Double paddle..worth it?

When I first started canoeing, I took lessons with a single blade, learning the various strokes, purpose and times to execute. Most of my paddling was in a tandem, with a partner, so we took lessons on working together. One of the things that was covered was also fitting the paddle to the user, it was considered to be a very important part of the process, there was an initial fit, then some room to tweak as we all aren't the same.

When I started soloing I again revisited strokes and did more practicing, to again make things work together and again tweaked the single paddle fit for purpose.

When I decided to try twin paddles, I took instruction and did a lot of research into strokes, paddles design and what sort of canoe they were best suited too. Then I went out fitted a paddle to my needs and practiced to become proficient with the new tool. I will admit I tweaked the design on subsequent paddles to better fit my style.

Contrary to what some folks believe, the double paddle is not the devils work, it is just a tool, good for some things, better for some things and not good for some things. The one thing that is constant between the two paddle types is that they require knowledge, skill and practice to use effectively.

This is exactly true of the single blade as well, it is a tool ... good for some things, better for some things and not good for some things, it is equally lackluster in the hands of some one with out the skill and knowledge to wield it effectively.

I suspect that the majority of folks commenting here have taken some instruction on the various aspects of using single blade paddles, the strokes, how to fit for use, blade shapes etc and have put in the work to be reasonably proficient.

What I wonder, is for those commenting negatively about the double blades, how many have taken instruction, fitted the paddle and put in the work to be proficient? And how many just decided to try a double blade, with little prep, and got disappointed? There are no short cuts, both blades need the work to be put in to be effective.

Back to the original question, Blukanu .... the double is not a magic wand ... it is simply a paddling tool you will need to learn how to use. The better you fit it to your purpose and learn how and when to use it, the more useful it will be.

I can and do use both types and believe I am reasonably proficient with both. I do not get wet, I do not sprint, I do not fatigue unduly with either. I do find the twin better for a narrow solo craft (think 26" at waterline or less) for eating up the kilometers, at a steady pace and for traveling in heavy weather. I find for landing, streams and fishing, I prefer a single blade as I think you can finesse the canoe better/easier.

Brian

I’m wondering if I should get a double paddle.

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No.

Yes.

"Yes" because I'm too slow a typist to produce a logical and balanced reply like Brian (Cruiser).

I have primarily used a double blade on my northern trips (2-3 weeks) for the past 33 years. I wish I had started using one earlier. I have a background in, and received instruction in, both Canadian style paddling and whitewater with a single blade. I am not using a double blade because I can't use a single: I'm using a double because it works better for me and is easier on my wrists.

My current double is a 260 cm Bending Branches Slice. It's no longer on their website, but looks pretty much identical to their "Angler Classic Snap Button". Weight about 36 ounces. At 74 years old, 5'8" and 170 pounds, I don't find that heavy. Nor is it wet in my solo boats. Paddling a wider tandem, you may want to go to a longer paddle.

A few things I really like about it:

- a brace is always available, there is no off-side issue.
- front or back ferries in shallow rocky rapids where it's impossible to get a vertical plant with a single blade, or doing so risks paddle entrapment
- power into a steady headwind
- and, of course, ease of conversion to 2 short or 1 long tarp poles

I also carry a single blade as a backup, should circumstances require it: but I find they rarely do.

In case there are any single blade aficionados that I haven't offended yet, I'll finish by commenting that I think "sit and switch" must be the least aesthetic method of propelling watercraft ever invented by man.

In the end, of course, canoe tripping being an avocation and not a religion, you should do what you enjoy most. Isn't that what it's all about?

Cheers.

-wjmc

Contrary to what some folks believe, the double paddle is not the devils work

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What I wonder, is for those commenting negatively about the double blades, how many have taken instruction, fitted the paddle and put in the work to be proficient?

