Kayak Paddles

When it comes to kayak paddles, selecting the right paddle to match your paddling style can enhance your kayaking experience.  Choosing the wrong paddle could create a lot of frustration.  So, with the multitude of styles out on the market, how do you choose the right paddle?

First of all, remember that you are the engine, and like any engine part of its success depends on how efficiently you transfer the energy into forward momentum.  Much like a transmission, the paddle plays a key role in transferring your energy into moving your kayak forward (technique also plays a key role, but that is a matter for another discussion).  Therefore, the best paddles minimize energy expended in non-productive ways.  Check out this video on forward stroke mechanics. 
Werner Paddle Tech Tips: Kayak Forward Stroke

Using the right length paddle is also extremely important.  Too small a length can limit the reach of the blade, losing power.  If the paddle is too long, it expends excess energy at the end of the stroke either sweeping out away from the kayak or submerging too deep.  The optimal paddle would be long at the beginning of a stroke, then shorten at the finish.  Unfortunately, technology has not reached this point yet, so you need to find the best compromise.  Generally, the optimal paddle length depends upon a combination of factors: your height, the width of your boat and your paddling angle.

Then there are the less obvious factors that expend energy.  Unnecessary movements of the wrists or elbows, for example, only add strain to the body without adding any benefits.  Feathering a blade helps minimize wrist movement.  Successful feathering depends upon matching the feather with your paddle angle.  The angle is measured from the shaft to the plane of the water, and generally will fall between 30 and 60 degrees for most paddlers.  Many paddle use preset paddle feather positions, usually 45 or 60 degrees.  That's fine if it matches your style, but not optimal if it doesn't.  Other paddle models give finer adjustments, and some even offer 'infinite' adjustments.

A kayak shaft should fit your hand.  Too big a shaft and your hands cannot wrap around the paddle and blade control gets more difficult, too small and the shaft cuts into your hands and you lose fine movement blade control.  If you paddle with gloves, decreasing the shaft size may help.  Shaft shape can also affect comfort.  Many paddles utilize an oval shape in the grip area, improving comfort and control. 

The kayak blade shape is another important consideration. Wider blades supply greater resistance and are considered more powerful for acceleration than narrow blades, but the added width causes more strain on the wrist, arm, and shoulders. Narrow blade paddles tend to have slower acceleration and less overall power, but they are less fatiguing, especially on longer trips in loaded kayaks.

Asymmetric blades, common on many sea-kayak paddles, have less blade surface on the portion of the blade below the line of the shaft. As the blade enters and moves through the water at an angle, the blade face has equal amounts of pressure. This balances the load along the centerline of the blade face, reducing the paddle's tendency to twist in the water and improving paddling efficiency.

Most modern paddle blades are both dihedral and spooned slightly. The dihedral is a centerline that reduces flutter and sideways slippage by encouraging the water to flow off both halves of the blade face evenly.  The spoon shape provides more power by holding the water. Racers use an extreme design called a wing with a pronounced scoop to its blade.  This provides a more positive 'bite' on the water during a forward stroke, but requires different stroke mechanics and can take some getting used to, especially with bracing and turning strokes.

Finally, many manufacturers offer kayak paddles with ergonomic bent shafts.  The key benefits are natural alignment of the wrist, reducing strain and fatigue.  The bent shaft allows all four fingers to stay in full contact with the shaft while the wrist maintains a natural position. Having more contact with the shaft increases your control while allowing you to reduce fatigue by using a lighter grip.  An ergonomic bent shaft paddle will weigh slightly more than its straight shaft counterpart.