Choosing A Kayak Paddle

Just grab a paddle, any paddle will do. Seems like the 'easy' way to choose a kayak paddle. Actually, for beginners, it might not be such a bad method. Until you’ve actually paddled a kayak, you have no idea what kind of paddle you’ll eventually want to use. There are some rules of thumb, though. The first is that if you’ve purchased a kayak package (like the Sea Eagle inflatable kayak packages) you’re getting a good paddle that fits your kayak and is quality enough to learn your craft, so to speak. It’s an easy decision and there’s no need to be concerned about your paddle. Just hit the water.

If you don’t have a package deal, your best choice is to buy a lower end all-purpose or recreational paddle. Cannon paddles has an excellent ‘kayak paddle sizing chart’ that helps you with the length of your paddle, factoring in your height and the width of your kayak. Hard shell and folding kayaks tend to be narrower while inflatable kayaks tend to be wider. This is an area where exceptions may eventually occur. Often taller people like shorter paddles and vice versa depending mostly upon their paddling style. Some people have a more upright paddle stroke while others are flatter. Paddles are often measured in centimeters. The shortest is generally about 210 cm (83 inches) and the longest is generally about 240 cm (94.5 inches). Most shafts are aluminum, but if you feel you can afford to pay for a lighter fiberglass or carbon shaft, that may be an option but it's not necessary when you're just starting out or when you don't paddle too often or on very long trips.

The type of paddling you do is also a factor in choosing a kayak paddle … touring, whitewater or recreational, which could be considered a combination of styles. For touring, you generally want more acceleration and speed while whitewater needs more control. The shape of the paddle blade is a consideration here. A wide blade with a larger surface face provides greater acceleration, but will also create more resistance in the water. Therefore using a large-bladed paddle takes more effort than a using a small blade. A longer, narrow blade will take more strokes to move through the same amount of water, but the paddler will be less tired while doing it.

Positioning of the blades at each end of the shaft is called feathering. Un-feathered blades are parallel to one another. Feathered blades are turned at an angle to one another. This feathering allows for a more efficient stroke as the blade that is not in the water is leading into the wind with its narrow edge instead of the flat side, making for much less wind resistance. Some paddlers, especially beginners, find that the additional wrist-turning necessary to use a feathered paddle is uncomfortable and unnatural. Many paddles have adjustments so you can decide between the two ‘feather’ settings.

Blades can also be either symmetrical of asymmetrical in shape. Typically, touring paddles are long, narrow and symmetrical (evenly shaped blade). Some paddlers find an asymmetrical (not evenly shaped) paddle blade reduces the twisting on the paddle shaft while stroking, because it evens the amount of water on each side of the submerged paddle. A spooned paddle has a curled or cupped face that increases the power of a stroke, while a dihedral paddle has a type of tapered nose in the middle of the face that helps direct water around the paddle. These blade shapes will mean more to you as your paddling experience progresses.

In summary, here are my bottom-line recommendations. For beginners, start out with a good quality all purpose paddle without spending a fortune, then as you gain more paddling experience evaluate what you need and upgrade, if necessary. For more experienced paddlers, honestly it all boils down to personal preference. You know what you want a paddle to do. Evaluate the factors from what I’ve described above and, if necessary, upgrade to something that fits your paddle needs.