What QuickBlade does

QuickBlade (legal entity: Quickblade Paddles) is a U.S.-based, founder-owned manufacturer of high-performance paddles founded in 1989 by four-time Olympic canoeist Jim Terrell and headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. The company designs and builds carbon-fiber composite paddles across five distinct use cases: stand-up paddleboard (SUP), outrigger canoeing (OC1/OC2/OC6/V1), dragon boat racing, Olympic-style sprint canoeing, and, as of 2026, pickleball. Its core technology is the proprietary Hex Tech all-carbon blade construction, paired with engineered shaft geometries (double bend, tapered, oval) and hydrodynamic features such as the signature thin-foiled 12-degree blade angle and the revolutionary Stingray 10-inch short-blade design, which the company claims reduces catch and exit time by approximately 50% versus traditional 18-inch blades. The dragon boat paddle holds an International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) license, an externally validated certification required for sanctioned competition.

Name

QuickBlade

Legal name

Quickblade Paddles

Website

https://quickbladepaddles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paddle Manufacturing

akta.pro primary industry

Paddle Sports Retail (Kayak, Canoe, SUP, Paddles) (CRAMAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paddling & Packrafting Gear Retail (CRAMAAAL)

Keywords

• Carbon fiber paddles
• Sup paddles
• Outrigger paddles
• Dragon boat paddles
• Paddle manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Paddle Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of paddles through company website. Products sold as one-time purchases with options for fixed, adjustable, and travel configurations. No subscription model apparent.
2. Accessories Sales: Sale of complementary products including paddle bags, blade covers, travel bags, and Turkish towels. One-time purchase items priced from $5 to $95.
3. Apparel Sales: Branded merchandise including t-shirts, visors, trucker hats, and race hats. One-time purchase items priced from $25 to $40.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

QuickBlade manufactures and sells high-performance carbon fiber paddles for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), outrigger canoeing, dragon boat racing, sprint canoeing, and pickleball, alongside branded apparel and paddle accessories. Products range in price from $5 for decals to $629 for premium carbon paddles like the Stingray All Carbon Hex Adjustable, sold exclusively through the company's direct-to-consumer e-commerce website with international shipping. The company also offers IDBF-licensed dragon boat paddles meeting federation standards.

