[Magicrik]

Does the paddle you have make a differnce to how your kayak handles?
Or is it just the lighter your paddle the easier on your arms it is?
And if it makes a diff what paddle sould i be looking at?

As for the wheels i live on the canal in maroochydore and my next door neighbour has a boat ramp, so getting in and out of the waters not going to be a problem. But im going to need some wheels to stop my yak from scraping on the floor right?
If so im going to make my own.
Im not paying $120+ for something that will cost me $30 to make.

 

[troppo]

Type of paddle makes a big difference. A small blade can be easy to use for long trips but lack capacity to do power strokes. Shaft length depends on your height/arm length and width of yak. Feathering of blades seems difficult to handle to start with but good in long run, especially when wind is against you. Feathering can be various angles and even left or right hand.

Then, moving away from the basics above, there is shape of blades and shape of shaft (some are bent), plus things like locator ridges, type of materials used etc.

Having said all that, I use a paddle I made using wood and ply and saturating epoxy or a $100 one I negotiated thrown in when buying yak.

Others should be able to give better info on brands. Since mine are used for keeping yak from hitting oyster-covered rocks and fending off crocs etc, I didn't want to pay top dollar. If I was doing more long distance ocean stuff, yes, I would put in time and money to get a better one for efficiency.

Wheels: Have you checked for trolleys using search? Some great ideas and pics buried away on this forum.

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

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

 

[Davey G]

paddles are a personal choice but look for a fibreglass shaft and plastic blades for good allround performance in the $90-$150 range. Length between 200cm-240cm depending on your size, yak width etc

I dont use a trolley and I DO drag my yak down boatramps, sealed roads, carparks, across dirt and tree roots etc. I generally load up the yak next to my car and drag it the rest of the way to the waters edge (this varies between 10metres -30 metres)

Yes the bottom does get scratched. No it doesn't affect performance (I'm not exactly racing) and so far there has been no chance of putting a hole in the hull. I'd hesitate at dragging it over oysters etc but boat ramps, roads etc are generally OK

These things are TOUGH, and are built for a bit of rough handling. Thank god, cause I manage to give it heaps. :roll: .

 

[hairymick]

G'day Rik,

Mate, I reckon a good paddle is EVERYTHING. There are some very good paddles available on the Sunshine Coast. I would recommend you call in and have a chat with the boys at the Seak kayak shop (AussieSeaKayaks)in Mooloolaba (near underwaterworld) or give Kerry Richards of Natureline up at Ninderry a shout. Both have excellent ranges of quality paddles and they know their onions.

I use mainly a Canoe Sports 230 or a Skee about the same length. They retail for around $200.00 and are worth every cent IMHO. Another very good paddle though a little smaller is a Davenwood (available through Kayanu) retail around $110.00. Robin (Purple Girl) uses one of these and loves it to bits.