What Paddle do I get????????????

Bent Shaft, Straight Shaft, Shaft Size, aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, blade area, symmetrical blade, asymmetrical blade, dihedral ridge, angler blade, feather angle, adjustable ferrules, 1 piece, 2 piece, 4 piece, low-angle, high-angle.

Many people make the same mistake I did and purchase the least expensive kayaking paddle by just employing the beam width scenario. Geesh everyone, don’t do what I did, heck I now own 6 sets of paddles but only using 1 set for solo kayaking and 2 matching paddles for our tandem kayak leaving 3 sets just hanging in the garage. If I would have taken my time and did some more research I would have done things a whole lot different and with the money I spent buying all those paddles I could have gotten the correct ones and saved money. But lessons learned. 

Here was my biggest issue; I did not know there were so many elements to consider and I didn’t do my homework and learned the hard way. So I decided now that I have learned all this stuff I would pass it on others with a single blog article explaining all the elements of the plethora of paddles available out there and make recommendations for you to consider. Then you make the choice.

Although choosing the right paddle for your kayak is normally a matter of personal preference and paddling style, there are some general guidelines to follow for your best performance.

General Rule; Paddles are measured in centimeters and average 210-260cm (6’10”-8’5”) long. Smaller and beginner paddlers need a shorter shaft with a smaller blade while larger, taller and more experienced paddlers need a longer shaft with a larger blade to transfer more power to move their weight, which also requires more effort.

Guideline for paddler height:

It’s also important to note the width of your kayak. The wider the kayak, the longer the paddle you need to reach the water. Make sure to choose a paddle that clears the kayak’s sides while keeping proper paddle form and your knuckles don’t hit the deck. Tandem and sit-on-top kayaks typically use  a longer paddle. So now we are going to break kayak paddles into their elements.

Shaft

The one structure that ties every part of the paddle together, from the shape of the blade to the particular style of stroke - is the shaft. Shafts come in several materials; wood, aluminum, fiberglass and finally carbon-fiber. Durability is the key along with weight. So I will cut to the chase here. Don't waste your money on aluminum shafts they are heavy compared to fiberglass and carbon-fiber. The lighter the shaft the better off you will be. Consider a lightweight and durable shaft for smooth performance. My recommendation is carbon-fiber. Yes they are more expensive but trust me you will own one eventually. I have aluminum, fiberglass shaft paddles that now just catch dust in the garage. 

Shafts come as one solid piece, two or a four-piece paddle. Straight shafts are widely used by most paddlers however bent shafts keep the wrist at less of an angle for less strain.

 

Bent Shaft (Cranked)

The shaft is bent or "cranked" to minimize the amount of wrist flex during the forward stroke. Those who tend to grip hard on a paddle and/or fail to execute proper torso rotation often tend to prefer the alignment positioning benefits of the bent shaft paddle. The crank provides a leverage advantage, but does limit hand placement options. I have never tried a "Cranked" paddle so I really can't confirm its advantages or disadvantages.

Some kayak paddle shafts come with drip rings to prevent water from running off the paddle, running down your arm and entering the kayak. Make sure yours does.

Another feature are ferrule snaps that connect two-piece shafts and allow blade feathering, which is the amount of twist and angle between the paddles, usually between 0-60 degrees.  Feathering a blade allows you to offset the paddle for left-handed or right-handed dominant paddlers. The greater angle in the blade offset positions one end of the paddle to slice through headwind and create less drag. In a long paddle adventure, every effort to minimize drag helps.

Feathering

(top) center, (middle) 60 right, (bottom) 60 left

Most two-piece paddles will typically offer at least two angle positions, some will have 3. The ferrule (the joint where the two halves of the paddle attach) of the paddle have three different holes that the button can snap into — 60 degrees to the right, 0 degrees center, and 60 degrees to the left. By giving both a left and right angle option, users can choose which hand to use as their control hand. Typically, right-handed people will feather the right paddle while left-handing people will feather the left but can vary depending on the person. 

Aqua-bound Pos-lock system

Now there are paddle manufactures that produce an adjustable feather system on the ferrule allowing users to have more versatility in their feathering position. Most are in 15 degree increments. The image on the right is the paddle I now use consistently.

Using a feathered stroke is defiantly the way to go personally. I found on my previous paddle which was a fiberglass shaft had the normal 3 hole feathering system. Again it's either 60 degrees right, center or 60 degree left. I found that if I used it at 60 degrees right it was too much so I just settled for center. Then I discovered adjustable feathering systems and found my ideal spot to be 45 degrees. I must admit adjustable feathering took a while to get use to but now it's second nature. The only time I use center is when we are tandem paddling. 

Blades

Symmetrical Blade vs. Asymmetrical Blade

Basic paddles include symmetrical blades but more paddlers prefer asymmetrical blades because they have a greater surface area for a more efficient paddle. 

Symmetrical Blade

Symmetric blades work best with a high, vertical stroke where the blade is evenly distributed through the water, creating even force. Asymmetric blades work best at a low angle for an efficient pull.

Asymmetrical Blade

Look for blades with a dihedral angle (see example) for even water displacement (less flutter) and a smooth, stable pull through the water. The rib down the center of a dihedral blade also adds strength. A flat blade requires more effort and potential for fluttering but moves more water for propulsion. This additional effort can lead to grip and joint fatigue after a long day of paddling.

The Paddle Face

Almost all modern style paddles have short, wide blades. However, even among these paddles there is a significant amount of variation in the ratio of blade length to width. Wide blades tend to be more forgiving of mistakes when bracing and turning. Forgiving meaning the blade is less likely to dive and cause you to capsize if you make an error in the blade angle for the stroke. Paddles with long, narrow blades known as “low angle paddles” will work fine for the recreational paddler, and they are a little gentler on the shoulders. Remember the wider the blade area the more effort needed to paddle your kayak.

Angler-specific paddles also come with a notch in the blade to help rescue fishing line that might get caught in a tree without you having to risk falling out of the kayak to reach it.





What is Flutter? 

As a paddler begins the stroke, water builds up on the surface, becomes agitated and exerts pressure unevenly across the surface of the blade. The blade begins to twist or flutter as that water flows off the power face, especially as that angle of the blade in the water changes. That flutter/twisting tends to be more prominent in wider blades as they are more responsive to changes in that angle. Adding a rib down the center of a flat blade or making a slight dihedral cross-section is designed to reduce or eliminate this disturbance. A firm and proper stroke style can often reduce or eliminate T/F altogether.

Consider high visibility blade colors like orange and yellow for touring safety or blue and green colors to blend into the water while fishing.

So here's bottom line, keep it light in weight, my recommendation is carbon-fiber. A dihedral type blade reduces flutter. A 2 part paddle is great unless you have a space area. Personally I have a 4-part paddle. Decide if you are going to feather your paddle, if so I recommend an adjustable ferrule system to allow you to set your own feather degree. If you are not going to feather then the standard 3-snap will work fine. If you are a recreational touring paddler you want your blade shape long and narrow with your blade area to be about 87 inches. Remember the larger the blade surface the more effort is required to paddle.

So what do I have; for Solo I have a AquaBound Manta Ray Hybrid, carbon-fiber shaft w/posi-lok adjustable ferrule. Has a blade surface of 104 inches so it moves a lot of water, but takes more effort. For tandem we use a pair of Bending Branches Sunrise Glass, fiberglass shaft with standard 3-snap ferrule. 

So there you have it. I hope this will help in your paddle dilemma.