“Larger” could be subjective here, whatever that may be to you. It is of course a relative term, compared to whatever you normally use.
Is it when the waves are a certain height?
Is it when your trip will be under a certain number of miles?
What are all the factors that go into it for you?
I had a paddle break once. I don’t remember if my backup was larger but it didn’t matter.
As I begin to get tired , I’ll switch to a less aggressive paddle.
As I begin to get tired , I’ll switch to a less aggressive paddle.
Why not start with the less-aggressive one first?
I have a damaged left shoulder and usually use the less aggressive one but sometimes the need for speed just happens when my ego kicks in. Or I’m racing a grandson.
I also suffer from this same ailment frequently. I feel you.
If I feel like I would prefer more purchase or bite in the water with my paddle, my next thoughts usually go to the technique I’m using. I’ll start thinking about how well I’m planting the blade before applying pressure, whether that’s a forward/reverse stroke, sweep stroke, rudder stroke, or whatever strokes I’m using. If I’ve got paddle placement and plant as good as I feel possible, I’m also thinking about my body mechanics both above and below the deck. Are the right muscles relaxed while the opposing muscles are engaged, or am I tense anywhere in a way where I’m engaging muscles that are working against my goal. Am I choosing the right strokes for this paddle/boat/wind/wave/current combination? Can I mix it up outside of the first thing that’s occurring to me and achieve more desirable results? I’ve been paddling a lot of years year-round, I like to challenge myself, and I still consider all this contemplation good practice.
As I gain that higher appreciation for what’s possible upon applying myself, I might still decide I really want a stronger catch. This could be flatwater in a maneuverable boat really practicing finesse with maneuvering strokes, really trying to get my sea kayak to dance. This would be all variable speed from swift moving to barely moving at all, still wanting extra purchase and really dialing in the blade angle control to control the amount of pressure. It could be in a hard-tracking boat where more pressure and more careful placement and plant is necessary to achieve the maneuvers. It could be wanting fast acceleration, such as catching waves, or anything you can imagine where you may want to accelerate very quickly. It could be all about speed, such as using a wing paddle with a fast kayak or surfski, where I’m dialing in a very solid catch where it doesn’t slip. It could be desiring strong purchase for quick maneuvers between waves in rough water.
The “larger” I’m using here is “more applied pressure”. It could be blade area, blade shape, paddle length. And of course, all considerations taken into account. As an example, I don’t choose a wing blade in trying to make my kayak dance, as drawing the wing blade toward the kayak falls outside the pleasant realm of the wing blade design.
The same considerations can be used when considering a smaller paddle. If I’m wearing myself out, am I just being too metronomic, keeping the same cadence no matter what? Am I ground speed slow and applying very little pressure traveling against the current and fast and applying more pressure than I’m capable of maintaining traveling with the current and against the wind, for example. So maybe I think about regulating applied pressure instead of a fairly constant XX strokes per minute?
In the end, smaller weighs less and catches less wind, so it’s desirable to the point where you can’t reasonably overcome its limitations.
I use the same paddle (or one very similar) all the time. It is a Greenland paddle with a bit extra in terms of surface area. It carries its width a ways back from the tip, instead of tapering from the tip. If I need less power (getting tired, or slowing to the group) I paddle slower.
Thank you for this excellent response; I’m enjoying this forum for the in-depth responses. (Reddit has some decent conversation sometimes but is still mostly generic pictures.)
It is my understanding that truly large paddles are just for sprinting or surf.
Let me explain my path. I will omit brand names and actual specs to focus on concepts.
I started with Paddle A. Paddle A is a medium-small blade size with a medium-long shaft length. Paddle A is very popular, highly regarded, and a conventional recommendation for my height.
I felt like I had some wasted motion with Paddle A. Higher-angle paddling feels much more natural to me and I hate the wobblies I get with lower-angle paddling. I felt like I was having to bring my top hand up superfluously high and fling around the weight of the paddle in the air too much.
So I tried Paddle B. Paddle B is very small in blade size and a short shaft length. I found that I LOVED Paddle B and that my intuition that I am one of those weirdos who, contrary to standard advice, prefer short paddles even though I am quite tall was correct. Whereas Paddle A would leave me sore, I could go much further with Paddle B and not feel sore at all.
However, sometimes Paddle B seemed to lack a little “oomph”. I occasionally wanted a little more…immediate reaction when I wanted to turn quickly or things were wavy/windy. (I’m on inland lakes and rivers, mostly, so not surfing or anything crazy; I’ve seen small waves of a couple of feet on my home lake when the wind picks up, though.) So, eventually I tried Paddle C.
Paddle C is a short shaft length like Paddle B but substantially bigger in blade size than Paddle A. Not really big, but medium-large, larger than average.
I’ve gone up to 15 miles so far with Paddle C without my shoulders getting sore at all, to my surprise. (My weak point is that my hip flexors get sore just from sitting up in the kayak that long.) A common trip for me is about 22 miles; I got to the point where I could do it last season without getting sore at all, but it’s too early in the season this year for me to have done the whole thing yet. I haven’t seen any other kayakers out yet at all in my area.
So, since the jump in blade size from Paddle A to Paddle C was so inconsequential (acknowledging the fact that there are many more variables involved), I’m curious in which conditions it may be warranted to try an even bigger blade.
I think at this point my next step is going to be digging into documentation of my trips and comparing different things over distances. It’s a balance between my need to unplug and be in nature vs. geeking out and digging into details to sate my need for speed.
