DIY Kayak Paddle

Kayakers enjoy gliding through rivers, streams, lakes and oceans around the world. Men and women use both plastic and wooden paddles in an alternating left-right-left fashion to propel themselves through areas too small for cruise ships, yachts or even fishing boats to go. Make your next kayaking adventure more intimate by using a paddle that you create. The Greenland paddle is a narrow-bladed kayak paddle that is easy to brace and roll with and resists strong winds well. The Greenland paddle tends to be less tiring on the arm muscles than wide-bladed European-style paddles.

Things You'll Need

  • 2x4 cedar plank measuring 8 feet long
  • Measuring tape
  • Pencil
  • Hand saw
  • Drawknife
  • Plane
  • Spoke shave
  • Surform 7 1/4-inch shaver tool
  • Sanding wheel with 50, 150, 220 grit sandpaper
  • Tung oil (optional)
  • 0000 grade steel wool (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the distance from your shoulder to your fingertips, then measure the distance from your elbow to your wrist. Add these figures together and write the resultant number down on a scrap of paper. Double that number to get the overall length of your paddle, which should be about 82 to 85 inches long.

    • 2

      Mark this total length on a cedar plank measuring four inches wide by two inches deep. Measure a 20-inch length in the center of the cedar plank and mark both ends to distinguish the loom or shaft portion of the paddle. Mark out a width of three inches at the ends of the plank to distinguish the widest part of the kayak paddle blades. Make a mark that is 1 1/2 inches wide on the right and left side of the 20-inch center span you marked off for the shaft to indicate the blade roots.

    • 3

      Sketch the shape of your finished paddle on the cedar plank before you begin carving the wood into that shape. Round the edges and draw sloping lines from the ends to the blade roots which then taper in 1/2-inch farther for the shaft.

    • 4

      Use a hand saw to cut away wood, one to two inches at a time, until you achieve rounded corners and lines that match your sketch. Use a drawknife, plane and spoke shave to get the rounded shapes you need at the end of the blades and for the length of the shaft. Finish the edges with a 7 1/4-inch surform shaving tool.

    • 5

      Use a sanding wheel and sandpaper in grits 50, 150 and 220, successively to sand the entire surface and edges of the paddle smooth. Use a damp rag to wipe away wood ash.

    • 6

      Apply tung oil to the paddle and rub it in with a piece of 0000 grade steel wool to add a protective finish to the paddle, if desired.