Kayak paddle recomendations

Dave M

Dave M

Well-known member
It has been almost 2 years since i started the Kara Hummer project and she is finally done !!! Pics soon i promise !!! My question is what is the rule of thumb for determining the length of a kayak paddle ? A good friend gave me a nice paddle but it is a little short for the Kara because it is so wide is there some formula that you go by or is it whatever works best ? I can put a spacer in this paddle to make it longer but i have a few weeks before we will hunt it again but would like to parctice more with it , this is going to be a fun little boat !! Thanks



Dave M
 
I bought the longest paddle I could, and bought a 7 footer. Unfortunately, it was also heavy like heck, and the blade was a simple flat one. I bought a lighter, shorter, 6ft paddle with concave blades that make paddling a dream. It takes a bit getting used to, but I've found that your seated position in the boat, together with how the weight is ditributed, is a much bigger factor than the paddle length.

My $0.02

Anthony
 
I hunt out of a Kara hummer also and I prefer to Paddle it. I looked for the longest one I could find at a cheap price. I ended up going with a company Called Bending Branches. The shaft is aluminum and filled with Foam and the blades are concaved for a little extra power. Around here, the retail shops only carry two or three sizes. If I'm not mistaken, the one I have is 120cm. It was the longest of the three. I love the way my kara paddles. Glad to see others doing the same.
 
If I'm not mistaken, the one I have is 120cm
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.

Lonnie,

You might want to double check that, 120cm is only 47.25 inches. The typical lengths carried at my local kayak shop are 220, 230and 240 cm.
 
Steve ,

I did get out 1 day that was Monday , it is a neat little boat, not for rough water and i need to get used to paddleing kayak style but very stable for sure that is the best part . The only other thing i find about it is that it is a little heavy , buit we can work with that for now . We did not shoot anything not in the right spots due to me lack of scouting it is still early though, did you get out at all ??


Dave M
 
Dave,
when I have to paddle I kneel a little back from the center of the boats CG and load it so it is just a bit stern heavy.

The higher position of kneeling is no problem for stability and allows a shorter paddle to work OK.
But I need to make a "kneeling seat" some of the canoe guys use if it is a longer pull. My knees cant stay like that like they used to for catching back in the day!

I like polling better and would go to a trolling motor if longer trips were on the menu regularly. But I dont need one more registered boat.

You are going to love fly fishing out of the boat next summer!
 
Hi Bob ,

What i did was i started in the middle that caused the bow to push alot of water so i moved back to allow the bow to rise up out of the water it worked great , but it was a pain to keep the Kara straight while under paddle , i agree the outboard would be the way to go but the way i justified building this was it would be a cheap ride to and from the blind or spot we hunt , so paddle or push pole will need to work for now , i have not tried poling this boat yet but plan to try this weekend now that we have it on the trailer , i am looking forward to using the crap out of this boat flyfisihng would be awesome out of it . Looking forward to the Dec hunt !!


I will call you this week to chat


Dave M
 
Im in the same boat with the trolling motor.

The pole takes a bit of time to figure out,
but mine tracks straight without runners and slides right over the lilly pads and mud. With a heck of a load.

Fun Boat!
 
If I'm not mistaken, the one I have is 120cm
Click to expand...
.

Lonnie,

You might want to double check that, 120cm is only 47.25 inches. The typical lengths carried at my local kayak shop are 220, 230and 240 cm.
Click to expand...

Your right. I think I would have a problem paddling with that short of a paddle. I think I ment that I have a 240cm.
 
Building a serviceable kayak paddle is easier than you might think, especially if you have some leftover 1/4" ply, glass cloth and epoxy. Get a closet pole, rip it lengthwise and insert a 1/4" spacer the length of the pole, leaving about a 10" slot on each end. Then cut your paddles out of 1/4" ply. (I used a diamond shaped paddle, but you can find lots of different paddle shapes with a google search). Insert the paddles into the slots using slightly thickened epoxy. Then cover the paddles and 10" ends of the pole with glass cloth and epoxy to strenghten it. Paint to match the Kara.

Rick
 
My experience is the same as Dave M explained. I need to be slightly aft and kneeling. Where did you see a kneeling seat?? My old legs get cramps and go numb! Where I paddle my kara there is a good current and getting back to the truck can be a chore. I did put the runners on my kara but once it gets off track it is tough to get back on line. I use a long straight blade paddle and also pole with it in shallows or through weeds. motors are not allowed so the trolling motor stays home. I love hunting from it but need one about 30 ft long to cary all my stuff! Hope to get mine out next week, John
 
Dave,

We managed to hunt on Saturday. I use the term "hunt" loosely. Mostly we sat in comfort and used the cell phone to photograph the great scenery. We saw at least 40 ducks, but only one got close enough at a time when we could take a shot.

As for propulsion on the Kara, if an affordable 2.5 horsepower honda ever comes your way you may want to seriously consider it. My friend owns one, and it is quite light.
 
Ed ,


Thank you for the heads up i am going to order it this weekend for sure , not a bad price either . Thanks again


Have a safe season !!!



Dave M
 
Dave,

It's a good quality too. You'll be happy with it. There's not many available in all black. I need to order myself a new one as well. My kayak is 31" wide but the extra length is nice. I sold mine when I sold my Aquapod. Dumb move on my part.

Take care and have a good season.

Ed
 
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