and strengthen it so we don’t have that breakage issue.
We also employed the same grip texture on the shaft that we use on our Aerial products (2024’s award-winning whitewater paddle series). It’s got a rubbery or grippy texture to it. In talking with paddlers who have seen that on the Aerial, we knew they’d appreciate having that tactile feel on the Tetra.
KATE: We employed some very cool graphics that make the Tetra stand out on the shelf, but they also serve an important purpose. They’re high visibility with the intention of helping paddlers be seen and safe on the water.
Tetra’s graphics make it highly visible on the water, adding to safety (photo courtesy of Headwaters Kayak)
One piece of feedback we continue to get is that people love an all-black carbon paddle but it’s easy to lose yourself on the water. Especially for guides—they have a hard time seeing all the people they’re guiding. So, we were asked to incorporate something to help with visibility without making it a completely end-to-end high-visibility paddle.
We use these holographic graphics in a way that’s super stylish and forward-leaning. You get visibility without taking away that under-the-radar stealthiness of an all-black carbon paddle. It’s really a nice balance there, and we’re getting good feedback on that.
Another feature of this paddle is its spreadtow-weave carbon, which is a little bit higher tech. It increases the strength, stiffness and some of the impact resistance while still being super lightweight. That’s the direction we’re moving with all of our carbon composites. So we’re excited about that.
Then our Lam-Lok technology goes all the way through the foam, which is another thing quite a few people expressed interest in. They were wondering if we’d be able to do it—and we did.
It’s worth noting that while this is an ultralight paddle, we were still able to incorporate a Versa-Lok ferrule option. We limited this paddle’s length adjustability to 10 cm to keep the weight down. Again, because the target market for this paddle is a more discerning paddler, they have their paddle length far more dialed in than the average paddler. 10 cm is plenty for this person.
This is something people have been really excited about so they can address different types of conditions and maybe a couple of different boats. Whereas some of our other paddles, like the Stingray, are purchased to fit more people in a family, that’s less of a concern here.
What are the advantages of a fully foam core paddle?
KATE: You really feel how buoyant the blades are when you paddle. They really make strokes effortless and save on fatigue over time.
That’s been one of the most fun things to hear about from our field testers (most of whom are professional paddlers) that they’re just having a ball with this paddle. A lot of them were diehard high-angle paddle users and have now completely subscribed to the Tetra. They’re finding they’re still getting the power they need while saving so much energy.
MAC: Foam core blades also allow us to create a more aerodynamic shape in the water. And they help reduce weight. So the combination of these three things is the reason for the foam core option.
(Photo courtesy of Headwaters Kayak)
Tell us about the reaction Tetra received at Canoecopia.
KATE: Oh my gosh! The doors opened at 3:00 pm and we sold the first Tetra by 3:06. We had heard from Rutabaga (the host of Canoecopia) that people had called leading up to the show and asked if it was going to be there. We expected people to want to see it among our other products, but they were going straight to it. We almost sold out of what we had in stock and on top of that, had lots of special orders for it at the show.
And again, it was fun to see those sales go outside of the intended demographic. We definitely had those more advanced paddlers, but also quite a few people with some shoulder or wrist concerns just deciding they wanted to invest in something ultra lightweight and make their experience more enjoyable, even at an intermediate level.
Any final words?
KATE: As a company, we continue to be very excited about all the resources we’re putting into pushing boundaries, pushing our sport further and innovating. Tetra won’t be where it ends, for sure!
We’re really proud of this product and excited to see and hear more about it on the water.
Where to Buy the Ultralight Tetra
We encourage you to buy the Ultralight Tetra at your local paddlesports retailer. There, you can see and feel the difference for yourself.
If there are no paddle shops in your area that carry it, you’re welcome to purchase the Tetra directly from us:
- Ultralight Tetra 2-piece Posi-Lok Kayak Touring Paddle (21.25 oz/602 g)
- Ultralight Tetra 2-piece Versa-Lok Kayak Touring Paddle (22 oz/625 g)
-
Ultralight Tetra 2-piece Posi-Lok Bent Shaft Kayak Touring Paddle (22 oz/625 g)
(Photo courtesy of Tyson Crockett)
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with today? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or sales@aquabound.com
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