Paddles for Kayaking are made of a variety of materials to provide a wide choice of price and performance. Whether it is touring, whitewater, surf or recreation - we have the paddle for you.

The shafts are usually made using an aluminium, glass fibre or carbon kevlar lightweight tube. This has to be strong enough to stand the rigours of paddling, whether it is white water, surf or simply recreational touring. It is common to have an oval cross-section or indexed (raised) region at right angles to the blade to provide feedback and reassurance to the paddler, as to blade angle. A layer of rubber or plastic sleeving is usually provided to improve grip and comfort to the paddler. Aluminium shafts tend to be significantly heavier than carbon versions and less comfortable as the cold metal draws heat from the hands. Children's paddles such as the Gremlin have smaller diameter shafts and are lighter for ease of use although not as strong as those for adults.

The working surface of a paddle is the blade. Again, the compromise is between cost, weight and performance. At the bottom of the scale are those made from PE plastic such as the TNP, leading up through a variety of injection molded materials, fibreglass & foam composites through to nylon (Mania & Nevis Bluff) and pressure moulded fibreglass (Werners and Robsons). The nylon blades offer the greatest cost / strength / resilience to the rigours of rock-bashing and whitewater, and the pressure moulded fibreglass offers the lightest weights / performance / strength, but at a price!.

The angle between the two blades is termed the 'feather'. It is common for this angle to be between 45 and 90 degrees.

Left and right-handed versions are available. Be sure to check that you have the right one. It can easily be checked by holding the paddle vertical and placing the face of the lower blade towards your feet. The direction that the face of the upper blade shows the 'handidness'. Upper Blade face, points in the direction of left (left handed) or right (right handed).

The shafts come in variety of lengths and should be chosen to suit the height and activities of the paddler. Most white water, surf and playboaters prefer short blades (around 190-200cm) for a faster stroke rate for quick acceleration. Sea kayakers tend to go for a longer blade (215-225cm or more) such as the Archipelago and Kinetic Touring that is more suited to the greater speeds involved and slower stroke rate. For greater efficiency, there are also 'cranked' shafts available which reduce the angle on your wrists for increased power and speed.