Remember that beamier boats often require longer paddles, and narrow boats often require shorter paddles. Longer paddles put more leverage into each stroke but require more effort. So-called touring designs, such as traditional Aleut- and Greenland-style paddles, have long, narrow blades (typically less than 5 inches). Asymmetric blades, common on many sea-kayak paddles, have less blade surface on the portion of the blade below the line of the shaft. There is endless debate about the…