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The real question is why would I do that? I have no interest in the double blade. Sure, I went to the dark side when I was young, I had a river running kayak, used it for a year or two then traded it for two cases of Alexander Keith's Pale Ale. I have a pretty loose moral compass in most things in life, but for some reason, the double blade points south, the Deep South, as in brimstone and fire south, and I just can't abide it. My best buddy started using a double blade in his Clipper Caribou, I'm not judging, but I was disappointed. I'll paddle a Coleman canoe if I have too, heck, even a Sportspal, but I won't use the double blade. I'm not a complete luddite either, my solo is a modern design, I own a carbon fibre single stick, but keep that DDB away from me. To be perfectly honest, for me, it just ain't canoeing, and no amount of explanation will convert me.

In case there are any single blade aficionados that I haven't offended yet, I'll finish by commenting that I think "sit and switch" must be the least aesthetic method of propelling watercraft ever invented by man.

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I'm also in full agreement with this as well. May as well just use a double blade.

I'm not sure what is going on in my canoeing brain right now, but I find it wanting to return to the basics, I have a strong desire to build a modified Pal for my next solo, and I'm working on the ultimate Beaver Tail, and also a modified Ottertail as my main paddles. In a world of dynamic and overly fast change, sometimes the old things are the best things.

I do have a friend who spends most of his time in a kayak, and he uses a double blade when tripping in his canoe.


Works for him, and the rest of us with single blades have no problem keeping up.

I recently bought a sea kayak that I paddle with a 210 Werner Shuna paddle with no feather. A lot of things transitioned easily from canoe to kayak (bracing, boat lean/edging), but one thing that I have struggled with is developing a good low angle cruising stroke. It's been tough to get that high angle (vertical shaft) muscle memory out of my head. I'm getting there, but it takes practice.

If you have some experience with a double blade then I'd say go for it. If not, I'd try it first. When I started with a double blade my stroke was way too vertical and was all arms with very little torso rotation. It wasn't particularly efficient, and would probably be tiring with the long double blade canoe paddle. Personally, I'm going to stick to a single blade in my canoes.

I do have to say that paddling in wind and waves in a sea kayak is such a different experience than in a canoe. Paddling perpendicular to wind and waves without having to quarter, speeding down the face of a wave in a big following sea, popping down the rudder to adjust for wind. You can do things that I would never try in my canoe. It is a lot of fun even though I'm not very good at it. I do want to get good enough to do some sea kayak camping trips out in the ocean like on the Maine Island Trail.

Ok … at the risk of espousing blasphemy here goes …

I am a die hard single blade j-stroke, guide stroke canoeist. That said, due to some physical limitations of the youth leaving my knees, I can no longer kneel. This has left me a much less powerful paddler. I now require foot braces and a seat back. I can paddle in with my usual traditional strokes but I do now make a further concession … I have a very long Greenland paddle in my boat. When paddling the Wisconsin River back waters I can much better go long distances upriver with less effort using the Greenland. When on open water that becomes windswept, I make better progress ( with less effort ) using the Greenland. When I get tired from long travel days of open water and challenging portages I find leaning back a bit and “ Lilly dipping” with my Greenland helps me to cover large distances while my core, torso can recover from exertion.

I used to be extremely embarrassed having to admit I carry a double in my canoe. Although I seldom use it, I am glad it is there. With it, I can travel farther and in conditions I might not be able to handle with a single alone ( while not kneeling). I have come to the conclusion that if the Greenland double lets me continue to canoe in current and wind, then I am glad I have that tool. It allows me to experience the places in life that still give me tinglies.

Bob.

I took a double-blade and a single-blade to Algonquin once a couple of years ago - and found things a bit of a PITA to deal with on portages. The collapsible double-blade breaks down to what amounts to two paddles on a portage, so you have to deal with three. I usually bungee my paddles in the boat, so that's an extra set-up, but the double-blade paddles also seem more flexible to me, which means you cannot brace things against them or lash to them like you can a single-bladed paddle. A minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but an annoyance nonetheless.

