Which Kayak Paddle Should You Get?

With so many different 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. At a glance, paddles may look almost identical, but there are many different details and shapes that give different paddles unique performance characteristics.

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, although you do get ones for touring that are designed for a more high angled stroke too.

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 of types of paddle, there’s a full spectrum of options.

Materials

When you’re choosing a kayak paddle, the material it’s made from can make a surprisingly big difference in how it feels on the water. Paddles aren’t just about length and blade shape; the construction has a huge impact on weight, durability, and performance. The main materials you’ll come across are plastic, fiberglass, and carbon, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

At the budget-friendly end of the spectrum are plastic blades, often paired with aluminum shafts. These paddles are tough, affordable, and perfectly fine for casual or beginner paddlers. You’ll frequently find them in clubs and kayak rental companies. The trade-off is that they’re heavier, and the blades can flex, which means you lose a little efficiency with each stroke. If you’re only heading out occasionally or sticking to short trips, they’re a solid option.

Fiberglass paddles sit in the middle ground. They’re lighter than plastic and more efficient because the blades are stiffer, giving you a cleaner catch in the water. They’re also more durable than carbon if you knock them against rocks. For many touring and sea kayakers, fiberglass offers the best of both worlds: performance without the premium price tag.

Casual whitewater paddlers like myself often opt for fibreglass paddles over more expensive carbon ones because we’re more likely to trash or lose them!

At the high-performance end, carbon paddles are the gold standard. They’re ultralight and incredibly stiff, which makes them super efficient over long distances. Every stroke feels more direct, and that reduced weight can save your shoulders from fatigue on long days. Of course, the downside is cost. They can be pricey, but for keen paddlers who spend a lot of time on the water, the comfort and efficiency can be worth every penny.

In the end, it’s a balance of budget, comfort, and how you plan to paddle. Think about whether you’re out for relaxed weekend trips or multi day expeditions, and you’ll quickly find which material fits your needs best.

Weight

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.

This full carbon Werner Cyprus, while expensive, weighs almost nothing, making it feel remarkably effortless to use, even in rougher conditions.

Length

Many online guides seem to recommend paddles that are longer than most people actually need, which can lead to some awkward and inefficient paddling. The truth is that the right length depends on a couple of key factors: your height and the width of your kayak are the two primary considerations.

Taller paddlers naturally sit higher above the water, so they need a little extra length to comfortably reach the surface. Likewise, if your kayak is wide, you’ll want a longer paddle to ensure your blades clear the deck and still catch the water cleanly. On the other hand, narrower touring and sea kayaks often work best with slightly shorter paddles, since you don’t need as much reach.

Getting the length wrong can have real consequences for your comfort and efficiency. A paddle that’s too long encourages a low, flat stroke, which wastes energy and can feel sluggish over time. Go too short, and you’ll find yourself bending awkwardly and overreaching just to get the blades in the water, putting unnecessary strain on your shoulders and back.

As a rule of thumb, start with your height and boat width, but also think about your paddling style. If you naturally paddle with a high angle (more vertical strokes, often used in whitewater or racing), a slightly shorter paddle will feel more efficient. If you prefer a low angle stroke (more relaxed, common in touring), a bit of extra length can help keep your stroke smooth and easy. Trying out a couple of lengths, if you can, is always the best way to find your sweet spot.

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 felt most comfortable with initially, before I changed to 45º, which is what I tend to paddle with now for both whitewater and touring with a Euro paddle.

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.

A Greenland paddle… these paddles have no feather and probably look a bit odd to someone who hasn’t seen one before!

Blade Size

Blade size is another consideration. It’s a common misconception that larger paddle blades are simply for generating more power. While that holds some truth, in practice they’re better suited to stronger, larger-built paddlers who can handle the extra resistance effectively.

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.

You may notice that popular brands like Werner have an almost dizzying array of paddles that look remarkably similar. This is because they tend to name their different size paddles as different models. For example, they have two touring paddles that are essentially the same blade design, but different sizes: the Ikelos is the bigger one, while the smaller one is called the Cyprus. The same goes for the big Corryvreckan and the smaller Shuna. In their whitewater range, the Powerhouse is a big paddle, and its smaller sibling is the Sherpa. Same blade design, just different sizes.

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!

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.