How to Choose a Kayak Paddle

You found a kayak you love and the store even has it in the color you want.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Your life vest fits like a glove and it matches your new kayak perfectly.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Now your eyeing a rack of kayak paddles and are attempting toÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½make senseÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½those various paddleÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½lengths and blade designs.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ At this point, a kayak salesperson will likely grab a few different paddles from the rack and apply some cryptic method for choosing the right size.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ It usually involves resting the paddle on your head, which right away should indicate flawed logic.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Unless the paddle comes with a chin strap, ignore the salesperson’s advise and follow these logical steps in choosing your new kayak paddle.

Kayak paddles come inÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ a wide range of lengths, but flatwater kayaking paddles are typically 200 to 240 cm in length, or so.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½Paddles are available in various materials and the blades come in different sizes.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ First, consider what you will be using the paddle for.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ If you will be engaging in a lot of paddling at long durations, choose a narrow blade and as light a kayak paddle as you can afford.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ The lighter materials like kevlar and carbon fiber typically cost much more than aluminum and plastic kayak paddles.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Wood kayak paddles are usually pretty light and fall btween the aluminum and kevlar paddles in price.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ If you are going to be taking shorter kayaking trips, you may want to choose a larger paddle blade since fatigue over the long haul won’t be an issue.
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Okay, so now the most important part – choosing the kayak paddle length.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ First, consider the width of your kayak’s deck, not your height.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ The paddle has to clear the kayak’s width and allow the blade to reach the water.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ You don’t want a too much of the paddle’s blade going into the water.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Choose a kayak paddle that will allow about 3/4 of the blade into the water, but no more.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Any more than that and you are only causing drag and wasting your energy.
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Another consideration when choosing a kayak paddle is the type of water you will be kayaking in most often.�¯�¿�½ Will there be big swells, such as on the ocean?�¯�¿�½ If so, you may need a longer kayak paddle in order to maintain contact with the water.�¯�¿�½ Will the water be mainly calm?�¯�¿�½ In this case you can go with a shorter kayak paddle.�¯�¿�½�¯�¿�½

Ultimately, the best thing to do is try out a few different sizes while in the kayak you will be paddling.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Check that the paddle doesn’t bang on the kayak’sÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½deck a lot (the kayak paddle is too short) and that the shaft doesn’t touch the water or submerge with every stroke (the kayak paddle is too long).Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ The fact of the matter is, a short paddler could very well end up paddling with the same length kayak paddle as a tall paddler, depending onÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½kayak type and the other previously mentioned factors.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ Take your time and choose the right paddle.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ It’s going to be accompanying you on, and making a big difference in, the kayak trips you take.