I know I jumped to the dark side early in my canoeing life because of a work related injury to a shoulder. Back then you got eaten alive if you mentioned canoeing with a double.Grabbed a kiddie kayak paddle one day and found relief so ordered a 5 pound nine foot Carlyle double for $40 and never looked back. When I sprung for a Werner Camano carbon at 28 ounces it was another game changer. Day long paddling was a pleasure.

Works especially nice when bow paddlers tend to stop paddling or want to fish. Certainly traveled on days that a single blade would have kept ME windbound.

I find it easiest to cram the double under and over foot braces for portaging. Stick it where it is held tight and bungee if needed. It makes a great hand hold and very comfortable to hold the canoe steady on long portages.,

The only issues are paddling tandem with someone that is really good with a single blade. But we get that done too.

Some data and opinions from 2016:

What I wonder, is for those commenting negatively about the double blades, how many have taken instruction, fitted the paddle and put in the work to be proficient?

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I spent many summers on the Yough & Cheat Rivers in both rafts and 'yaks (but never canoes) and got pretty proficient with the kayak paddles. Bottom line for me is that I have better control with a single blade and it just looks and feels right in a canoe.

Certainly traveled on days that a single blade would have kept ME windbound.

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I've often heard this (that the kayak blades allow travel on windy days) but I'm not sure how that's possible. I mean, "windbound" to me is equal to "in danger of swamping due to conditions". It has almost nothing to do with one's ability to propel the craft. If there's danger of taking on water, stay on shore but, otherwise, paddle on.

In case there are any single blade aficionados that I haven't offended yet, I'll finish by commenting that I think "sit and switch" must be the least aesthetic method of propelling watercraft ever invented by man.

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Agreed but, like a kayak paddles, to each his / her own. I may look upon them with pity and / or disgust but I'll try hard not to show it.

Some data and opinions from 2016:

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I've often wondered about how the numbers would change over time given the demographics changes as the site grows. Might be interesting to repeat some polling every 5-10 years.

A paddle is not only a tool but also an instrument, like a musical instrument. That is, a paddle can be used not only to accomplish physical tasks but also to impart aesthetic satisfaction and joy. Personally, if a paddle is only performing a tool function and giving me no aesthetic pleasure, I feel deprived.

A double paddle is the better tool if one is sitting with stretched-out legs on the bottom of a paddlecraft such as a kayak, pack canoe or decked canoe. It is also the better tool if one has physical/medical limitations on using a single blade.

Beyond that, it is my experience—as one who has owned 15 flat water and whitewater canoes, three kayaks, one outrigger canoe, five double paddles, and 20+ single paddles—that single blading is more efficient and less tiring than double blading, provides far more boat control in both flat and white water, and is equally effective (via switch paddling with a short, light bent shaft) in any wind and wave conditions I think safe to paddle. And, so very important to me, proficient control of the single blade instrument offers me far, far more aesthetic motion pleasure than monotonous double blade kerchunk-kerchunking.

It is also my exerience that a significant downside of starting to use a double blade in a canoe is that, like crack cocaine, it will almost immediately dull or completely deaden the paddler's motivation to further imrove his or her single blade paddling skills. Those single blade skills take a long time to master, and include:

1. Learning correction strokes during the entry, pull, exit and recovery of the forward stroke, and how to blend those together automatically.

2. Learning how to do everything in #1 on both sides of the canoe.

3. Learning to do hit & switch paddling with a bent shaft, which is easier than learning #1 or #2, for speed paddling, upstream paddling and wind paddling.

4. Learning to do all the above in both whitewater and flat water.

Of course, very few paddlers can learn and attain all those single blade paddling goals. But wherever one is in that single blade paddling progression, the easy crack cocaine of a double blade paddle is likely to end the motivation to progress any further. And the biggest loss and irony in that, in my opinion, is that the cocaine will actually prevent the paddler from getting the aesthetic endorphin "high" that proficient single blade boat control produces.

Glenn MacGrady said:

A paddle is not only a tool but also an instrument, like a musical instrument.

