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Top Rated Product
Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Three-section Z-Pole wading staff with FlickLock adjustability. Three key components: an inner cord, a push-button release to collapse the staff, and one-pull deployment. Foam grips with mini extension for quick choke-ups. Wading staff features rubber and carbide tip for traction. Aluminum construction, neoprene sheath, and attached retractor. Length 47" adjustable to 55". Weighs 1 lb.
Average Customer Rating:
Rating Snapshot (17 reviews)
5 stars
11
4 stars
2
3 stars
0
2 stars
2
1 star
2
13 of 17(76%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Review 1 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Failed on the water,
December 25, 2012
By: Frankm205
from Salt point NY
"I purchased this stic thinking I was getting a high quality wading stick. I used it 3x before it started to malfunction. The main complaint was trying to put it back together after getting out of the water. The yellow rubber connections came out of the shaft and would not go back. I am really dissapointed in this product."
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Review 2 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
My new fishing companion,
October 4, 2012
By: 1avidangler
from Sun Valley, Idaho
"Just returned from a 3 day fishing trip with my new wading staff. It performed beautifully. It locks in place securely and is easy to disassemble and stow in neoprene sheath. The instructions that came with it were a little difficult to decipher so I looked at the Black Diamond website for more detailed instructions. I am very satisfied with the wading staff."
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Review 3 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Nice Staff, but suffers from Sticking,
September 26, 2012
By: FlyFishFlorida
from Fort Lauderdale, FL
"As mentioned by previous reviewers, I have had problems with the 2 lower sections of this staff sticking together, and extreme force needed to get them apart. I purchased 2 of these at the same time, and both had similar problems. I intend to return them to ORVIS when I get the opportunity. Maybe it is a batch issue. These things happen, and I am sure ORVIS will deal with the issue in the exemplary way that they always do."
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Review 4 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Black Diamond Z-Pole,
September 23, 2012
By: selway
"I have had repeated problems with the sections sticking together. Like another reviewer, I am in the situation where the lower two sections are stuck together and no matter how hard I pull I can't get them to separate. I also had a problem with the upper sections sticking and could not use it on my last fishing trip."
Response from Orvis:By Orvis Customer Service Team, November 1, 2012
We truly value all feedback from our customers and strive to provide the best equipment possible. According to the head designer at Black Diamond, the Z-Pole has no problems if it is fully submerged and then stored in the collapsed position; however, if the pole is stored fully extended after being submerged, the glass-filled nylon tightener swells and the pole becomes difficult to collapse. After use, we advise all customers to store the poles in the collapsed position so the nylon has ample time and space to dry out and shrink to its intended size. Black Diamond has assured us they are fixing this issue and all Z-Poles moving forward will not have this problem. In this instance, we are happy to replace the customer's Z-Pole. As always, Orvis offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on our products.
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Review 5 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Disapointed,
August 25, 2012
By: derf1962
from Columbia, SC
"I purchased the Z-pole last year and was very please with the Black Diamond product. However, I couldn't get the lower section of the pole to come apart pulled so hard I broke the cable. Orvis replaced it. On to my second pole and I am having the same problem, can't pull apart the lower section. Orvis again is going to replace the pole, but if this happens again I will be on to a new product. I have Black Diamond trekking poles I have used for years for backpacking and have not had any problem, so I'm convident in the company. Well have to wait and see."
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Review 6 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Wading Staff,
June 7, 2012
By: Skyfly
from St. Albans, WV
"The staff worked great. Provided greater confidence when wading in swift water with a rocky bottom. Both my son & I used it for the first time on our last fishing adventure and we both were pleased. Two things to note; it takes two hands to assemble and dis-assemble and it assembles easier when the inside of the tube is wet."
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Review 7 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Fit the bill,
May 7, 2012
By: dutyboy
"With a new hip, I needed a new wading staff; one that did not come apart in crucial situations. This fit the bill. Rocky rivers did not present a problem and at 240# and 6'2", I was able to adjust the height when needed. Light but strong."
