Looking for a paddle

[FloridaJohn]

As I mentioned in my introduction, I recently acquired a used NW Solo canoe. I am trying to figure out what paddle to buy to use with it, and I'm afraid I have a bit of analysis paralysis here. I'm hoping the brain trust here can help me make a decision

I live in Florida, so there is a lot of shallow water. Bottoms are mostly soft, but there can be coral or oyster beds that make the bottom a little less friendly. I feel like I want to start with a straight shaft paddle, I can always pick up a bent shaft or other paddle later if I feel the need.

I want to buy a decent paddle, budget is under $200. I could be convinced to go higher if necessary, but I don't think I will need to.

I am thinking a wooden paddle, not sure I need carbon fiber at this point.

I'm looking for something I won't grow out of quickly. Something that is comfortable and pleasant to paddle with. Most of my experience is with the rental fleets, so I am hoping for something better than that.

Tell me how you think I should spend my money.

 

[Alan Gage]

My recommendation is to buy a $100 paddle from some shop and see how you get along with it. If you stick with canoeing you're going to end up with multiple paddles anyway so this will become a spare.

Until you get some time in the boat and on the water there is no way you're going to know what paddle is right for you. So just buy something cheap and start using it. Then you'll get a feel for if you want longer, shorter, lighter, different shape, whatever.

Alan

 

[JohnSand]

I think I have bought all of my paddles used. Look at local classifieds, buy a few.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Go with Alan’s suggestion, get a paddle and start using it. You will add more paddles as you continue paddling, experience will help learn what you prefer. And eventually you’ll be like many of the rest of us, wondering why you have so many different paddles.

 

[ppine]

I like Sawyer paddles. T grip, flat wide blade, laminated wood covered in fiberglass with a plastic tip.

 

[Nick Pending]

I'd agree with jdeerfoot. Get anything cheap to get on the water with the new boat, and trade paddles around with other paddlers if you can just for short trials to get some feel as to what you might want in material, length, grip, etc. I paddle mostly with 48-inch Wenonah bent shafts these days, but that's a lot shorter than most like. Most people would use between 54- and 60-inch paddles, maybe even a bit longer for whitewater. I used a 56-inch in whitewater, which is still short for many paddlers.

 

[zekabl]

If looking for new bending branches makes a decent paddle as well as many others.

Straight Shaft

World class paddles. Made in America.

bendingbranches.com

Search FB marketplace. Like others have said you can find nice paddles for half the price. Also search ZRE for carbon fiber paddles.

 

[Woodpuppy]

Are you going to be paddling seated, kneeling, or both? Are you sit ‘n switch or are you interested in paddling on one side using correction strokes?Different strokes and all that…

I personally try to be capable with it all, but I am much more comfortable seated than kneeling for any length of time. I’m 6’3” with a 35” inseam, so gangly appendages with relatively short torso. And spine length/sit height is going to be your important metric.

• For sit ‘n switch a shorter bent shaft is great. While I can perform correction strokes with a bent shaft it’s not as easy or graceful. If I’m in my Wenonah Prism I take a bent shaft & a straight. I have a 52”, 54” and a 56”, I like the 54” best.
• For kneeling, I like a longer straight shaft. One of my favorites is a 62” Bruce Smith Ottertail in cherry, but it is often too long for Florida waters. My favorite shallow water paddle is an old 58” Clement I reshaped to suit. I traced a grey owl blade shape from a bent shaft onto it, and shaped the handle to fit in an effort to get close to Grey Owl’s Fleetwood model: https://greyowlpaddles.com/project/fleetwood/ This paddle works well kneeling or seated from the center seat in my tandem Polaris, where the longer shaft is welcome. It’s a little long seated in the Prism but not fatally so.
• A third option that should work well in your boat is a long double blade, which will probably be easier to find than nice wood canoe paddles. I’d like one but other things get in the way… like new shoes for 4 kids every 10 minutes.

Remember a paddle has 2 important measurements, blade length & shaft length. Before worrying about overall length you need to get close on your correct shaft length. Here are a couple links to get you started:

Grey Owl Paddles » Traditional Paddle Overview and Sizing Information

greyowlpaddles.com

How to Size & Choose a Canoe Paddle

Paddle Length Features to Look For Bent vs Straight Shaft Grip Blade Shape Materials Solo Canoe Paddles There's a lot of technical aspects to choosing the right canoe paddle. Our rule of thumb is for: 6 hour trips or less: Economical options are perfectly fine and added features are less...

bendingbranches.com

The best way though is to try them. I’ve no idea if you can even find decent paddles for retail in your area; I certainly couldn’t in mine.

