Paddles are like Rodney Dangerfield, they don’t get no respect. We spend days, months, even years, pondering what type of canoe to buy. Then, when it comes time to choose a paddle, we nonchalantly grab the closest one off the rack.
Years ago, I purchased a new Kevlar solo cruiser, a sleek 32-pound gem of a canoe as wispy as a heron’s feather on the water. Since the boat put a serious dent in my savings account, I thought I’d economize on the accessories. Instead of splurging on the ultralight, bent-shaft carbon fiber paddle I really wanted, I bought a cheap, heavy aluminum and plastic bent-shaft. After only a few days of use, I admitted that my new clunker paddle was a total mismatch for my high-performance craft.
So I marched back into the paddlesports shop and did what I should have done at the outset: I snagged the best bent-shaft I could afford—a high-strength, graphite paddle made for touring. All it took was a half-hour on a nearby lake for me to realize that I had made the right choice. I could paddle my hot little cruiser all day. My new blade made each stroke more productive, meaning I could cover longer distances with ramped-up speed, ease, and, yes, even more fun…
To read the rest of this article, check out Canoeroots & Family Camping, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
