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How to choose a canoe paddle. Water conditions : Are you heading to the river, or cruising on a calm lake? Certain blade shapes are better for certain conditions. Bent or straight shaft : Some paddles have a tilt or an angle, and you should know how that changes things before you buy one.
Shop canoe paddles. The length of your paddle When people talk about the length of the paddle, it refers to the combined length of the shaft and the blade. Shorter paddles , on the other hand, let you steer really well and are great for whitewater canoeing or rocky stretches. Choosing a blade size and shape. Canoe paddle materials The lengths and widths of the paddle tell only half the story.
Why do some wood paddles have resin on the bottom? Composites Paddles made from fibreglass perform well in many conditions, and are often more affordable. But it all honestly I couldn't stand it. I've never cared about how fast one goes while they're out there. With that kind of attitude you might as well stay home in my opinion. And every time he called out the command "Hutt" I went absolutely berserk - needless to say, we've never paddled together since.
How you hold your paddle is important. Make sure to keep your one hand always on top of the grip, which is why a nice rounded top is more comfortable than a T-grip. Your other hand grabs the throat of the shaft. The distance between your hand and the where the shaft joins the blade depends on the type of stroke and type of blade. When in doubt though, stay closer to the top of the blade for better control. For trips that have both flat water and white water choose to bring along two different types of blades.
After all, all canoes must be equipped with an extra paddle. So, when paddling solo use an Otter Tail most of the time and unpack the wide, square blade for navigating rapids. When paddling tandem, the stern paddler keeps using a Beaver Tail design throughout the trip, and, since the bow person is far more important while navigating through rapids, they can change over to the square blade when flushing through the rough stuff.
Also try using a bent-shaft blade in the bow and a Otter Tail design in the stern when there's lots of big lakes to cross. To size up your paddle is just as complicated as choosing the blade style.
The traditional way to get the proper length of paddle was to line it up from your nose to toe. That doesn't work. The problem with this technique is that you are only interested in the length of the paddle between the grip and the throat of the shaft. The blade length is not part of the formula.
It also does not take into account the kind of canoe you're using, the height of your seat, where you're seated bow or stern , the length of your torso and arms, and the style of paddling you are used to. The best way to measure the proper paddle length is to sit in your canoe and measure the distance from your nose to the water. The blade styles include Sugar-island, whitewater and squared-off versions of both styles.
Designed with recreational use in mind, the features of these paddle blades include stiffer flex to increase stroke efficiency, with a shorter, wider blade and shapes like the beavertail, Sugar-island, and the squared-off whitewater style.
These paddles offer the widest range of canoeing applications from a single paddle. These paddles are similar to the double-bladed kayak styles but manufactured in shorter lengths with narrow, symmetrical blades keeping the solo canoeists in mind. Scaled down versions of their adult-sized counterparts, these paddles are designed with kids in mind.
They are shorter with smaller blades, lightweight, balanced and durable. Compare items. Total 0. Researching the right canoe paddle size, I came across several methods and guidelines to help you find the right length. Try each one of these methods if you can.
Then find the average of them before deciding which length canoe paddle to get. Your grip should have the palm of your hand on the wide part of the paddle grip and the joint between your palm and fingers on the very top of the paddle grip.
Then with your lower hand grip at a point on the shaft just above the throat of the canoe paddle. The best way to size a canoe paddle would be to try the paddle out in the canoe and on the water you plan to paddle. If your hand goes above your shoulder and then dips back down to horizontal with your shoulder, you need a shorter paddle. So instead do this:. Another way of estimating canoe paddle length is based on you being seated on a flat chair.
Then measuring from between your legs on the chair to a point on your face. More like expert opinion combined with personal preference. This is a measurement right in the middle of our straight canoe paddle sizes above, so it makes sense.
The best way to size a bent shaft paddle is just like a straight shaft—get out on the water and demo a few bent shaft paddles.
I'm Steve, the research and technology workhorse behind Paddle Camp. I do tons of research on all our family's paddling gear before I buy or recommend anything. I grew up canoeing with my dad and brother. A few years ago I bought paddle boards for my daughters, myself, and my wife.
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