Paddlesports gear and know-how
Clear kayak guidance for your next decision
You can compare published specifications and practical guidance without testing claims or inflated promises.
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Latest guides
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Kayak Gear: Paddles, Life Jackets and the Rest
What to buy after the boat, and how to size it: paddle length and blade style, life-jacket type and fit, and the care that keeps both serviceable.
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High-Angle or Low-Angle: Matching Blade to Stroke
Short wide blades for a vertical, faster stroke; long narrow blades for a relaxed one. What makers say each does, and how the choice changes your length.
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How to Choose a Kayak Paddle: Length, Blade and Material
Boat width first, then your height, then your stroke. How the makers' charts work, what each blade family is for, and what the material tiers weigh.
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Kayak Paddle Care, Storage and When to Replace
Rinsing a ferrule, protecting blades from sun, storing through a freeze, and the wear signs makers and retailers name as the point to retire a paddle.
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Kayak Paddle Materials: What Each Tier Weighs
Aluminum and plastic through fiberglass, carbon blends and full carbon, with published weights, blade areas and list prices for each tier.
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Feathering a Kayak Paddle: The Case Either Way
Why blades are offset, what angles makers offer, and why instructors and racers still disagree about whether feathering helps or hurts your wrists.