Just picked me up a Pelican the Catch 120 kayak. I picked up a decent Magellan paddle from Academy. I know you're supposed to buy the best one you can afford cause it's your motor, etc.. but are there many other options out there without spending a couple hundred bucks? Currently I have a Magellan Fusion, it's a broad 230cm paddle ($49).

I'm mostly doing short trips on freshwater lakes and ponds, nothing crazy, and have no desire to saltwater fish. no offense guys.

Any opinions? Are these magellan paddles any good?

I dont know about that specific paddle. Great paddles are great but good tecnique is better.

Thanks, I'm just curious about the Magellan brand in general. It's pretty much the only paddle brand Academy carries.

Whatever works for you, and it depends on how much paddling you do and your paddling technique. Those paddles are about 70ish ounces. If you ever lift a paddle that is half the weight, you'll sure notice the difference. My spare paddle is about 36 ounces and cost $120, I can feel the difference between it and my lighter primary paddle.

You can get a much lighter paddle for $50-70 from ACK.

I will recommend a pair of YakGrips, they are worth every penny.

Never thought about the weight as much. Thanks. Im wondering if i need a longer paddle cause of the width of the yak, its 34 in wide.

Would you guysrwcommwnd a paddle longer than 230cm for a wide kayak in general? Ive read online about how paddle length can be relative to body size too

i heard that the aqua bound manta ray is a pretty solid paddle but it runs about 130 dollars

A number of paddle makers have fit guides, as in:
https://aquabound.com/kayak-paddle-sizing-guide
http://www.wernerpaddles.com/fit-guide/

Thanks guys. I've read all the online fit guides and I think I'm in the ballpark. I'm more curious if anyone has any experience with these Magellan paddles

Magellan paddles are as good as any of the others in that price range. Nothing wrong with them. A lightweight, properly sized paddle will make a huge difference at the end of the day. But then, so will using the proper paddling technique.

I wanted a light paddle, without spending 3 to 4 hundred bucks. I found a guy in California that makes strong, light paddles for cheap. Most makers concentrate on a carbon fiber shaft to give strength with light weight. This guy, Pacific Design Paddles, makes a really light aluminum, 3-piece shaft, and uses ABS plastic for the blades. My 130 cm paddle weighs 29 ounces, and was $114.00 plus postage! He will make paddles in whatever length you want, in two blade sizes. I was skeptical, but a guy from Victoria used one of his paddles in The Texas Water Safari. I called the guy and he said he still has the paddle, and it did great. If you can't kill one in that race, it's tough! I've had mine for a year, have used it to push off oyster reefs, kedge off sandbars, and it's like new. I have done things with my paddle I wouldn't risk an expensive carbon fiber paddle on. I really like that the blades are light and strong, reducing "swing weight", and that makes me less tired at the end of the day. Check out his website: Pacific Design Paddles. IslandJim

I have paddled with a Magellan carbon fiber paddle and was really impressed. I liked the fit and finish and felt that the Magellan was a very good paddle for the money. The only problem that I saw with the paddle was that it was a one size fit all paddle that only comes in one size, (90 inch/ 228 cm) but since that is pretty close to my paddle length that wasn't a problem for me. If I were in the market for a European paddle (I use a greenland paddle) I would definitely pick up one of the bent shaft paddles. In short, I would highly recommend the two below, but I cannot comment on their other paddles. I hope that this helps. Good luck with your search.

Straight Shaft paddle


Bent Shaft Paddle

Have you looked at the Werner Skagit ? It�s just a tad over 100 bucks and is a great paddle!
WERNER

For short trips, the Magellan kayak paddle will do just fine. I got one last summer when it was on sale for about $50. I've used it to paddle 6 miles of open water on lake Travis and up Yegua Creek with no problems. I use four different kayak paddles and find that they all work about the same for me. A paddle made from lighter materials does feel slightly easier on the hands and arms, but they all feel about the same until you paddle continuously for long distances. The paddle blade geometry is the thing that is most noticeable to me. The narrower blades seem to work best for long distance shallow stroke paddling and the wide blade gives you more deep stroke power for quick control. I would encourage you to experiment with the blade angle adjustment, if you haven't already. Adjusting the blade angle will lower wind resistance when paddling across open water, if you use proper paddling technique. Kayak paddles are a lot like fishing poles, in that some people are happy with simple basic equipment while others need to spend hundreds of dollars to get the level of performance they require.