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Review 8 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
msds,
May 4, 2012
By: msds
from Laconia, NH
"I bought this for my wife before a recent fishing trip. If you are wading and you do not want to fall, this is an essential item. This was light weight, easy to deploy and to fold back up. Really an excellent product. A wading staff is, in my opinion, a must have item and this model was great."
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Review 9 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
New Wading Staff,
April 29, 2012
By: flychucker
from Calgary,AB
"Looks like a winner ! Have not had the chance yet to try in the mountain streams where I fish normally,but the staff functions well when tested."
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Review 10 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Steady in the Water,
April 19, 2012
By: Whiz
"I purchased the Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff not knowing how this was going to work for me. This was the best purchase I could have made. I am 6'6" and the pole is perfect for me. The quality is excellent and easy to put together and sturdy. The retactable is great and a plus. I purchase all my fishing gear at Orvis because the quaity of the merchandise and the prices are good. I will recommend this to all my members in TU."
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Review 11 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Best wading staff, ever!,
February 15, 2012
By: drifting
from Oxford, WI
"This new wading staff solves all the past problems of similar collapsible products. The staff is riged so that it can not pull apart when trying to get unstuck! There are no interior joints to corrode and stick together. This is a well made staff, using quality components. The staff is lightweight and has a retractor and a great neoprene belt case."
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Review 12 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Excellent,
February 11, 2012
By: DaveZap
from NJ
"I have a sure step staff, but its heavy and difficult to collapse. I purchased the Z-pole at a show and used it recently in PA. Its great, light weight and not cumbersome. Its sturdy and easy to fold down and open."
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Review 13 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
light weight and easy to use,
December 29, 2011
By: TroutPursuits
from Shaker Heights, OH
"Note that I have not yet used this wading staff so all comments are based upon evaluations conducted in my living room.
The staff is light weight and compact as compared to the less expensive brand of wading staff which this new one replaces. It is easy to extend and equally important it is easy to collapses (note that I have not placed to significant load on the staff to evaluate how easily the staff will collapse after actual use). Because of the design it appears that the staff will breakdown quickly and easily without the extensions becoming jammed/locked. This is a huge benefit over less expensive designs which can be difficult to collapse.
The Z-pole also comes with a compact holster in which the staff can be stowed. More importantly the staff also comes with a retractable lanyard which will keep the staff close to your hip and within reach when it is needed. Less expensive staffs include a non-retractable lanyards and allow the staff to fall to the ground or float down stream when not being used. This is clumsy, inconvenient and can be a nuisance when fishing as the staff can become a trip hazard or become tangled in in your fly line. When I am fishing I want to maximize my time on with a fly in or on the water, not be untangling fly fine from a wading staff or struggling to collapse a wading staff and this product appears to provide convenience and efficiency.
I'm willing to pay more for the convenience provided by this staff.
I would give 5 stars if I had an opportunity to field test the product and validate my current observation. By all accounts it looks like a winner!"
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Review 14 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
having fun,
December 16, 2011
By: Parry
from Indiana
"This is my first one, and it will be my last one. This year I used it to the river in the river and back home. Some times if I was n't catchting any fish I would explore the river. It save me lots of time from getting wet. Can wait for spring to do this agian with my Black Diamond Z-pole.
Parry"
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Review 15 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
Easy,
August 22, 2011
By: Thom
from Buffalo
"This staff unfolds and folds without getting stuck and it takes litterally a few seconds to unfold or fold back up. My last staff had a section that got stuck half the time and so I was always reluctant to use it. Not a very good idea.....if you need a staff you need a staff.
This is a greatly improved staff solution and I like it a lot."
This is a greatly improved staff solution and I like it a lot."
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Review 16 for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Overall Rating:
A well constructed piece of equipment,
August 11, 2011
By: Merkle
"I recently had to return my last wading staff to Orvis due to mechanical difficulty. Long story short the staff failed to perform at the most important times on the river. This new staff has an easy deployment method and once I played with it a little on dry land I was confident to use it on the river. I have to give it four stars because I have not had it for long so I do not know how it will last over time. My feeling is that I will not be replacing it any time soon. Thanks to Orvis for producing another great product."
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Black Diamond Z-pole Wading Staff
Based on 1 ratings-only review
Overall Rating:
Would recommend? Yes 1 out of 1