Blackfish Paddles kicked off 2025 on a high note with the launch of a new addition to their paddle range. Building on the success of the Yukon 520 paddle, this release demonstrates the Blackfish Paddles team’s commitment to supporting young talent in the SUP community.

Collaborating with SUP racing sensation and dual ISA & ICF Junior World SUP Champion Vaïc Garioud, Blackfish has introduced his signature paddle – the Noumea – a true power move for the brand and the sport.

“Vaïc approached us with an idea for a new paddle in early 2024. He wanted to create a performance paddle to compete at the highest level. We were excited by his ideas and by the end of the design process we believe we have created something pretty special. It will be the go-to paddle in our line for racers and anyone looking for the highest performance. It is fast and stable through the water with a solid catch and the ideal choice for any paddler looking for speed!” said Peter Allen, Sales Director at Blackfish and ultra-endurance paddler.

Blackfish Paddles Noumea 500

Named after Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia and Vaïc’s hometown, this paddle carries deep personal significance. Staying true to Blackfish tradition of giving their paddles geographical names, the Noumea underscores this meaningful connection, recognising both Vaïc’s roots and his remarkable accomplishments to date.

Vaïc took his favourite paddle, the Salish 500, rounded out the outline while adding a more prominent dihedral on the power face to create a subtle double concave and winglets to the sides of the blade. The result is a paddle that has good stability while still being able to move quickly through the water with a clean release.

When asked what sparked the inspiration behind his signature design Vaïc said:

“I tried to combine in this blade the three main elements to make a good blade: grip, stability and power. The winglets are intended to increase the stability of the paddle in the water and thus prevent the blade from wobbling.

The hollow part of the blade has been designed to have good grip in the water and thus to be able to develop more power.

This blade can be used in sprints, long distances or technical races, but for my part, I would probably use the 500 for long distances and sprints, to be more powerful and would take the 460 (model in the works) for technical races to be more explosive.”

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*Images courtesy of Vaïc Garioud