The Family Boat Shop™
bringing families together on the water

Selecting Paddles and Oars

Canoe & Kayak Paddles

A paddle should be light and strong enough not to bend.  It should float but not be so buoyant that it is hard to submerse.  A long blade will allow greater travel in the water but is not so useful in shallow waters and must be lifted higher on the return.  The length of the paddle handle is also important.

Single ended canoe paddle:- Kneeling upright on the floor with the grip end on the floor and the paddle upright, the blade should start somewhere between your chin and your eyes. 

Included with Pelican International canoes is a pair of 54" (1.35m) Pelican paddles.  Manufactured in Aluminium with strong plastic blades and handles.  These are economical, light and will last a long time.
Our cheapest and lightest paddle is the 1.2m Lalizas aluminium paddle.  Ideal for children but perfectly OK for adults.  It has a 25mm diameter shaft.
The stronger alternative in  aluminium and plasitic with a 35mm diameter handle is the Lalizas White Paddle.  Available in lengths 1.35m and 1.55m.  The Polypropylene blades are virtually indestructable.
Paddles made by Gull in New Zealand are made of Tasmin Fir in lengths from 1.05m (3'6") to 1.5m (5') and have a smart  Red Beech palm grip.
Striped paddles feature Gull's unique laminated shaft with strong Australian Ash on the stressed faces supported by a light weight Fir core.  These shafts are almost as strong as solid Ash shafts but are lighter, prettier and much more stable.

Double ended kayak paddles:- Stand vertically with one arm help above your head.  The top of the paddle should be about level with your wrist.  To check the handedness of the paddle with the bottom blade curving towards you the top blade's curve will face to the right for a right handed paddle.

Paddles are typically manufactured in woods, aluminium and plastics.

Oars for Rowing

Oars are hooked into a receptacle "Rowlock" on the side of the boat "gunwale".  The Rowlock is pushed into a "Ferrule" and is free to rotate.  The boat takes the weight of the oar near its balance point.  In small boats the rower can then take an oar in each hand and work them as levers against the water.  Generally the rower sits facing backwards so that his or her full weight can be used to pull the oar through the water.  Oars are nearly always made of wood. 

The length of the oar is determined by the width (beam) and height above the water of the rowing position in the boat.  With both oars balancing on the edge, the handles must be a comfortable distance apart. and the blades of the oars should submerge without the hands having to go so high they are hard to pull without standing up.  On larger boats and racing boats the rower has just one oar and uses both hands to pull.

Select Oars - A beautifully finished, laminated oar made from Tasman Fir, finely sanded and grain sealed before varnishing.  Robust and strong but light and durable.  Supplied with sleeves. Jointed Oars - The result of considerable research and rigorous testing over a number of years.  The tiugh nylon snaplock joint avoids the problems of denting and corrosion associated with metal ferrules. Ash Oars - Crafted from strong durable Australian Ash these heavy duty oars have extra long laminated blades and selected straight-grain robust shafts. River Oars - Fir/Ash Laminated 51 or 56 mm Dia Shaft.  Feature Gull's unique laminated shaft with strong Australian Ash on the stressed faces supported by a light weight Fir Core.  These shafts are almost as strong as solid Ash shafts but are lighter, prettier and much more stable.  They also have a hardwood fillet laminated into the blade tip to resist splitting in arduous conditions. Supplied without sleeves.  Generally can obtain Polyshrink Sleeving 58-38 mm   Rowlocks/Oarlocks and Sleeves Additional sleeves are available for the 40mm and 44mm shafts.  Manufactured from black Polyurethane plastic, these sleeves cannot be broken, are very resistant to abraision and will last for years. Rowlocks are also available in galvanised steel or brass. Galvanised Rowlocks - 50mm x 10mm (2" x 3/8thds) Brass Rowlocks - 50mm x 14mm (2" x 5/8thds)