Using a quality paddle with your canoe can vastly improve the experience
PADDLE CHOICE is important. Paddles, like canoes, vary greatly in weight, cost, durability and function. Using a quality paddle in a basic canoe can really improve the experience.
The opposite is also true. These days, it’s common to look at canoe paddles in a shop and see a variety of shapes, materials and lengths.
Here’s why:
MATERIAL: Traditional aluminium paddles with a plastic or fibreglass blade still work as well as they always did, but they’re heavy and the aluminium can be cold to the touch. Timber feels warmer
and has a nicer feel to it thanks to flex. Timber is also lighter than aluminium and cheaper than carbon-fibre but it requires care and maintenance. Carbon-fibre, Aramid
and other composite materials are incredibly stiff and light but are also very expensive.
SHAPE: A standard paddle will usually have a straight shaft, a T-style grip, and a blade that is either flat or slightly scooped which gives one of its sides more pulling
power. Some paddles are bent, which means that the blade leaves the shaft at a bit of an angle. These paddles are ideal for forward paddling as the bend in the
blade helps ensure you’re pushing water straight back when you’re in the strongest phase of the stroke. It can be used in the stern for steering but is not
ideal. Traditional paddles with a long, thin blade are typically made of wood and are ideal for linking strokes under the water where the blade is sliced, or feathered,
rather than lifted out for recovery.