Good luck!

 

[FloridaJohn]

If looking for new bending branches makes a decent paddle as well as many others. https://bendingbranches.com/collections/straight-shaft

I was looking at the Arrow from Bending Branches. Not sure if is the correct shape for my part of the world, or if there is one more preferable.

Search FB marketplace. Like others have said you can find nice paddles for half the price. Also search ZRE for carbon fiber paddles.

I'm afraid I'm not living in "canoe country." A search for "canoe paddle" in FB Marketplace reveals a total of about 20 paddles for sale in the entire state of Florida. Most of them don't appear worth the drive across town, let alone across the state. I'll keep an eye out there, but it's slim pickings on that front. But you never know...

 

[FloridaJohn]

Are you going to be paddling seated, kneeling, or both? Are you sit ‘n switch or are you interested in paddling on one side using correction strokes?Different strokes and all that…

I personally try to be capable with it all, but I am much more comfortable seated than kneeling for any length of time. I’m 6’3” with a 35” inseam, so gangly appendages with relatively short torso. And spine length/sit height is going to be your important metric.

• For sit ‘n switch a shorter bent shaft is great. While I can perform correction strokes with a bent shaft it’s not as easy or graceful. If I’m in my Wenonah Prism I take a bent shaft & a straight. I have a 52”, 54” and a 56”, I like the 54” best.
• For kneeling, I like a longer straight shaft. One of my favorites is a 62” Bruce Smith Ottertail in cherry, but it is often too long for Florida waters. My favorite shallow water paddle is an old 58” Clement I reshaped to suit. I traced a grey owl blade shape from a bent shaft onto it, and shaped the handle to fit in an effort to get close to Grey Owl’s Fleetwood model: https://greyowlpaddles.com/project/fleetwood/ This paddle works well kneeling or seated from the center seat in my tandem Polaris, where the longer shaft is welcome. It’s a little long seated in the Prism but not fatally so.
• A third option that should work well in your boat is a long double blade, which will probably be easier to find than nice wood canoe paddles. I’d like one but other things get in the way… like new shoes for 4 kids every 10 minutes.

Remember a paddle has 2 important measurements, blade length & shaft length. Before worrying about overall length you need to get close on your correct shaft length. Here are a couple links to get you started:

Grey Owl Paddles » Traditional Paddle Overview and Sizing Information

greyowlpaddles.com

How to Size & Choose a Canoe Paddle

Paddle Length Features to Look For Bent vs Straight Shaft Grip Blade Shape Materials Solo Canoe Paddles There's a lot of technical aspects to choosing the right canoe paddle. Our rule of thumb is for: 6 hour trips or less: Economical options are perfectly fine and added features are less...

bendingbranches.com

The best way though is to try them. I’ve no idea if you can even find decent paddles for retail in your area; I certainly couldn’t in mine.

Good luck!

Thanks for the detailed response. I'm 6" 2" with a 34" inseam and 180 lbs on an average day, so I also have a lanky build.

I mostly prefer to sit. Sometimes I switch and sometimes use correction strokes. Very rarely do I kneel.

I have been thinking that most of the x-tail paddles seem like they are going to be too long for the waters here.

 

[Woodpuppy]

Re: the Bending Branches Arrow, pictures show a non-symmetrical grip on a straight shaft paddle, which may feel awkward if you enjoy underwater recoveries that involve spinning the grip in your palm each stroke. The Explorer Plus is a similar shape with some more edge protection and a symmetrical grip, aka ‘freestyle grip’. Before I did the reshape on my old Clement, I was looking at the Java ST because I liked the angled laminations that look like arrow fletching. I’d really love to find a Grey Owl feather paddle!

 

[clemency]

I am in the just get a paddle and use it camp. The BB Arrow is a perfectly good start. I use a 58" one paddling stern in a Wenonah Adirondack. In a solo boat I use a 56, and I'm about your height. So that's where I'd start.

 

[FloridaJohn]

Re: the Bending Branches Arrow, pictures show a non-symmetrical grip on a straight shaft paddle, which may feel awkward if you enjoy underwater recoveries that involve spinning the grip in your palm each stroke. The Explorer Plus is a similar shape with some more edge protection and a symmetrical grip, aka ‘freestyle grip’. Before I did the reshape on my old Clement, I was looking at the Java ST because I liked the angled laminations that look like arrow fletching. I’d really love to find a Grey Owl feather paddle!

Thanks for pointing out the grip on the Arrow. I agree with you that the Java ST is the best looking one. I think maybe I am leaning towards that one at the moment (subject to change at any moment).

