Most double-bladed paddles are feathered: the blades are
offset by an angle between 45 and 90 degrees. This is done in order that
the upper blade will cut cleanly through the air during the forward
stroke and offer minimum windage. Well, maybe if you're an Olympic
athlete, paddling into the wind in half a gale…. For the rest of
us, though, feathering is a mixed blessing. It takes some getting used
to, for one thing. You grip the paddle with your "control
hand"—usually the right, even for southpaws—while allowing the
shaft to rotate in the other, as you orient the blades to strike the
water squarely. Until you get the knack, you'll find yourself trying to
brace with the edge of your paddle from time to time. Still, we all need
a little rescue and recovery practice, don't we?
More importantly, perhaps, the constant extension of the wrist that
feathered blades require can predispose you to repetitive stress injury,
or aggravate an old carpal tunnel problem if you already have one.
Happily, newer paddles are usually offset less than 90 degrees. That's
good as far as it goes, but the risk of injury remains, particularly on
long tours. You'll have to make your own decision. Every paddle I've
owned has been feathered, most of them a full 90 degrees, and I've never
had a problem, even on week-long tours. Still, I can't say I see offset
blades as offering any real advantage for most paddlers.
The best advice, as always, is to try both styles in a variety of
conditions, and see which you like best. Since many doubles are jointed,
or "break-down"—an eight-foot-long paddle is an awkward load to put
in the back of a Ford Focus, after all—the same paddle can often be
set up either way, feathered or unfeathered. This makes it easy to try
both styles. Don't plan on switching back and forth to suit
conditions, though. As you gain experience, you'll start thinking with
your muscles. If you switch from a feathered paddle to an in-line
paddle, it'll take your muscles a while to relearn old habits. In the
meantime, chances are good that you'll blow a brace and go for an
unplanned swim, usually just when it's least convenient. So try both
styles early on, make your choice, and then stick with it.
Speaking of different styles: If you're planning on extended,
open-water tours, take a look at Inuit-style paddles. They have
long, skinny, unfeathered blades, and they're ideally suited to hard
paddling in windy conditions. For folks with less ambitious goals,
however, or folks who plan on doing some easy whitewater, the more
common touring blades are probably better.
As is the case with canoe paddles, the ideal kayak paddle is (1)
light, (2) strong, (3) comfortable, and (4) cheap. And, as with canoe
paddles, no paddle will be ultra-light, super strong, and cheap.
You'll have to decide what's most important to you, and what you can
afford. Comfort is important to everyone, however. If you have small
hands, and if your paddle shaft is too thick, you'll have difficulty
hanging on. Boat control will suffer as a result, and long days on the
water won't be any fun. A final consideration: shafts can be oval or
round. Most people find oval shafts more comfortable.
The moral? Try before you buy.
And when buying, or borrowing, length matters. For some reason, even
though canoe paddles are usually sized in inches, American catalogs give
the lengths of kayak paddles in centimeters. No problem. 220- to 240-cm
paddles (roughly, 7 to 8 ft long) are just right for most
adults in most touring and recreational kayaks. The wider your kayak,
all other things being equal, the longer your paddle should be. Paddlers
in big folding doubles or inflatables will want something close to
250 cm (8¼ ft). Whitewater boaters, on the other hand,
will go shorter, starting at 205 cm (6¾ ft) and moving
down from there.
You've plenty of choice. The catalogs are full of paddles. Don't let
this overwhelm you—you only need one. (There should always be at
least one spare in every party, however.) Borrow or rent, then buy.
Choosing a paddle isn't rocket science, but it's a very important
decision. After your PFD, your paddle is the most important tool in your
kit. It has to fit, and it has to suit both your boat and the kind of
kayaking you want to do. 'Nuff said.
Copyright © 2001 by Verloren Hoop Productions. All
rights reserved.