With so many paddles to choose from… where do you start?
What kind of paddling are you doing?
First and foremost, the type of paddling you’re doing primarily dictates the style of paddle you want to be looking at, because paddles are designed with specific types of water and conditions in mind.
Whitewater paddling uses paddles with boxy, beefy blades for manoeuvring through rapids, whilst touring and sea kayaking paddles tend to have narrower blades that allow for lower angle strokes that are easier to maintain for long distances.
You also get a style of paddle called wing paddles, but these are mainly used for racing and require a particular technique to use. You occasionally see folks on the sea with them but those paddlers are often from a racing background. But even within these broad definitions there’s a full spectrum of options.
Weight
The weight of a paddle is determined by the materials from which it’s manufactured; these materials include plastic, aluminium, carbon fibre, and occasionally wood.
Broadly speaking, lower priced paddles are generally heavier, although full carbon fibre paddles, which are the lightest, are not necessarily suited for everyone, as their stiffness can take a toll on some people’s joints.
A good compromise in those cases is a paddle with a carbon shaft and fibreglass or nylon blades; again, budget will be a factor here, but do bear in mind that the flex in plastic blades makes them slightly less efficient than fibreglass or carbon, and that can mean you’re working slightly harder on each stroke. This won’t necessarily make a discernible difference over an hour or two of paddling, but will over a long day if you cover a fair bit of distance.
Feather
A feathered paddle is a paddle that has the angles of the blades offset from one another, as opposed to being totally symmetrical.
Depending on your physiology, having a paddle with adjustable feather can be beneficial. For some paddlers this isn’t an issue though. Depending on what you learned with, that may be your preference. I learned to paddle with a 60° feather which many would now consider outdated but it’s what I feel most comfortable with.
Some paddles come with no feather, some are fixed (eg 45° or 90°), and some are adjustable, often in 15° increments. The latter are the most versatile but they do tend to have a small weight increase due to the fact that they’re always split; ie the paddle is in two parts that join with some sort of locking mechanism in the middle.
Blade size
Blade size is another consideration. There’s a misconception that bigger blades equal more power, and while that’s technically true, it’s actually more a case of bigger blades being more suitable for stronger, bigger built paddlers.
Trying to paddle with a blade that’s too big for you is a quick ticket to shoulder and back pain. Most average size/build paddlers should look for blades around 600cm²-700cm² max. 650cm² is the sweet spot for most.
Bent or straight shaft
Some paddlers will prefer a bent shaft (also sometimes called a cranked shaft) over a straight shaft; again this comes down to physiology and comfort. A bent shaft aims to reduce wrist strain by having a “bend” on each side of the shaft for your hands, although with proper technique and maintaining a light grip, paddlers using straight shafts shouldn’t experience wrist strain.
Because the bend creates an inherent weak point in the shaft, bent shafts are often a bit heavier due to additional reinforcement. They’re also usually significantly more expensive!
Length
With regards to paddle length, I find a lot of online guides tend to suggest overly long paddles. The length should be determined partly by your height (because taller people will be paddling from a point higher above the water than shorter people), and partly by your boat width, as you need to ensure you have sufficient clearance whilst still properly catching the water. Paddles that are too long force you to paddle at an inefficient angle.
So…
Ideally you should try a few paddles before buying, if possible. Most shops have demo paddles you can try and the folks working there can help advise you on the length for you. There are other design factors I’ve not touched on, like blade profile (eg dihedral, spoon, or flat), but those are finer discussion points that are a little too complex for an overview!
Of course there’s the whole matter of Greenland paddles too… but that’s a whole other discussion.