 

[FloridaJohn]

I am in the just get a paddle and use it camp. The BB Arrow is a perfectly good start. I use a 58" one paddling stern in a Wenonah Adirondack. In a solo boat I use a 56, and I'm about your height. So that's where I'd start.

I think what is probably going to happen is I'm just going to have to get one and live with it for a while.

Using the BB measuring method, it comes out to a 56 for me, too.

 

[zekabl]

I was looking at the Arrow from Bending Branches. Not sure if is the correct shape for my part of the world, or if there is one more preferable.



I'm afraid I'm not living in "canoe country." A search for "canoe paddle" in FB Marketplace reveals a total of about 20 paddles for sale in the entire state of Florida. Most of them don't appear worth the drive across town, let alone across the state. I'll keep an eye out there, but it's slim pickings on that front. But you never know...

I don't think shipping is too expensive for a paddle...maybe to FL yes it is? I use a BB arrow.

 

[PaddlingPika]

Shipping charges for paddles seems to vary a lot. I'd thought about buying a paddle from Wenonah when they had a major sale awhile back but they listed a substantial oversize shipping charge for paddles. This year when REI had one of their a 20% off of one item for members sales I bought a Java ST and shipping to my house was free.

Haven't used it much yet but so far I like the Java ST paddle, though it may be less sturdy than the other heavier Bending Branches paddles. I hope to avoid testing the limits of its sturdiness.

 

[FloridaJohn]

Shipping charges for paddles seems to vary a lot. I'd thought about buying a paddle from Wenonah when they had a major sale awhile back but they listed a substantial oversize shipping charge for paddles. This year when REI had one of their a 20% off of one item for members sales I bought a Java ST and shipping to my house was free.

Haven't used it much yet but so far I like the Java ST paddle, though it may be less sturdy than the other heavier Bending Branches paddles. I hope to avoid testing the limits of its sturdiness.

Yeah, a paddle is definitely going to be an "oversized" package. If I get a BB paddle, I would do it through REI as well to get free shipping.

Hopefully I'm not too hard on the paddle where I have to worry about durability. Everything is mostly sand around here.

 

[Woodpuppy]

Yeah, a paddle is definitely going to be an "oversized" package. If I get a BB paddle, I would do it through REI as well to get free shipping.

Hopefully I'm not too hard on the paddle where I have to worry about durability. Everything is mostly sand around here.

It’s not a bad idea to have a push pole with you too. A length of seasoned bamboo, or hardware store dowel. Or get a Carlisle beater paddle to abuse or loan (but I repeat myself).

 

[Sliding Focus]

My recommendation is to buy a $100 paddle from some shop and see how you get along with it. If you stick with canoeing you're going to end up with multiple paddles anyway so this will become a spare.

Until you get some time in the boat and on the water there is no way you're going to know what paddle is right for you. So just buy something cheap and start using it. Then you'll get a feel for if you want longer, shorter, lighter, different shape, whatever.

Alan

I agree with this advice—or, as @JohnSand, said, pick up a used paddle if you can find one. One with Sugar Island style blade ~7–8" wide and ~20–22" long should work well in most conditions and therefore would make an ideal first paddle; if, as you say, you want something you won't quickly grow out of, a cambered/double dihedral blade and symmetrical grip are also desirable features. My first paddle for my solo canoe was a Wenonah Cormorant (which I think is a rebranded Grey Owl Voyageur) that I got from a friend for cheap, and it's served me quite well: it checks the above boxes, and even though it wasn't very expensive, it's beautifully made! My only complaint with it is that I'd prefer the blade to be wider so that it'd give a little more "oomph" for draws and pries (it's 7", and I wish it were 8"), but that's a personal preference, not a flaw.

If you end up buying new and want wood, Bending Branches will probably be the easiest brand for you to find in stores, but their models are a little pricey; if you can find a place that carries Grey Owl or Fox Worx (or you're willing to order online), they have offerings that are broadly similar (in design and quality) to Bending Branches' for less money.

Also, while I think it's best for you to start out with a relatively inexpensive paddle with a Sugar Island style blade, if you want an animal tail design, it would be worth checking out Badger Paddles; a friend of mine has one of their ottertails and it's really nice! Grey Owl makes some nice-looking and affordable animal tail style paddles, too, though I haven't tried any of them myself.

 

[Black_Fly]

Can’t go wrong with a BB Explorer or Expedition. They are fortified on the blade edges and hold up to rocks. Sounds like you’ll be in tidal zones. The grip and blade are important. It takes a few to decide what’s best for you. I prefer the dollop grip over the T grip. Some blades seem to glide through the water while others feel like a flipper on a pole. Maybe the best advice was to get some used and do some trial and error.