A good kayak paddle can be your boon companion on many wonderful adventures. This Mitchell Sea Blade is like an old friend to me. (Tim Jones photo)
There are many great kayaks and some not so great ones on the market, so picking the right kayak takes some thought. Ditto with kayak paddle. Yes, any paddle will move a kayak through the water, but, a kayak paddle is even more an extension of your body than the kayak you are paddling, some will fit you, your kayak and your personal paddling style better than others. The better your paddle fits you, the more you are going to enjoy paddling. Owning the right paddle will enhance your kayaking enjoyment for years to come.
With a kayak paddle you have to choose style, length, and materials. The materials will largely determine weight of the paddle, its durability, its “feel,” and, of course, it’s price.
Style: Not so long ago, kayakers built their own paddles by attaching pieces of plywood to a wooden closet pole. Before that, they fashioned paddles from whatever wood was handy.
The sport of kayaking has exploded in popularity in recent years and you now have many paddle options. The most basic paddles have a shaft, usually of aluminum or plastic, and flat plastic blades. They’ll move a kayak. And they are usually very cheap. A few are even light and well-made enough to feel pretty good when you are paddling with them.
Different strokes for different folks. From left to right you have a shorter whitewater paddle with a carbon-fiber laminated blade and wood shaft, three touring paddles with various combinations of wood and laminates in blade and shaft, and an elegant laminated wood “Greenland” paddle. (Tim Jones photo)
Beyond entry-level, the paddle blades tend to curve to “cup” the water for more efficiency and the paddles generally get lighter. Paddles for whitewater kayaking (on swiftly moving rivers) have big, curved blades, often reinforced for durability. Recreational/ touring paddles come with a variety of blade shapes and curvatures, all designed to move the kayak farther with less effort. Some racing blades are so cupped they look like oversized soupspoons. The traditional “Greenland” paddle has very long, narrow, flat blades (the Inuits who invented kayaks had only driftwood to work with . . .) which are easy on the arms and shoulders for long-distance paddling.
A narrower kayak and a higher-angle paddling style means a shorter paddle. My sweetheart Marilyn paddles her Prijon Seayak with a 220cm Wind Swift from Eddyline. Though it is made entirely of modern materials, the long, narrow blades on this paddle mimic a traditional Greenland style paddle. (Tim Jones photo)
Length: Ideal length varies not only by the type of paddling, but also by the width of the boat, and your paddling style. Whitewater paddles usually mount those big, rugged blades on comparatively short shafts for maximum leverage (when you need to turn a whitewater kayak, you need to turn it NOW!). Recreational/Touring paddles can be longer or shorter depending on whether you paddle with a “high angle” or a “low angle.” High angle paddling is more aggressive, accelerates, moves and turns the boat faster and provides a better upper body workout. Low angle paddling is easier to maintain for long distances.
Materials: Kayak paddle blades today are plastic (rugged, inexpensive but heavy), laminated wood, often covered in fiberglass (beautiful, durable, somewhat heavy, more expensive), or composites (fiberglass or carbon-fiber). Carbon laminate blades are the lightest of the lot and the most expensive. Shafts are plastic (cheap, heavy and bends easily), aluminum (cheap, heavy, not really comfortable to hold), fiberglass (durable, stiffer than plastic, more comfortable than aluminum), wood (resilient, light, very comfortable in your hands), or carbon fiber (lightest, most expensive). Shafts can also be straight or bent (personal preference), fixed or break-apart and adjustable for different blade angles (feathering).
This sounds like you have to make lots of choice, I know. But it really isn’t that complex. Most of the websites from quality paddle manufacturers like Accent, Adventure Technology, Aqua-Bound, Bending Branches, Cannon, Carlisle, Foxworx, Grey Owl Paddles, Harmony, Mitchell, Sawyer, Swift, Werner and others have paddle sizing and selection charts.
You already know your own height and what kind of boats you paddle most. That narrows the field considerably. From then on, it’s a matter of getting the paddle in your hands and feeling the love. The right paddle for you will become a good friend on all your kayak outings.
