How to Use a Kayak Paddle With a Bent Shaft

Kayak paddles have come a long way from their traditional structures. Paddles can now be found in a variety of materials from wood, to plastic and ultra-light carbon fiber. They are one- or two-piece, feathered or unfeathered, and now come with a straight shaft or a bent shaft. The bent shaft is designed to set the hands and wrists at a more ergonomic angle to reduce stress on the wrist and forearms. Using a bent shaft paddle takes little or no adjustment for an efficient forward stroke.

Instructions

    • 1

      If you have a two-piece paddle, separate the two halves at the center of the shaft and reset them at the feather angle of your choice. A simple feather paddle will automatically lock in at 90 degrees. If you have an adjustable ferrule system built into your paddle shaft that allows you to choose from multiple angles to feather your paddle, consider starting out feathered at 60 to 75 degrees, which most paddlers feel is an optimum angle for distance paddling. Alternatively, you can keep your paddle straight instead of feathered.

    • 2

      Grip the paddle with your hands resting on the downward slopes of the first bend in the paddle shaft, approximately shoulder-width apart.

    • 3

      With your arms extended forward at shoulder height, rotate your upper body to the right allowing the right paddle blade to angle up and the left blade to aim toward the water.

    • 4

      Plant or "spear" the left paddle blade into the water and draw the left paddle blade back toward your left hip by rotating the upper body left and pushing on the left foot peg in the kayak.

    • 5

      Lift the left paddle blade up out of the water at the end of the torso rotation and aim the right paddle blade toward the water.

    • 6

      Repeat steps 4 and 5 alternating right side and left side for an efficient forward stroke.