Yak Paddle

[Memory Maker]

Hey Guys .......... I have recently picked up a paddle yak but don’t have a paddle and don’t know what to look for. I plan on using the yak mainly on Reservoirs and calm rivers and maybe the bay. I’m 5’ 10” and the yaks are Ocean Kayak Big Game and a Trident.

1). What should I look for, size, type, manufacturer etc.?

2). Does Anybody have 1 that I need that they want to get rid of ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[FishMoken]

For the trident you can go anywhere in the 230-240cm range. The big game I would recommend anything from a 240cm-250cm. If it’s the one with the frame style of seat maybe even 260cm but I find that to be overkill. As far as paddles go if you want to spend the money I’d say full carbon can’t be beat but you are looking at $400+. Depending on your needs a fiberglass paddle is just as good for more abound $250. The basic aluminum paddles with plastic blades are a waste and you loose efficiently while paddling. Stick with anything in the $150 dollar and up and it will work just fine. I’m partial to anything aqua bound then Warner as a close second.


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[Redfish12]

230cm was right for me on the trident 13. Let me know if you ever want to get rid of that one Rick!

[MD Dore]

You may also want to consider the blade type when selecting a paddle. There are different blade shapes for high and low angle paddling strokes.

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[Mark]

You may also want to consider the blade type when selecting a paddle. There are different blade shapes for high and low angle paddling strokes.

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Good point -- Elongated blade for paddlers with horizontal strokes and fatter blade for those with upright strokes.

To me the weight of the paddle is another key feature. Inexpensive paddles with aluminum shafts can weight 3 pounds or more. Carbon shaft paddles will weigh 27 ounces or less. Those extra ounces on an inexpensive paddle will multiply with each stroke on an outing.

I own two 240 cm Werner Camano Hooked paddles. They're lightweight and retail near $300. I was fortunate to win one in a raffle. I bought the other from ACK.com with a 15% discount which they offer often.

[dsaavedra]

Here are two resources that take into account the height of the paddler and the beam of the kayak: https://bendingbranches.com/pages/ka...e-sizing-guide and https://aquabound.com/pages/kayak-paddle-sizing-guide

I'll second what's already been said and recommend you get the lightest, highest quality paddle your budget will allow. You'll be swinging that thing around thousands (tens of thousands?) of times a day so literally every ounce matters. The higher quality paddles are usually more rigid too which is good for paddling efficiency - more of your energy goes directly into pushing the boat forward instead of being robbed by a flexing paddle.

There are lots of good paddles to choose from - Bending Branches, Werner, Aquabound, Carlisle, and I'm sure others all make good quality paddles. I use a Bending Branches Angler Ace and have been very happy with it.

[Memory Maker]

Thanks Guys .......... I’ll continue to search for a great paddle but in the meantime I found a bending branches Sunrise that seems to be ok to begin with. I took out the Ocean Kayak Big game today to test it out with the paddle ......... worked great ......... then I was testing the stability ........ the right side did great but I turtled on the left side. I have been baptized. Stabilizers are in the future for this Yak. Lol

[john from md]

I use Bending Branches and Aquabound paddles and have no issues with either.