The spare paddle, what do you take?

[lowangle al]

We all take a spare paddle on trips, my question is; If money wasn't a consideration would you take an identical copy of your ultimate tripping paddle or would your spare be different to cover different situations. I always take a light paddle for efficiency but will back it up with something longer and more durable for when I need more leverage for ww or wind or when it's shallow and rocky.

 

[ShawnD]

Solo on flatwater my 2 paddles usually are a GRB 12 degree bent and a Werner Kaliste double blade.

Tandem my 3rd paddle will be an all rounder...like a GO Sugar Island.

 

[TrailBlaser]

I paddle solo and take a double-bladed paddle that breaks down and wood bent-shaft paddle.

 

[yknpdlr]

Depends a great deal on what I am doing, who I am with and the boat I am in. If simply recreationally tripping, I am usually using a straight wood ottertail, and my spare might be a similarly made beavertail/willow leaf blade, or maybe a GRB bent carbon. I might switch the spare to primary use as I encounter different water, weather, and depth conditions, or out of want to alter my technique a bit for fun and practice. If racing, my spare paddle would be another similar carbon paddle to what I am using as primary, maybe of the same length or within an inch of the primary length for variety or if I have chosen the wrong length primary paddle.

 

[Odyssey]

I currently take 2 paddles but neither of them are spares. Both for flatwater. The first, a 54" Grey Owl Voyageur, grabs a lot of water for putting miles behind us, leisurely or hurried. My second, a 57" Grey Owl Cherry Chieftain, is a pretty paddle, and exquisitely fun for deep water strokes and slowing down and just being there. (Works well solo.) I've thought of taking a spare for knock-around rocky shallows, but that's generally when I just get out and walk. I love these paddles, and have my eye on a beavertail to complete the mystery, but these are crafted tools. They are neither museum pieces nor trophy bling. In the event they get damaged I'll repair or replace. No fears. No tears. But at this rate that'll never happen, because I look after them. If the grandkids aren't careful they'll inherit some weird old man stuff, like wood paddles, canvas packs, wool socks and straw hats. I spoil those kids rotten.

 

[Zac]

Main: Wooden, lightweight with a bend or three
Spare: Wooden, durable, straight, and a little longer than I would want if I were using it all of the time. One that I'm not afraid to abuse.

I have a preference for the ones I've made myself. They are laminates made with western red cedar alongside either birch or aspen.

Same for solo as for tandem, just add the tandem person's paddle of choice to the mix.

Just got back from the Everglades. I only brought my main two paddles and my partner used a plastic job provided with the canoe rental... for about two hours, and then switched to the wooden one I brought as the spare.

 

[Pook]

Solo or tandem, go to paddles are cherry Kettlewell Ottertails.
Spare is a Grey Owl bent shaft wooden paddle- often switched for in shallower rivers and lakes .

Bruce

 

[Guest]

Depends a great deal on what I am doing, who I am with and the boat I am in.

For me it depends entirely on which boat, type and width and seat height, and where, flat or moving water or open-water wind. The “with whom” only comes into play on family trips; my wife often refuses to carry a spare paddle in her solo. So I bring two spares.

I always have a double blade (I know. . . . ), usually a long, lightweight carbon double.

I always have a single blade, but depending on the boat design and trip that could be anything from a 48” to 52” bent shaft to a straight single, the latter anything from a beastly heavy unbreakable Sawyer 50” straight to a 54” BB Expedition Plus to (mostly for memory reasons) one of my dad’s massive guide sticks.

If I am not portaging, and have a spray cover with paddle pockets, I may bring a double, a bent shaft and a straight. And a sail, and a 6’ long push pole/hiking staff/spare tarp pole. Why not, there are paddle pockets both bow and stern.

P2160520 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Having a spare paddle seems essential gear to me, and switching off, for varying conditions or just swapping for a different feel/different stroke motion, is enjoyable. To that end my spare paddles are, um, different in some way from my primary stick, usually heavier and (I hope) of more durable construction.

 

[lowangle al]

Well, so far we are all on the same page on this, different paddles for different situations. I still think there is someone out there, probably in a solo boat, who never felt the need to switch paddles and would be happiest with two of their favorite identical 7oz. beauties.

 

[Alan Gage]

A light bent and a heavier straight is what I usually take.

If I was lake tripping I'd have no problem with two bents but a straight stows better and takes up less room. Thankfully I have a lightweight one of those as well.

That pair served me well paddling down and back up the Bloodvein.

Alan

 

[recped]

I'm generally running rivers with lakes rather than lakes or lakes with river sections, I now carry 3 paddles on my long trips.

I don't use bents, my canoe is somewhat bent, my mind is definitely bent so I need something that remains straight over the course of a trip!

Primary paddle is a Werner Bandit (all carbon), secondary paddle is one of my ottertails (modest price), the third is a crap Carlisle that I salvaged a few years ago, the Carlisle is only there in case I break the ottertail and lose the Bandit, I've never actually used the Carlisle to paddle but it makes a useful shovel to level out a sloping beach camp. When I'm paddling with other boats I only bring two paddles because I can borrow one if need be.

On my George River trip I used the Werner almost exclusively, prior to the having it I used the ottertail more frequently because for rapids I was using an all wood Grey Owl Hammerhead which is very heavy, now I mostly stick with the Werner because there is almost no weight difference between the wood ottertail and the Werner

 

[BWCA66]

I take a 14oz Sanborn Nesmunk bent shaft that has a smaller blade and a more robust Sanborn Minnesota model that I had custom made at a 7 degree bend. I'm like a lot of others, neither is a backup, I just use them for different situations or just to switch things up.

 

[Canotrouge]

On whitewater runs I have a Aquabound carbon that I made into a 2 piece brake apart that I stow under the flotation and use my ZAP as my primary. On river trip I usually have 2 paddle one for shallow rocky bony sections and one for deep cruisy calm sections... That would be a wooden paddle I made and my ZAP paddle.

 

[Erica]

My new ZRE bent shaft and my 30 year old wilderness Dave Klavner wood paddle. The latter is tough as nails.

 

[dougd]

2 Mitchell bent shafts, one a double bent, the other a single bend. Like BWCA said used for different situations. For shallow rocky waters I use my pole or walk it.

 

[Black_Fly]

I typically carry a double blade BB Impression. (Wood) for open water crossings, and a bent or straight wooden for intimate streams. I'm still deciding what to bring as a backup for my river trips, possibly a shorter double blade.

 

[Bob B.]

My main paddle is one I made, and my backup is a Ray Kettlewell “Ray Special”

 

[yellowcanoe]

Grey Owl Voyager.
Cheap. Kind of a club. but for $39 then CDN well worth it. Better than a Carlisle

 

[Cruiser]

Typically solo with 250cm or 260 cm double, plus a light Otter Tail .... I am lucky in that I have about a dozen i have made, so I have a choice of types.

 

[Iskweo]

I have a Grey Owl sugar island style that is my favourite and I take an ottertail by Redtail paddles as my other paddle. If tandem we often take a Raven bent with us as it is light as a feather and 9 out of 10 old ladies recommend lighter paddles.

As an aside, expensive paddles are wasted on me. I have broken the shaft on the Raven once and burned a hole in the blade using it as a wind guard for the stove. I sure got yelled at for that one.

To be honest, two identical paddles would be fine with me. Its just that I hardly ever wear one out and have a couple of different ones in the bin.

Christy