I am shopping for a kayak in the very near future. I am getting the accessories such as the storage rack, car rack, etc. up front before I buy my kayak.
I was looking around at kayak paddles and found the price difference in excess of $100. Some paddles are around $20, some are around $120… and everything in between.
My first instinct is to just get the cheapest paddle, since I’m only kayaking recreationally and I don’t care much how fast I go. But I also don’t want to end up with a paddle that is made of cheap plastic that will crack from the heat within a year, or rust or something lame.
Can someone explain what advantages the more expensive paddles might have? And maybe what price range I should look at for weekend ocean kayaking.
Thanks!
Durability isn’t usually an issue. The big difference between cheap and expensive paddles is weight. That $20 paddle probably has an aluminum shaft and thick nylon blades. It’ll be incredibly heavy for a paddle. Consider that you’ll lift your hand roughly from hip-level to shoulder-level with every stroke, and that you’ll take about 1000 strokes to go a mile, and that extra pound or two is really going to wear you out.
More expensive paddles are made of lighter materials such as fiberglass or carbon fiber. If you’re starting out, it’s well worth it to spend $100-200 for a halfway decent paddle with a glass shaft and blades made of fiberglass or some carbon-nylon blend. If you start going more often for longer distances, an all-carbon paddle, which can range from $300-400, is a good investment once you’ve figured out what length, feather angle, and blade shape you want. You might want to start with a 2-piece paddle, and then if you decide to upgrade, you can carry your old paddle as a spare on your kayak.
One big thing to consider when buying a paddle is length. Unless your kayak is very wide (over 26" or so), you shouldn’t need anything longer than 220 cm. Longer paddles initially feel like they give a lot of power, but they’re not very efficient and are a bit unwieldy. Try to demo different length and style paddles before buying one.
Durability isn’t usually an issue. The big difference between cheap and expensive paddles is weight. That $20 paddle probably has an aluminum shaft and thick nylon blades. It’ll be incredibly heavy for a paddle. Consider that you’ll lift your hand roughly from hip-level to shoulder-level with every stroke, and that you’ll take about 1000 strokes to go a mile, and that extra pound or two is really going to wear you out.
More expensive paddles are made of lighter materials such as fiberglass or carbon fiber. If you’re starting out, it’s well worth it to spend $100-200 for a halfway decent paddle with a glass shaft and blades made of fiberglass or some carbon-nylon blend. If you start going more often for longer distances, an all-carbon paddle, which can range from $300-400, is a good investment once you’ve figured out what length, feather angle, and blade shape you want. You might want to start with a 2-piece paddle, and then if you decide to upgrade, you can carry your old paddle as a spare on your kayak.
One big thing to consider when buying a paddle is length. Unless your kayak is very wide (over 26" or so), you shouldn’t need anything longer than 220 cm. Longer paddles initially feel like they give a lot of power, but they’re not very efficient and are a bit unwieldy. Try to demo different length and style paddles before buying one.
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Awaywa is right. A good paddle with a cheapo boat is better than a cheapo paddle with a good boat. I was out paddling on a lake with a group on a club outing a few weeks ago and several first timers rented boats and paddles from the marina. After about an hour several were griping about how they were not enjoying the trip. I noticed their paddles were very short and cheap-looking and offered to loan two of the guys each a $200 fiberglass paddle (i had two spares in my car). They immediately changed their opinion about kayaking as soon as they started using the good paddles. I tried one of the rental ones and it was awful — very heavy (twice the weight of my paddles) and stiff: like juggling a boat anchor!
Actually, it is possible to find a good deal sometimes. I bought a very nice 2-piece fiberglass shaft paddle with fiber/plastic blades about a year ago on clearance from an outfitter for half off (only paid $60 for it). Usually when you buy a boat from a specialty paddling shop they will give you a discount on the paddle and PFD at the same time — that’s one reason to wait to get the paddle until you’ve chosen your boat. And (again, as Awaywa said) the dimensions of your boat will somewhat affect optimum paddle size. See if the shop that you get your boat from has a "demo day" where you can try both boats and paddles on the water.
And do try to buy from your local independent outfitter if there is one reasonably near you instead of online. They can usually match web prices and will give you personal service plus often have classes and guided trips for beginners. Support your local outfitter!
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