Thanks for the response.
If you read my comment I just posted above for context,
If I need less power (getting tired, or slowing to the group) I paddle slower
this with Paddle C is what I’m thinking my default modus operandi may be moving forward.
However, in your case (or anyone else’s), why not use an even bigger paddle then if you can always simply slow down?
I’m not an orthopedic type except how my old body has educated me. My larger paddle puts more stress in my shoulder.
Leverage transfer?
This isn’t my area of expertise, so take my comments as that. My main goal is seeing things and not speed or exercise, but I do paddle a bit. I suppose that I might use a special larger blade for some special case like catching waves while surfing. But I’m cheap and I don’t surf all that much, so I want paddles that I can use most of the time. My somewhat large surface area Greenland paddle is something I can (and do) use when just paddling all day or if I have a stiff headwind and a kayak loaded for tripping. I’m not a racer, so I am content with a cruising speed of about 4 mph. If I weren’t then I would probably change kayaks instead of paddles.
This may not be of interest as it seems everyone here is a double blader, but since there was no specification that this was a kayak only thread, I’ll jump in. Ignore it if you want.
For single blade every day use I prefer longer paddle than is usually recommended and use a slower cadence than many. This is not the best approach for racing, fighting a strong current, or a headwind (fast cadence short stroking a ~50" 12 or14 deg bent shaft is better for those situations.), but is, for me at least, longer is better for endurance and maneuvering. A longer paddle makes for a more powerful sweep stroke and makes a bow or stern draw or pry easier.
In shallow rocky water I prefer a larger, stouter, rounder blade as it gets more paddle area in the water in spots where I may not be able to sink all (or even much) of the blade. And the paddle will take a beating.
For lakes or other deep water I prefer a beaver tail as they seem smoother for under water recovery strokes (Indian or Canadian) strokes which, again, I find less fatiguing over the long haul. I also sometimes use the beaver tail in shallow sandy rivers as well. I can use it to feel the bottom long before I can see it. It gives me an indication of whether I’m heading into shallower or deeper water and lets me know how to better choose a course that edges me to faster water. (Is that cheating?)
So I carry a beaver tail and either a bent shaft or stout straight shaft as a spare. Which I use most depends on what I encounter. Right tool for the job, y’know.
Thanks for the interruption. I now return you to your regularly scheduled program which is already in progress. 
Interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I am a kayaker yet I intentionally didn’t specify or restrict the blade types I was talking about to keep the conversation more broadly conceptual.
I use a 280cm paddle. It’s a Bending Branches Navigator. The carbon shaft makes a huge difference to my old body. It’s a 105 sq inches of blade surface but paddles so easy and efficiently. When I started I was told that the two things not to skimp on is a paddle and pfd. That has served me well. I paddle a Mad River Explorer 16 canoe that i converted to a solo.
I generally run a 613 sq/cm paddle, it’s my goto I can paddle it out of shape, or in shape. I also have my 650 sq/cm paddle. It’s also my go to for down river running, or when my upper body is in shape and I have the strength to properly pull a larger blade area at my preferred cadence.
since for down river running the larger blade area allows me to make quicker course corrections brake harder and whatnot. that and the fact that you are not expending energy like you would be doing in a race or on flatwater or in surf. you speed bleed is much less down stream than anywhere else.
so it really depends on the need. If I’m racing I’ll take the 613 sq/cm paddle as it’s the closest I have to my optimal blade surface area for my Age, Cardio conditioning and Strength. If I’m rivver running I’m taking my 650 sqcm blade as it’s a workhorse and I’m pretty sure I can’t break it. and for what it demands it only demands that in short bursts.
and if I’m screwing about or fishing (same thing.) I take the larger since the blades are made I’m sure of magic as the bounce off rocks have been run over and are still 100%
As a single blade kinda guy, it probably doesn’t apply to your question, but I reach for my big, Maine guide paddle when stern paddling a large canoe with grandkids and/or other inexperienced paddlers. Gives me a little extra when dealing with the rest of the crews’ ineffective strokes.
“In the end, smaller weighs less and catches less wind, so it’s desirable to the point where you can’t reasonably overcome its limitations”
I like that. Think I’ll steal it and pretend that I said it instead of you.
Just for your FYI 630 sq/cm is I think my Ideal blade area, and should I someone have a CF one at about 26 Oz or less we’d be having that and only that.
I reach for a full size blade with some offset for ww or for anything “textured” where I might need a brace. This is a because I lack technique using a greenland paddle and feel more confident using something the resembles a standard ww kayak paddle. It is a mental trust thingy, muscle memory with bracing.
For rec boating I’ve fooled with the greenland a wee bit, still getting the hang of it.
I like a longer canoe paddle for the stern or soloing and will only use a bent shaft or shorter paddle in the bow.
For ww c1ing I liked short shafted paddles with normal sized blades, a t grip, and I used a paddle blade in which the whole blade was encased in dynel. This was so I could throw it up on the rocks when I got out the the boat, which I did at every major rapid to video rafts . A buddy made my custom paddles and once he made a short c1 paddle that was fine to paddle with but rolling became harder with it so it didn’t get used as much.
My canoe paddles double as rafting paddles and they are a bit short for that but get used anyway. My kayak paddles also get used as ducky (IK) paddles and they are a bit short as well. Life is a compromise…and then there is the cadence x leandel- adjustable offset and length, nice and light. My go to paddle until I break it!