Let’s talk about kayak paddles.
More specifically than that, let’s talk about why paddles come in such a wide range of prices. Your paddle is your connection to the water, so it's important to have a good paddle – but is it worth the difference between spending $100 and $500? Let’s dive in.
The Comparison
For this blog, I’m using the Aqua-Bound Whiskey and Sting Ray Paddles. I know there are a lot of other options out there on the market, but it’s what I have on-hand and use all the time. Plus, these paddles have comparable counterparts with other brands.
The $100 Paddle
Retail Price: $149 USD
For this comparison, I’m using the Aqua-Bound Sting Ray Hybrid paddle. It features a carbon shaft and fiberglass reinforced nylon blades. It comes in a variety of options such as a 2-piece snap button model or the new Posi-Lok system, but this model starts around $150 USD and goes up from there.
The $500 Paddle
Retail Price: Starting at $399 USD
The second paddle is the Aqua-Bound Whiskey Bent Shaft Fiberglass paddle. This paddle features full carbon shaft bent shaft and compression-molded fiberglass blades. Again, there’s a number of features that you can upgrade on this paddle, like full carbon blades instead of fiberglass, or a straight shaft vs bent shaft, but you’re looking at anywhere from $399-500 USD on this bad boy.
So, What’s the Difference?
Materials Matter
Sting Ray Fiberglass 2-Piece Paddle
In both paddles above, the shaft is made from carbon, which is stiffer and lighter than fiberglass options out there.
A carbon shaft is nice to hold, especially for a long day of paddling because that stiffness transfers into power. So every stroke you take, you get more pop from it because the shaft isn't bending as much.
If you’re looking to save a bit of money, the fiberglass shaft options are still great and they’re worth checking out.
Straight vs. Bent Shaft Paddles
You may be wondering “what the heck is the point of a bent shaft?” The purpose of the bent shaft is to put your arms in a more ergonomically correct position while you're paddling. So as you're pulling on a stroke, you're actually pulling so that the shaft angle is at a similar direction to the direction of pull. It feels good after a long day of paddling and some people really like the bent shaft, other people don't really notice that much, that's a matter of personal preference.
What I can tell you is that for me, having a bent shaft is a nice feature. I don't find it to be an enormous upgrade, but I like it. Is it worth the dollars that are required to upgrade to it? Well, because it comes with a carbon shaft, for me, it is. It's worth the extra money because you're getting a much better feeling paddle that transfers more power with each stroke and it feels better after a long day of paddling.
What About the Blades?
In the examples above, the blades are very different on each paddle. One being a compression molded fiberglass blade versus a reinforced nylon blade.
With the compression molded fibreglass, not only is your paddle going to be lighter, but it will be a lot stiffer, which in turn gives you a lot more pulling power. With the nylon reinforced blade (which is for all intents and purposes, plastic) you’re going to notice a bit more of a ‘flutter’ in the water, as it’s not as stiff.
Ultimately, that's the difference between an expensive paddle and a cheaper paddle. You're getting a paddle that's lighter, which makes it easier to paddle for a longer period of time, you're getting a paddle that actually is more efficient and you're getting a paddle that feels better in the water.
Is it Worth It?
So, is it worth the jump from $100 to $500? It really depends on how much you paddle.
For me, I paddle a lot for work and for leisure and so having a paddle that’s lighter, feels better in my hands and reduces paddling fatigue, it’s worth it to me. If you're only getting out for the occasional paddling trip, then you can definitely get by with the cheaper options out there.
The nice thing about paddles (and all paddling gear for the most part) is that a great secondhand market exists. This means you can start out with a cheaper model, and if you decide it’s not for you, you can recoup some of that initial cost and put it towards an upgrade down the line. It's usually not very hard to find someone to buy that paddle and some shops will do gear swaps, as well as sell their demo models. It’s always worth checking with your local shop to see what your options are.
Check Out Paddle Tales
Paddle Tales follows World Champion kayaker, Ken Whiting, around North America as he explores the continent by sea kayak, whitewater kayak, canoe, and stand up paddleboard, while telling the stories of the unique people and places that he encounters.
Please note: in the video linked above, I do mention the wrong paddle at 0:36 when discussing the different features, and there is also some confusion around upgrading paddle options for the Whiskey/Tango series, so I’ve tried to address them here in this blog post.
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