Coltrano, that's them excel composites! Minimum purches of $250 which should give me 4 shafts For me I love the stiffness of the carbon in the surf , the way it directly reacts when catching a wave , the stiffness also helps when I am falling back or side ways and use the paddle to stay with the board, I much prefer it to both the carbon glass mix paddles I have owned . As for them being brittle at roughly $60 a shaft I wouldnt be to bothered if I broke a couple every year having fun