A month and half on my new Jackson Mayfly, looking for a new paddle. Currently have a cheaper Shoreline propel pulse, cant find the weight of it anywhere on line. Would like to upgrade a bit, but not break the bank. Lighter is better! At this point and most likely for most of the time open water, on lakes.
What say you?

I'm in a pedal yak so don't do a lot of paddling. BUT from what I've heard Werner makes the best but plan on spending $400ish. I know Academy sells a straight shaft carbon fiber paddle for about $120 and a bent shaft for $150ish and they are pretty light. Only available in 230 cm tho. If I had a paddle yak I would definitely buy a great paddle. It's hard to spend that kind of money on a paddle but I can see how it would make a huge difference in half a day or more of paddling.

If you haven't seen this lots of good info hear. https://paddling.com/learn/best-kayak-paddle-2019/

thank you Jerry

Hard to go wrong with a Werner paddle, I started out with a Werner Tybee Hooked fiberglass paddle that was around $135, recently upgraded to a Werner Skagit CF (around $185) (carbon reinforced blades & shaft) and the difference in weight was not very noticeable but it does seem to paddle alot better for my style of paddling. I was also given a Bending branches Angler Pro paddle from a buddy who sold all his kayaking gear and its a fantastic paddle, very light and functions great. Downside is it is about a $300 paddle new. Some guys on here have spent much more on paddles as well, but there are lots of benefits from the different styles, & materials used to make the paddles that i am not experienced or smart enough to speak on. I think like everything paddling related, really helps to go check some out in person, put your hands on some and see what feels good to you.

Thank you. Looking at a straight shaft, around 240cm to 250 cm my yak is 35in wide and im 5'7"

Check out the AquaBound Manta Ray Carbon (regular or Posi-Lok), only 29.5 ounces and $190-$200. Also, get yourself a set of YakGrips.

Kayak paddles basically break out into 6 groupings and price ranges:

1 - Aluminum shaft with fiberglass reinforced nylon blades (under $100)
2 - Fiberglass shaft with fiberglass reinforced nylon blades ($100 - $120)
3 - Carbon Fiber shaft with fiberglass reinforced nylon blades ($130 - $150)
4 - Carbon Fiber shaft with carbon fiber reinforced nylon blades ($180 - $200)
5 - Carbon Fiber shaft with fiberglass blades ($250 - $300)
6 - Carbon Fiber shaft with carbon fiber blades ($350 - $460)

I never recommend any to start with an aluminum shafted paddle. They weigh quite a bit and the black aluminum gets hotter to the touch compared to a non metal shaft paddle. I've had two aluminum shafted paddles fail on me when I first started kayaking 16 when the plastic paddle blade separated from the metal shaft. I attribute this to the difference in the expansion and contraction rates of two dissimilar materials.

Generally speaking with each step up in material (and price) you're going to get a lighter weight paddle with stiffer blades. Lighter paddles mean less wear and tear on your body throughout the day and many trips. The less weight you're lifting up the less energy your going to use to paddle. A paddle with stiffer blades is also important because it's more efficient at taking your energy input (the stroke) and converting it to forward motion. A blade which flexes is just lost energy, which means you're going to work a little harder. Now, some people will say stiffer blades are more brittle. I disagree. I've been using the same all carbon fiber paddle for over 12 years now. I've used it 5+ miles out in the Gulf of Mexico pushing off barnacle encrusted oil platforms, as a push pole on the flats pushing myself across oyster beds, and running rapids of hill country rivers digging into limestone crevices. It's not showroom fresh by any means, but I have no reason to suspect it'll fail anytime soon.

After price and shaft/blade material has been considered the last thing you'll want to decide on is blade shape. High angle paddlers (majority of SOT kayak anglers use high angle) benefit from slightly shorter, but broader blade shapes. Low angler paddlers benefit from slightly longer, but narrower blade shapes. IMO, I think SOT kayak anglers benefit more from paddle blades designed for high angler paddlers. I think they're better at getting heavier and less efficient (when compared to sit in touring kayaks) going on the water and assist in maneuvering the kayak while underway or turning around.

Your main players who make paddles are Accent/Cannon paddles, Bending Branches/Aqua Bound paddles, Werner, and AT/Wilderness Systems. Their paddles typically fall into the materials within a price range I mentioned earlier. Box stores such as Academy, Bass Pro, and Field & Stream have their own paddles as well and typically offer a similar spec'd paddle for a cheaper price. The limitations with the box store brands are going to be what length of paddle they offer, because it will be limited.

Here's a spreadsheet with information of paddles broken down by the materials used to make the paddle and then weight. It's a good starting point and let's you easily compare paddle specifications side by side for high angle paddles: Google Spreadsheet

Determine your price you want to be at and then I recommend getting the lightest paddle within the price range.

Hope this info helps and isn't too overwhelming.

Thanks Neumie, very informative helpful post.

Thanks Tallgrass, that is the paddle i have been looking at.

If it ain't $400+ it ain't worth using at least according to... Chad H

Amanda and i swing all carbon werners. We each have a ikleos and i also have a corryvreckyn. That said,,,i think the best buy in kayak paddles is the carbon shaft/fiberglass blades,,,not fiberglass reinforced plastic, but the fiberglass blades werners. Take my corryvreckyn, its like 27 oz and $400ish, the same paddle with glass blades is 1 oz heavier and a little over $200.

Good stuff!

ack.com has a number of paddles on sale for 15% off, including the AquaBound Manta Ray Carbon.

OP sorry for this. Neumie here's a line of kayaks I have not seen before. Looks to be from the oversees line. I don't have any more info on them.

https://tay-yas.com/product-category/tay-yas-fishing/kayaks/

I have't seen this company, but yeah they're getting their kayaks from the same Chinese manufacturer as about 4 or 5 others on my list.