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Paddletek
The Paddletek Tempest Wave V3 is a 16 mm standard pickleball paddle weighing 7.9 oz, with a Textured carbon face, listed around $150.
The reference control paddle for players who do not want the weight of a 20 mm build. Touch scores trail only the Luxx.
From Paddletek
Our best-selling paddle series is now even more formidable. The new Tempest Wave Pro-C provides a combination of spin, control, and forgiveness. PT-700 unidirectional raw carbon fiber is combined with our more forgiving Tempest core to give serious players both control and max spin capability.
Official Paddletek product page →Cross-shopping? Most buyers weigh the Tempest Wave V3 against the Selkirk SLK Halo Control — see them side by side, or browse every Paddletek paddle.
Paddle DNA Verdict
Last updated: August 2026
Derived from our published scoring model and sourced paddle specifications.
The Paddletek Tempest Wave V3 scores 82.9/100 on our IQ index, built from all 15 Paddle DNA traits. Its signature is touch (91/100, 86th percentile of the database — strong, well above the database average), backed by control at 92 and consistency at 89. The 16 mm Tempest control core and Textured carbon face at 7.9 oz make it a placement-first paddle: you win points by out-positioning people.
Where it gives ground is pop (68) and power (72). With a 110 kg·cm² swing weight and a 5.25 in handle it suits intermediate/advanced players, one-handed backhands, hands battles at the kitchen. Skip it if you rely on raw put-away pace.
Closest paddles by DNA: Selkirk SLK Halo Control ($119), ProKennex Kinetic Pro Flight ($200), Paddletek Tempest Pro C 16 ($190). If budget matters, the Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro 16 lands within 3 IQ points for $51 less. Overall: a mid-pack pick overall — buy it for the specific trait it wins on, not as a category leader.
In depth
The Tempest Wave V3 is the control paddle for players who refuse to carry a 20 mm brick. Touch 91 trails only the Luxx, at a swing weight nine points lower.
The sections below are analysis of published specifications and Paddle DNA™ values, not a play-test write-up. Where we have hit with a paddle, those notes appear separately and are attributed.
This is the paddle's whole argument. Control paddles normally reach high touch figures through mass and core thickness, both of which slow you down. Paddletek gets there with a compliant Tempest control core in a 16.0 x 7.9 in standard shape, so maneuverability lands at 81 — unusually quick for a paddle measuring above 90 on touch.
A 7.9 in width at 16.0 in length keeps mass close to your hand. That is why forgiveness 86 and sweet spot 87 coexist with quick hands: you get a wide hitting area without extending the lever. Elongated paddles at the same weight cannot do both.
Power 72, pop 68 and plow-through 66 mean the paddle contributes very little pace. Drives need a full body swing, and counters off a hard ball land shorter than they would off a thermoformed face. Muted feedback also takes adjustment — you feel less of the ball, which is the same property that makes the touch number possible.
Community consensus
Verbatim excerpts from public discussion and independent reviews, plus the themes they add up to. These are other people's opinions, not ours, and every quote links back to where it was written.
“I have been using the Paddletek Tempest wave for more control and you can add the weights later if you want more power.”
“I feel like it's a bit more on the control side, which suits me when I'm playing more strategically rather than just going for power.”
“It's a great all-around paddle because it has a good mix of feel and power without being too one-sided.”
Built from the retailer offers we track for this paddle. In stock at all 2 tracked retailers. Prices last checked Jul 30, 2026.
Tracked price range
$150 – $156
$6 spread between retailers
Typical price
$153
Median of tracked offers
MSRP
$169
Best tracked offer is 11% under list
Recorded low / high
$150 / $156
2 price points since Jul 30, 2026
Cheapest tracked offer sits $3 below the typical price.
AI paddle match
Each pick is the database's best answer to one specific question, ranked by how far it moves the needle versus the Tempest Wave V3.
The matchups people actually cross-shop, each with a full 15-trait breakdown.
Other head-to-heads shoppers read alongside the Tempest Wave V3.
Every trait normalised 0-100 against the full database, so these numbers mean the same thing on any paddle page. How we score →
Key attributes
Our similarity engine ranks the whole database by average DNA deviation. Tighten or widen the band to see how far you have to travel to save money or gain a trait.
Paddle DNA™ match
Paddletek Tempest Wave V3
IQ 82.9 · $150
Ranked by DNA deviation
Saves $31 versus the Tempest Wave V3 · -5 maneuverability · Higher IQ score (83 vs 82.9)
+11 maneuverability · -4 stability · Higher IQ score (83.5 vs 82.9)
+12 swing weight · -12 launch angle · Higher IQ score (84.5 vs 82.9)
+14 swing weight · -10 launch angle · Higher IQ score (83.1 vs 82.9)
+6 swing weight · -12 launch angle
Saves $30 versus the Tempest Wave V3 · +8 spin · -12 launch angle · Higher IQ score (83.5 vs 82.9)
Saves $20 versus the Tempest Wave V3 · +10 launch angle · -6 spin
+11 spin · -10 launch angle · Higher IQ score (85.9 vs 82.9)
Each pick beats the Tempest Wave V3 on one specific thing — price, power, control or forgiveness.
Closest matches by player level, hand weight and price — the paddles most players cross-shop against the Paddletek Tempest Wave V3.
Selkirk SLK Halo Control16 mm · hybrid · 8.1 oz · SW 111$11983
ProKennex Kinetic Pro Flight14 mm · standard · 7.5 oz · SW 103$20084
Paddletek Tempest Pro C 1616 mm · standard · 7.9 oz · SW 107$19085
ProKennex Black Ace LG16 mm · elongated · 8 oz · SW 109$20083Want a different matchup? Compare any two paddles or browse the full paddle database. Buying your first paddle? Read the beginner paddle guide.
One of the original US manufacturers, best known for the Bantam and Tempest lines and their proprietary polymer cores.
Every significant number on this page carries a source and a date. Where a figure comes from the manufacturer rather than our own measurement, we say so.
$150
Amazon listing — checked July 30, 2026
7.9 oz
Manufacturer specification — recorded August 10, 2026
16 mm
Manufacturer specification — recorded August 10, 2026
110 kg·cm²
Independent measurement data, normalized to our scale
6.1 kg·cm²
Independent measurement data, normalized to our scale
IQ 82.9/100
Computed from the specs above by our published scoring model
Listed by the manufacturer as USA Pickleball approved
USA Pickleball equipment database — checked August 10, 2026
Not personally tested
Analysis on this page is spec-derived, not play-tested
Spot an error? Send a correction — every fix is logged publicly. Full protocol on our methodology page.
We separate firsthand testing from research-based analysis. Specifications are sourced and dated, corrections are logged publicly, and affiliate relationships never affect Paddle IQ scores.
Reviewed by Alex Zubarev →Our methodology →Editorial policy →
Spec-derived analysis plus cited owner and player reports from public sources. Community opinion is attributed, never restated as our own finding. Editorial policy · Affiliate disclosure
Reviewed by
Alex built the Paddle DNA™ database behind PickleballLookup — 15 normalized traits scored for every paddle in the catalog. Every page on this site is generated from that data and editorially reviewed before publication.
Last updated August 2026 · How we score paddles