Oars Versus Paddles

Steering a boat over the rolling waves of lakes and through beautiful scenery can be an exciting and exhilarating experience. Some people like to boat to spend a pleasant afternoon outside with their friends and family, while others partake in boating as a recreational or competitive activity. If you interested in boating, it can help to understand the difference between oars and paddles.

  1. Attachment

    • One of the primary differences between oars and paddles is their position on the boats. Oars are generally attached and fastened to the sides of the boats through oar locks, and the flexible locks usually permit people to conveniently swing the oars and wade through the water in powerful, smooth and rounded motions. On the other hand, paddles are not at all connected or attached to the boats, but instead are completely held and controlled by the people steering the boat.

    Sitting

    • The people inside the boat tend to sit differently depending on whether they are using oars or paddles. While using oars, to generate strength and to maximize the motion created by each stroke, the people in the boat often sit backwards while rowing. Thus, they sit with their faces and chests facing the back stern of the boat and push so that, while the boat is moving forward, they seem to be moving backwards over the water. People steering boats with paddles, however, usually sit normal so they are facing the front of the boat and moving forward with the boat.

    Arms

    • Oars and paddles are also held differently by the people steering the boats. Oars come in pairs of two, with an oar being fastened on both sides of the boat directly across from eachother. Thus, when rowing with oars, the people in the boat generally hold one oar in each hand and swing each oar at the same time with even and consistent strokes. To turn in a particular direction with oars, the boaters only row on the same side of the turn until the boat has shifted into the correct direction.

      In contrast, a paddle is smaller than an oar and is designed to be held with both arms by the person in the boat. Thus, to push forward and steer using a paddle, the boater generally uses both arms to wade through the water by alternating strokes on the right side of the boat and then on the left side. People turn with paddles by producing strokes only on the side of the intended turn or by letting the blade drag in the water on the appropriate side.

    Uses

    • Because of their significant differences, oars and paddles are designated to be used with different kinds of boats. Because oars are bigger in size, are attached to the boats and come in multiple pairs, oars are often used to control relatively larger boats than paddles. For instance, oars are often used to steer row boats. Especially long row boats feature a row of oars on each side of the boat and each side has the same number of oars. Thus, multiple people in the boat sit in a line and each person is responsible for rowing a pair of oars. Paddles are smaller and more easily handled by one person with both arms. Thus, paddles are more conducive for people controlling smaller boats, such as canoes, or boats intended for only one person, such as a kayaks.