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A canoe paddle is like a hand made violin. A kayak paddle is like a kazoo.

My favorite type of canoeing is shoreline paddling or river exploring on my knees with a single blade. If there is frost, tree color, and tea? Heaven.

But, sometimes you need to *get* to heaven and the journey includes lake crossings, upstream travel, and/or headwinds. If I need to travel, I use the double every time. Low angle, 280cm. My narrowest boat is 30" and I am 6'2 with a long torso. No problems with reach or fatigue.

Quartering wind? Offset the paddle 6" to the lee side and keep motoring. Need a loooong reach for a bow stroke? No sweat. Tall pole for tarp pitching? Gotcha.

Like with most things, a lot of cons seem to be born of preference or inexperience.

So far, I haven't found the perfect double. My composite is noisy (blade shape) and my wooden is heavy. Neither are deal breakers, but noticeable.

Gamma1214 said:

I spent many summers on the Yough & Cheat Rivers in both rafts and 'yaks (but never canoes) and got pretty proficient with the kayak paddles. Bottom line for me is that I have better control with a single blade and it just looks and feels right in a canoe.


I've often heard this (that the kayak blades allow travel on windy days) but I'm not sure how that's possible. I mean, "windbound" to me is equal to "in danger of swamping due to conditions". It has almost nothing to do with one's ability to propel the craft. If there's danger of taking on water, stay on shore but, otherwise, paddle on.


Agreed but, like a kayak paddles, to each his / her own. I may look upon them with pity and / or disgust but I'll try hard not to show it.


I've often wondered about how the numbers would change over time given the demographics changes as the site grows. Might be interesting to repeat some polling every 5-10 years.

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Please, pretty please quit calling them kayak paddles .... there are kayak paddles AND canoe paddles, they are not the same, they are not used the same and they are not designed the same.

Brian

Cruiser said:

Please, pretty please quit calling them kayak paddles .... there are kayak paddles AND canoe paddles, they are not the same, they are not used the same and they are not designed the same.

Brian

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Other than to be pedantic I don't see any reason to call a kayak paddle a canoe paddle just because we happened to buy one with a longer shaft. We all know what people mean when they say kayak paddle.

Glenn MacGrady said:

A paddle is not only a tool but also an instrument, like a musical instrument. That is, a paddle can be used not only to accomplish physical tasks but also to impart aesthetic satisfaction and joy. Personally, if a paddle is only performing a tool function and giving me no aesthetic pleasure, I feel deprived.

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I would suggest that the aesthetic pleasure is derived not from the tool, but from the intrinsic act of making that tool do what you want ... application of the knowledge and skill that you have attained.

Glenn MacGrady said:

A double paddle is the better tool if one is sitting with stretched-out legs on the bottom of a paddlecraft such as a kayak, pack canoe or decked canoe. It is also the better tool if one has physical/medical limitations on using a single blade.

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While I agree that as the canoe gets wider, the double blade becomes less desirable, there are a large class of regular canoes on the narrower side (say 30" or less at the WL) that also fall nicely into this group

Glenn MacGrady said:

Beyond that, it is my experience—as one who has owned 15 flat water and whitewater canoes, three kayaks, one outrigger canoe, five double paddles, and 20+ single paddles—that single blading is more efficient and less tiring than double blading, provides far more boat control in both flat and white water, and is equally effective (via switch paddling with a short, light bent shaft) in any wind and wave conditions I think safe to paddle. And, so very important to me, proficient control of the single blade instrument offers me far, far more aesthetic motion pleasure than monotonous double blade kerchunk-kerchunking.

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In general, I am not willing to concede that a single blade is more efficient and less fatiguing than a double. My personal gear is setup to work best with a double blade, that does not then mean a double blade is best ... it is likely best for a setup that was designed to be that way.
And if you are getting the "kerchunk-kerchunking", see point #1 of your post, the double should be silent.

