You have picked out the perfect kayak, you’ve researched it for weeks. When you go to pick it up, you think: “Wow, this thing is amazing!” The outfitter says to you: “So, what type of paddle would you like to go with it?” The next thought in your head? ….Uhhhhhhhhhh
Let’s sort this out. Here is a non-scientific, sure way to create a flame war guide to picking a paddle.
The first step is to determine whether you require a high or low angle paddle. How will you know what one you are? Keep reading.
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Angle (high or low):
My opinion on this topic may seem a bit different from others that you’ve read. Like the other criteria, it depends more on what activity you would like to perform on the water than the way you hold the paddle. Your technique should be sound regardless of how you would like to kayak, so picking a paddle to suit your need will give you better results, rather than to using it to compensate for poor form. I do not mean this in a derogatory way. As your body tires, there is a tendency to lower your paddle angle.
A high angle technique will allow you to use a shorter more nimble paddle. In turn, allowing you be more aggressive with your strokes.
A lower angle can be more forgiving on your technique but makes aggressive strokes much more difficult. I would highly recommend learning to paddle with both styles. On a long trip, there is no reason you couldn’t change between styles based on the conditions at hand.
To summarize, a high angle is going to use a thicker shorter blade which is capable of creating higher torque for a constant RPM. The lower angle paddle, with its longer narrower blade will apply less force at the set RPM but will be capable of less work. Since, the lower angle will require less force to overcome, it will feel more comfortable on the body in a straight ahead, flatwater scenario.
Paddle Length
There is no hard rule that I am aware of to determine your desired paddle length (anymore). One of my paddling friends is 195 cm tall and uses a 225cm paddle, another is 190cm tall and uses a 197 cm paddle. 10 years ago, this would have been unheard of.
To quote the fine paddle makers at Nimbus:
Picking a paddle length, these days has less to do with a person’s size and more to do with the type of kayak, conditions, angle of attack and most importantly, preference. This topic has evolved over the years. There is no longer a one size fits all sizing chart for paddles.
In the late 60’s and 70’s when kayaking started gaining popularity on the west coast of Canada, you would see a kayaker who was over 6 feet use a 245-250cm paddle. Those days are well past us.
Some larger kayakers who enjoy surfing, will use a 205cm paddle and be comfortable. A smaller kayaker who is exclusively touring may use a 220 cm paddle. The best way to determine the correct length is to pick based on the activity you’d like to perform and experiment.
Blade Shape
This is where things can get confusing, and in some cases controversial. To pick the blade shape you need to have an understanding of the activity you will be doing. The larger the blade, the more torque you can create per stroke (oversimplified, for brevity).
Let’s try to explain the basics of what is happening:
Torque is a rotational force that causes an object to move about an axis. In the case of kayaking, this is created by the rotational force created by your body rotating the paddle in and out of the water. This force, when placed on the kayak, is what causes the boat to accelerate. The direction of the kayak is determined by the direction of the rotation.
So in a real world scenario, think, clockwise rotation of the paddle will make you go forwards, counterclockwise rotation will make you go backwards.
If you think about riding a bike, you can appreciate this concept. If you are going to climb a hill, you would go into the lowest possible gear, using the highest gear would require considerably more force.
Although the work done is the same in both cases (the larger force would be applied on the smaller gear radius) people’s bodies generally prefer to apply less force.
So what does this mean in terms of a paddle?
It is important to reiterate, regardless of the paddle choice, the work done for a fixed distance and speed will remain the same. To go back to our analogy, with the smaller the paddle’s face, the lower the bike gear you are using. You will use less force per stroke but have a higher RPM to maintain the same speed.
Could this happen? Think about paddling in a group. The group may not slow down for you if you swap paddles, so you need to understand the impact of the tool you choose. The choice becomes easier to understand now. Will you be in a situation that requires low torque for a long distance such as touring on relatively calm water? That would imply that you should choose a smaller paddle face.
Conversely, a situation that required high torque for a short distance, such as surfing, you can experiment with a larger paddle face.
Remember, a lot of this is personal preference. Eventually, you will find the shapes that are comfortable for different situations. You may have noticed that many experienced paddlers carry two paddles with them while out for a trip. The old cliché of trying out some paddles before you buy is good advice. Don’t forget though, in the end preference wins the argument.
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