I believe that as your education grows, so will your opinions. That's just a personal observation, not a declaration. I first rented fairly cheap paddles, along with similar type canoes, and learned as I went along. I bought my first paddle while a fit of miserly compromising hit me. It was a total waste of $ 20. I then bought ones we continue to use today. They feel good for our learning hands. They didn't cost more than about $ 60 + each; I later splurged on a more expensive one for soloing. I don't know if we'll move on and up from these, as we hopefully improve and learn. It might be fair to apply a "you get what you pay for" to paddles, but I'm still learning. I'd suggest you buy what you can easily afford and keep learning. My first paddle feels like an oar to me now. This sliver of knowledge is coming from someone still somewhere well down the learning curve, but enjoying it all the same.