The shape of your blade goes back to whether you prefer a low-angle or high-angle paddling style. Low-angle blades are narrow and long, which makes them more comfortable for casual and long distance paddling. High-angle blades, on the other hand, are short and wide and are designed for maximum power when paddled at a high angle.

Plastic/ fiberglass reinforced plastic These are the most economical blades you’ll find. Plastic blades are most commonly found in recreational kayak paddles. Reinforcing plastic blades with fiberglass can improve performance and durability. Fiberglass This is your middle of the road option. Fiberglass blades offer excellent durability and performance but are significantly cheaper than carbon fiber blades. They’re a good fit for more committed recreational paddlers and as entry-level touring paddles. They have a little bit of flexibility so this makes them a bit more impact resistant, which is nice if you’re paddling around rocks.

Straight vs Indexing Straight shafts are what most paddlers are familiar with. However, if you do a lot of paddling or have issues with your wrists an indexed shaft is worth considering. This allows you to grip the paddle firmly with your right hand and loosely with your left hand, which will prevent fatigue and lead to a more pleasurable experience. Most Pelican paddles come with this feature. Feathering All of our shafts allow you to ‘feather' your paddle blades so they're offset from each other. Paddling with offset blades reduces the wind resistance of your upper blade while it's moving through the air. Adjustable length

Aluminum Shafts made from aluminum are easy on your wallet and are actually fairly durable. The downside is that they can be uncomfortable to hold when it’s hot or cold out. This is particularly worth thinking about if the water you’re paddling in is cold. That is why certain Pelican paddles offer features such as PVC sleeves or PU coatings, which gives a feeling of rubber around the shaft. Fiberglass Composite materials make for the most lightweight and highest performance shafts. Fiberglass fibers are excellent at insulating your hands against the water temperature.

Having a lighter paddle allows you to extend your time on the water and do more paddling with less fatigue. Shaving off a pound may not seem like much but it adds up over the course of several hours of paddling and thousands of strokes.

More rigid materials perform better while paddling and do a better job turning your effort into forward motion. Materials with more flex don’t hold their shape as well while moving through the water, leading to less efficient paddling and requiring more strokes to cover the same distance.

While there are exceptions, higher-end materials are generally tougher and will stand up to abuse better than lower quality materials.

As with most things, you will pay a premium for higher quality materials. From affordable to more expensive, here are Pelican’s material combinations: Plastic blade/aluminum shaft Fiberglass reinforced plastic blade / composite shaft *Refer to the comparison chart below