Description & Features
Sawyer SquareTop Oar is designed for rowers who want the lightest swing weight, smoothest stroke, and most natural feel on the water. The oversized SquareTop shifts weight toward the handle, creating a counterbalanced oar that reduces fatigue and improves efficiency without sacrificing flotation. It rows light in your hands while still floating flat when released. Built from solid laminated Douglas fir, the tapered shaft delivers progressive flex that feels smooth and responsive through every stroke. A carbon fiber reinforced shaft adds strength and durability, while the DyneLite blade keeps weight low and power consistent. Trusted by guides and proven in whitewater, this is a go-to oar for control, comfort, and performance.
Features
- SquareTop counterbalance delivers light swing weight and reduced fatigue
- Floats flat on the water for easier handling and recovery
- Laminated Douglas fir construction from handle to blade for natural feel
- Tapered shaft design provides smooth, progressive flex
- Carbon fiber reinforced shaft adds strength and responsiveness
- DyneLite blade offers lightweight durability and consistent power
- Dynel & Kevlar Pro-Tip protects against rock impact and abrasion
- Rope wrap and rubber stop included for secure rigging
- Sold individually
Specs
- Lengths: 8’ to 11’ (overall)
- Oars over 10’ available by phone only
- Shaft Diameter: 2.3” (at wrap)
- Blade Options: Narrow 6” x 30”, Wide 7” x 30”, Shoal Cut 8.5” x 30”
- Shaft Material: Laminated Douglas fir
- Shaft Reinforcement: Carbon fiber braid
- Blade Construction: Carbon fiber reinforced DyneLite
- Blade Protection: Dynel & Kevlar Pro-Tip
- Shaft Protection: Rope wrap with rubber stop
Materials & Construction
Laminated Fir Oar Shaft
Our laminated fir oar shafts are built by bonding layers of Douglas fir into a single, engineered shaft for strength, light weight, and consistent performance. This construction improves resistance to warping and twisting while allowing the grain to be oriented for smooth, predictable flex and rebound. The result is an oar shaft that feels lively and responsive, absorbs shock to reduce joint fatigue, and holds up to repeated stress in demanding river conditions.
SquareTop Oar Construction
SquareTop Oar Construction features an oversized, squared shaft profile at the handle that acts as a built-in counterbalance. This design improves swing weight and flotation without adding heavy oar handles, resulting in smoother recovery, better control, and reduced fatigue. The SquareTop also increases stiffness at the grip while preserving natural flex through the shaft, delivering efficient power transfer with a balanced, responsive feel on the water.
Carbon Fiber Shaft Reinforcement
Carbon Fiber Shaft Reinforcement is created by wrapping the wood shaft in carbon fiber to add strength, stiffness, and durability without significant weight gain. This wrap increases rebound and power transfer while controlling shaft twist, all while preserving a smooth, forgiving flex that is easy on joints. The result is a responsive, long-lasting oar built for demanding river conditions.
DyneLite Blade Construction
DyneLite Blade Construction uses carbon fiber laid over a laminated Douglas fir core. This combination creates a blade that is exceptionally light, stiff, and highly durable. Proven in whitewater, it delivers powerful strokes with reliable strength in demanding conditions.
Dynel & Kevlar Pro-Tip Protection
The Pro-Tip adds Kevlar and Dynel protection at the edge or tip of the blade, where it takes the most abuse for unmatched abrasion and impact resistance. This tough reinforcement guards against rock hits and hard use while extending blade life and maintaining reliable performance over time.
Marine-Grade Spar Varnish
A premium marine-grade spar varnish finish seals against moisture and UV rays while bringing out the natural wood grain and craftsmanship Sawyer is known for.