Product overview

QuickBlade is a paddle manufacturing company founded by four-time Olympic Canoeist Jim Terrell in 1989. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance paddles for stand-up paddling (SUP), outrigger canoeing, dragon boat, canoe/sprint, and pickleball. The product line includes premium carbon fiber paddles like the revolutionary Stingray (with half-length blade for 50% faster catch/exit), the Ono Ava series (with scooped power face), UV series (successor to V-Drive), T2 and Trifecta models. Paddles are offered in various configurations: fixed one-piece, adjustable, and travel/telescoping. The company also manufactures protective bags, accessories, and branded apparel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stingray All Carbon Hex - Fixed Revolutionary short-blade stand-up paddleboard paddle with 10-inch blade length (half traditional size) reducing catch and exit time by 50%, featuring thin foiled shape at 12-degree angle to create winged foil effect during paddling.
• Stingray All Carbon Hex - Adjustable Adjustable version of the Stingray SUP paddle with push-pin mechanism allowing length adjustment from 60-78 inches, maintaining the same revolutionary short-blade design that delivers 50% reduction in catch and exit time.
• Ono Ava All Carbon Hex - Fixed Paddle designed for SUP pop-ups requiring power to get up and flying, featuring scooped power face that channels water flow and 15-degree shaft-to-blade connection with Hex Tech all-carbon construction.
• UV All Carbon Hex Series Newest SUP paddle series with scooped power face design, available in three sizing variants (UV77 for riders up to 65kg, UV82 for 65-80kg, UV88 for 80kg+), introduced in 2024 as the successor to the V-Drive series.
• T2 All Carbon Hex SUP paddle with single dihedral and progressive concave surfaces offering stability and smooth power throughout the stroke, ideal for distance paddling and downwinding.
• Trifecta All Carbon Premium SUP paddle with narrow blade tip that gets fuller in mid-section for softer catch and powerful mid-stroke, featuring double concave blade face and pronounced dihedral.
• V Drive All Carbon SUP paddle concept created by Dave Kalama featuring unique scooped V-section with double dihedral edges for enhanced stability during power phase.
• Flyweight Series Lightweight all-around SUP paddle designed for riders up to 150 pounds with all-carbon blade and carbon glass round shaft for ultra lightweight performance.
• Kanaha Series All-around SUP paddle with all-carbon blade featuring 10-degree angled blade, designed for recreational and fitness paddling across touring, surfing, and racing applications.
• Microfly Series Kids SUP paddle designed for lighter riders with maximum rider weight of 120 pounds, featuring fiberglass blade with carbon shaft for lightweight strength.
• Stingray Outrigger Paddle Outrigger-specific version of Stingray paddle with straight carbon shaft, featuring winged foil effect that maximizes power transfer for outrigger canoeing.
• Ono Ava Outrigger Paddle Outrigger paddle with double bend tapered carbon shaft and all-carbon Hex Tech blade construction, ideal for getting more body weight onto the paddle.
• Toa Hoe Outrigger Paddle Outrigger paddle with smooth elegant lines for cleanest catch and exit, featuring subtle smooth dihedral for stability and suitable for steering V1 as well.
• Tupaia Steering Paddle Steering paddle named after Tahitian navigator with 23-inch x 9-inch blade ideal for steering OC6 in challenging conditions, featuring double bend shaft and 7-degree blade angle.
• The Stinger - Fixed Sprint canoe paddle for Olympic style high kneel canoeing with slight subtle single dihedral, T-handle, and hex carbon blade with black ABS edge.
• Dragon Boat Paddle IDBF (International Dragon Boat Federation) licensed paddle in all-carbon fiber construction with ABS edge technology, featuring 18.5-inch blade with minimal displacement and built to federation strict dimensions.
• Premium Pickleball Paddle Pickleball paddle with hollow integrated handle, ABS sidewall, and hex carbon design, launching the company's entry into the pickleball market with premium court paddle construction.
• Muanalua Outrigger Paddle Outrigger steering paddle set in wood with carbon stringer, boasting lightweight and strong construction with technical engineering from Jim Terrell.
• Paddle Bags and Covers Protective bags and covers for paddles including Outrigger Paddle Bag ($85), SUP Paddle Bag, SUP Travel Bag, and Stingray blade cover, available as one-time purchase accessories.
• Branded Apparel Branded apparel including Men's T-shirt ($29), Long Sleeve T-shirt ($40), QB Visor ($34), Trucker Hat ($25), and Stingray Race Hat priced as branded merchandise.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% reduction in catch and exit time with Stingray design compared to traditional 18-inch blade paddles
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Starboard: Global watersports brand producing SUP boards, paddles and foils with extensive retail distribution; competes broadly with QuickBlade in SUP paddling while offering a much wider product portfolio.
• Werner Paddles: Established, broad-portfolio paddle maker across kayak, canoe and SUP with much larger scale and dealer distribution; competes in the same premium paddle category as QuickBlade but with a wider, more mass-market product mix.
• JOOLA Pickleball: Scaled, established pickleball paddle and ball brand with significant marketing, sponsorship, and distribution; serves as a comparison point for what QuickBlade needs to compete against in its newest category entry.
• Surftech: Manufacturer of stand-up paddleboards, paddles and surf accessories with broad retail distribution; overlaps with QuickBlade at the SUP paddle and accessorial level but at a much larger volume base.

Direct peers

• Naish: Hawaii-based manufacturer of SUP paddles and boards across recreational, touring, racing and surf categories; competes head-to-head with QuickBlade in performance carbon SUP paddles and shared athlete endorsements in paddlesports.
• Selkirk Sport: Premium pickleball paddle maker (and one of the category-defining brands) that QuickBlade is directly competing against with its 2026-launched Premium Pickleball Paddle — comparable ASPs, materials emphasis, and DTC-plus-retail mix.
• Zen Lite Performance Paddles: Premium SUP paddle specialist selling ultralight carbon fixed and adjustable paddles direct to consumers at comparable price points — a like-for-like peer in DTC positioning, performance focus, and target buyer.
• Kialoa Paddles: Long-standing outrigger and SUP paddle manufacturer with similar heritage, Olympic/competitive-pedigree branding, and carbon composite construction; the closest dedicated outrigger peer to QuickBlade's Stingray OC, Muanalua and Tupaia lines.
• Braca-Sport: Manufacturer of high-performance canoe, kayak and SUP paddles with strong carbon-fibre construction, Olympic-athlete endorsements, and a comparable scientific testing approach to QuickBlade's Stinger sprint canoe paddle.
• Black Project Fins: Premium SUP paddle maker focused on hydrodynamic, science-driven blade design targeted at competitive and high-end recreational paddlers — directly comparable technology and pricing positioning to QuickBlade's Stingray and UV lines.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qbpaddles
• Facebookfacebook.com/quickbladepaddles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QuickBlade