Wilderness Systems Apex FG Review

The Wilderness System Apex is a versatile, high-performance paddle designed to make maneuvering your kayak as effortless as possible. The Apex stands out for its buoyant blade design and hydrodynamic surface, which help to deliver a crisp stroke regardless of water conditions. The two pieces of the paddle are joined using the highly adjustable Lever Lock system, enabling you to easily select the feather (blade angle) AND length of your paddle.

Performance Comparison

Performance

The Apex Glass is a performance paddle constructed with a hydrodynamic exterior. It delivers crisp paddle strokes with ease, aided by the foam fiberglass interior, which provides natural buoyancy to the blades. Most importantly, the blades do not overly flex when put under duress, and the 50% fiberglass/carbon blend shaft is stiff enough to provide an effective transfer of power. Overall this paddle should not hold you back if you have the need to sprint on the water.

Ease of Adjustment

The Lever Lock system used in the Apex is our favorite mechanism tested. First, we noted its simplicity of use. Paddlers simply have to flip a lever to disengage the locking system, enabling the user to rotate the two pieces and adjust the feather angle of the blades. Additionally, you can pull apart the pieces to extend the paddle by as much as 20 centimeters. Even paddlers that are challenged with poor finger dexterity may find this system easy to use.

Locking Mechanism Security

Despite delivering the most adjustability, the Lever Lock system was also the most secure mechanism tested. In blind testing, kayakers did not realize this is a two-piece paddle as it doesn't give, even when put through its paces.

Weight

Weighing in at 910 grams or 34.3 ounces, this paddle is decently lightweight. The carbon/fiberglass shaft and Lever Lock do add some weight, though — our lightest contender is over 7 ounces lighter than this one.

Quality of Construction

The Apex Glass is designed for performance but should also withstand the test of time if treated with some care. We did not experience any issues with the foam core blades during testing. However, typically blades constructed this way are easier to puncture if hit against sharp objects like rocks. This paddle would not be wise to store in the back of your truck with other sharp or heavy equipment. That said, the carbon reinforcements on the edges protect it from common wear and tear, and as a result, the Apex stood up well in our gravel bar testing protocol, showing very minimal evidence of use despite being put through its paces.

After preliminary testing of the Apex paddle, the lever quickly became difficult to return to its original fully closed position. Although this did not render the paddle unusable, it did cause testers some concern as it can interfere with your grip. Wilderness Systems customer service directed us to some self-help videos, which showed us how to adjust the tension of the internal components. Although this did improve our issue, it didn't fully solve it as the lever never returned to flush as it had when first purchased. We tested this same mechanism in the Wilderness Systems Pungo Glass paddle, and after two years of solid use, this continues to show no signs of any deterioration.

Value

Although this paddle falls in the higher price category, you can rest assured that your money is well spent. Delivering markedly superior performance compared to any of the plastic or fiberglass composite models we tested, it is easy to tell that the Apex was created with user enjoyment in mind. There are cheaper paddles available, but you get a lot extra for what you pay for.

Conclusion