Glenn MacGrady said:

It is also my exerience that a significant downside of starting to use a double blade in a canoe is that, like crack cocaine, it will almost immediately dull or completely deaden the paddler's motivation to further imrove his or her single blade paddling skills. Those single blade skills take a long time to master, and include:

1. Learning correction strokes during the entry, pull, exit and recovery of the forward stroke, and how to blend those together automatically.

2. Learning how to do everything in #1 on both sides of the canoe.

3. Learning to do hit & switch paddling with a bent shaft, which is easier than learning #1 or #2, for speed paddling, upstream paddling and wind paddling.

4. Learning to do all the above in both whitewater and flat water.

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While I agree that to be proficient with paddles takes a lot of work and persistence ... that is true for both the types under discussion. Contrary to you assertion that use of a double blade "will almost immediately dull or completely deaden the paddler's motivation" , what I have found in my group is that covering the distance to camp is almost always done with a double ... however local exploring for the day is almost exclusively done with a single blade, taking time to just soak it all in and enjoy the surroundings. Personally I find that although it is slower and more work, using a single blade is better when more finesse is required.
This brings in the point that location and how you camp/travel should also be considered when discussing choices.

Glenn MacGrady said:

Of course, very few paddlers can learn and attain all those single blade paddling goals. But wherever one is in that single blade paddling progression, the easy crack cocaine of a double blade paddle is likely to end the motivation to progress any further. And the biggest loss and irony in that, in my opinion, is that the cocaine will actually prevent the paddler from getting the aesthetic endorphin "high" that proficient single blade boat control produces.

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I usually camp with a group, so seeing several folks all looking at the same thing and yet not seeing it the same way .... is always a wonder for me. Paddling is obviously a focal point for your tripping adventures and I get that, however the reasons and focal points of each camper can be unique and still be profound to that person.
Paddling at its best is an art form, but it really is a question of Journey and Destination IMO, paddling for the form of paddling or paddling to get there .... we all fall somewhere between on that spectrum and we all have things that give us that endorphin rush, or we wouldn't keep returning.

At the end of the day, I can't see this as an either/or situation ... over on the Hammock Forums site they have a acronym "HYOH" . There are so many debates about what gear is best and what rigging is best and what materials are best, that most of the time it comes down to "HYOH" Hang Your Own Hang ..... I propose "PYOB" might be a useful addition to our acronyms


Brian

Punkinhead said:

Other than to be pedantic I don't see any reason to call a kayak paddle a canoe paddle just because we happened to buy one with a longer shaft. We all know what people mean when they say kayak paddle.

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Other than the fact that a Kayak paddle is almost always unworkable in a canoe and that in the forum there seems to be a general misunderstanding that the terms Kayak and Canoe are interchangeable when referring to a double blade configuration, and they are not.

Cruiser said:

Please, pretty please quit calling them kayak paddles .... there are kayak paddles AND canoe paddles, they are not the same, they are not used the same and they are not designed the same.

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Punkinhead said:

Other than to be pedantic I don't see any reason to call a kayak paddle a canoe paddle just because we happened to buy one with a longer shaft. We all know what people mean when they say kayak paddle.

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I think it's best to just call them double-blade or single-blade paddles. Which water craft (canoe, kayak, SUP, etc.) they're used with is really a moot point if the craft isn't specified. And even then there are discussions over whether something is a canoe or kayak.

With regard to double-bladed canoe paddles... gross.

Joking aside, I'll offer a tip of the cap to @Cruiser for fighting the good fight amongst the prejudiced, myself included. I appreciated his discourse on the subtle distinction between double-bladed canoe paddles and double-bladed kayak paddles. I think I'll still refer to them all as kayak paddles, but I now see that there are subtle, logical design differences that can make a double-bladed paddle more suitable for canoes, aside from length. That I had not formerly understood. And where else, if not this wonderful haven, can we find a good nomenclature debate regarding the taxonomy of paddles, right?!

When I deign to use my sea-kayak, I use a cedar Greenland paddle, which makes me feel a little bit better about myself.