Paddling With The Paddle Man
Peter Mitchell of Mitchell Paddles is a second-generation master paddlemaker with a workshop hidden deep in the boonies of Canaan, New Hampshire. Peter makes only top-quality higher-end paddles of wood and carbon fiber, no dime-store cheapies here.
The Paddle Man at work. Peter Mitchell shows off a paddle in process at his Canaan, NH workshop. (Tim Jones photo)
I’ve happily paddled with an older 230 cm Mitchell Sea Blade wood paddle for several years. It has a brass ferrule that’s taken on a lovely patina with age. It’s heavy by purist standards (I have a Harmony Carbon Tortuga when weight really counts for long-distance paddling), but I love the look and feel of the wood. I wanted to see how some of Peter’s newer paddles, particularly the carbon blades, felt on the water.
So I met Peter at his workshop where he gave me a quick tour, then we grabbed an assortment of paddles and headed for nearby Goose Pond. We’d each choose a paddle, paddle a ways, trade, paddle back and try something different. Fun way to spend a sunny afternoon.
Here’s some of what I learned or confirmed about kayak paddles:
• Aggressive, high-angle paddling is more efficient with a shorter paddle and definitely accelerates and moves your boat faster. But for the kind of low-angle distance paddling I usually do, a longer paddle works better. One side benefit: low angle paddling drips less water into the boat . . . Peter, incidentally recommends the shortest paddle you can use comfortably in your boat. I’m not sure, yet, that I agree.
• Bent shaft or straight shaft is really a matter of personal choice. You can easily argue the benefits of either. However a correctly-sized bent-shaft paddle automatically positions your hands in the right place on the paddle for maximum efficiency. I didn’t notice any reduction of hand or arm fatigue, or any greater comfort with the bent shaft and I still prefer straight shaft. One-piece shafts are lighter and more “lively” without the “dead spot” that you get with a ferrule. But, of course, they are harder to transport and don’t allow you to change feather angle.
The Mitchell Black Magic (left) is their lightest touring paddle, the traditional Greenland style paddle (center) is designed for easy long-distance paddling, and the Sea Blade wood paddle (right) is durable, beautiful and a joy to paddle with. (Tim Jones photo)
• Carbon fiber is lighter, but wood is much more beautiful. I’d ultimately like one of each for different situations.
• Over the years of trying many, many different paddles I’ve noticed that most lighter paddle blades tend to “flutter” at least a little before they “catch” the water. By contrast, my wood Sea Blade sticks in the water like you’ve set it into concrete—no flutter at all. The carbon Mitchell Black Magic has far less flutter than most other lightweight paddles I’ve tried, but noticeably more than the wood blade.
• The “swing weight” of the paddle—how it feels when you move it—is at least as important as overall weight for paddling comfort. Less swing weight means less fatigue. Shorter paddles do tend to have less swing weight.
• A Greenland-style paddle is definitely not just a curiosity for traditionalists. Not only is a Greenland style paddle beautiful to look at but it is absolutely comfortable and functional for long-distance touring on flat water. It can also be used like a regular canoe paddle to work different muscles. What it can’t do is accelerate the boat quickly and it isn’t great for paddling against a heavy current as in a tidal river.
• My afternoon on the water with Peter’s paddles proved to me that you really should try before you buy. If your local kayak shop lets you demo paddles, try every one you possibly can before you make your purchase. You can live with a good paddle for a very long time. If you love paddling with your paddle, even the most expensive one gets cheaper per-use each time you go out and have fun.
Feather or Not?
I’ve always paddled with a straight-shaft paddle with the blades set on the same plane (unfeathered). That still works best for me. But when I tried high-angle paddling with a shorter, bent-shaft paddle, feathering the blades (having them offset from each other) suddenly seemed easy and natural.
I think this is another case of personal preference. If you can get to a demo event where you can try lots of different paddles, try both feathered and unfeathered paddles in different lengths for different styles of paddling and find what suits you best. Most paddles with ferrules let you change feather angles and, sometimes, paddle length in a second.
