Canoe paddles

Get a straight and a bent
Practice a lot with each one from both the sitting and kneeling positions. Don’t worry about what’s theoretically optimal unless you are a racer. Find out what gives you comfortable paddling pleasure.



I always take a straight and a bent on day trips or wilderness trips. The bent is for the 90+% of the time I’m just doing forward strokes on flatwater. I’ve been using bents while kneeling for 30 years, and that’s what I prefer.



I use straight paddles when in rapids, when I want turning control on twisty streams, when I want leverage in lake wind and waves, and when I want to push-pole off the bottom.



What is really sub-optimal is swinging heavy weight tens of thousands of times in a day’s paddle. Therefore, I like carbon paddles. However, if you can afford only one carbon, I would spend that on a ZRE Power Surge bent shaft - the paddle you will be swinging the most on all those forward strokes.



A decent straight wood paddle with chip resistant edges, though heavier, can serve the straight paddle purposes I mentioned above just fine. Several good wooden paddle companies have been mentioned.

used paddles
Zav paddles are highly praised by nearly everyone who makes the commitment to buy one (I know a couple of folks who don’t care for them) so you probably couldn’t go wrong with a ZRE if it is in your budget.



On the other hand, since you have not canoed for a while and really don’t know your preference at this point, it probably makes sense to take Terry’s advice and buy some used paddles when you find them at a good price.



There are a lot of factors that go into paddle choice apart from overall length, material, and whether it is a straight or a bent. You might find you have a preference for a T-grip as opposed to a palm grip, or vice versa, if it is a straight paddle you might prefer a symmetrical blade and grip that allows either face to be used as the power face, or you might prefer a dedicated power face. If you chose a bent shaft you may find that a particular angle suits best. And then there is blade shape and size.



Some elements can be customized by the buyer of high-end paddles like ZRE’s such as blade angle, blade width, etc. So if you can experiment with a few different models before you shell out $500 or so it might be to your advantage. If you buy a decent paddle at a good price you will probably be able to sell it again at little or no loss if it doesn’t suit.

Wenonah sells two versions of carbon
paddles, one is equivalent to the Zaveral Medium and one is equivalent to the Zaveral Black Rec.



I much prefer the Medium equivalent over the Black Rec equivalent.

Take a trip
Go to a real paddle shop and take a look around.

Then ask for help and they will explain what they have and what its for.

tell them straight up how much you have to spend.they will work with you,you may even want two different paddles; one for the bow and one for the stern paddler.

but befor you go sit in your canoe and try to get a good measurement of how you paddle to what your average waterline is.

Dont listen to the pro’s that say get this or that paddle.You may even be better off with the basic wood cavaness (or whatever their called) paddles of the proper length.

Dont let anyone fool you,we all have or had them at sometime.

Personally,if your just a recreational paddler you probably could get a set of paddles for the canoe and be quiet happy for many years if you look at werner and bending branches.And probably right around $200 for both.

GOOD LUCK

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I have checked out the many makers and suggestions. A 10oz ZRE is in my future. However I think I am going to start out with a 19oz 50" foxworx standard bent, and get some mileage under my belt with it before dropping the big bucks on a ZRE.

Trying paddles
In my paddle group while on a paddle,someone is always trading paddles to try a different one. This gives you a chance to try lots of different paddles and at the same time get everyones evaluation. many of us have picked a new paddle this way.

Turtle

Foxworx is good
That was my first lightweight bent, when it was originally Camp Paddles. Before carbon, Al Camp made just about the lightest weight wood paddles with a foam blade, which is what I bought two of. You might ask whether they still offer the foam blade and how much weight it would save.

Watch the Foxworx length…
many of the blades are only 17" long, rather than the more common 19" or 20", which means your Foxworx paddle with a 17" blade can be about 2" shorter than a Zaveral with a 19" blade.

Blade length does not matter
Only shaft length.

It does when suggesting overall length
without considering how long the blade is.



Shaft length is what matters, not overall length.

Very Good Advice
You can tell a lot more if you can get your hands ON the paddle. Unfortunately, I’m hundreds of miles from a decent paddle shop.

FoxWorx

– Last Updated: Jan-07-13 9:35 AM EST –

Has a very paddle specific sizing chart.

http://www.foxworxpaddle.com/sizing_chart.html

The one I am thinking about has foam

Foam adds a little structure
and saves a bit of weight…



Repair could be a little more difficult, I am not sure.

The chart is only a general guide

– Last Updated: Jan-07-13 7:18 PM EST –

While the foxworx chart is one of many different commonly used measurement methods, the optimum paddle length can depend on a lot more than that one measurement. Height above water line is what counts, and even that is not necessarily proportional depending on paddling style (racing or recreational), experience, favorite stroke, height of mounted seat, canoe load, and probably many other factors.

When I train for racing as bowman in one particular expedition voyageur canoe, I like to use a 54 inch bent shaft. In the stern, where the seat is higher and different strokes are called for, a 56 inch is better. Load the canoe with gear for multi-day races and I'll go with 52/54. In a different smaller voyageur canoe we use for training or short distance races, an inch or two shorter paddle is better.

In a larger tandem canoe I'll opt for a 53 or 52 inch paddle, 51 inch in a smaller tandem. In a Rapidfire with high seat I single blade with either a 50, 49, or 48 inch, depending on load and water conditions.

and that is why you probably
have 43 paddles as I do…



But where to start. Borrow something from someone and paddle with it. Measure from your grip hand to the point its wet. That is the shaft length.



Add the length of the blade. That works for straights. Bents involve a little trig.

Purging fanaticism and gearslutism …
… I think 50" for a Foxworx bent is a good length for a 5-10 guy.



While having different length paddles for different seating, hull and load configurations may be optimal, the recreational canoeist can adapt to many different length paddles. I’ve used the same favorites in all canoes for many years (some of them 30 years), but I’m a non-racing, lily dipping, steady-but-medium-pace, sub-optimal kind of guy.

Purging fanaticism & gearslutism II
Since being carved at the Skinboat school in 2003, my Aleutian paddle has been my go-to paddle in both canoes and kayaks. It works decent in any canoe or kayak and works super in the Rapidfire canoe and narrower kayaks. You do have to reach an accommodation with paddle drip on windy days.

paddles
Making paddles is always the best option. I like Sawyer Paddles in Talent, OR.

Mitchell
I have two Mitchell bent shaft paddles that I like. Very light and they didn’t cost a ton. I highly recommend Mitchell if you don’t want to shell out a lot of money. I don’t think I spent over $50 for either.



I also have two straight shaft paddles, an Owl Head and Bending Branches. They are heavier than the Mitchells. They were pretty cheap, but still light years ahead of any of the cheap aluminum paddles I’ve used.