Homemade Kayak Paddles

Homemade kayak paddles can be made from a single piece of wood or from strips of wood glued together. While kayaks can be paddled with a single-bladed paddle, the center seating of the paddler tends to favor the double-bladed paddle. The double-bladed paddle can be 7 to 9 feet long depending on the paddler. The blades tend to be shorter and broader than the single-bladed model.

  1. Materials

    • Kayak paddles are made from everything from aluminum and plastic to wood and fiberglass. Some wooden paddles are even laminated with an outer layer of fiberglass to strengthen and protect the wood core. For homemade paddles, wood is by far the easiest material to work with in the home shop. Use hardwoods like maple, ash or oak that will stand up to wear and tear.

    Blade Shapes

    • Blades are shaped longer and narrower for paddles designed for paddlers who favor a low angle of attack to the water. The commonly used mid-angle-of-attack paddle will be more squared in shape, while the paddle made for a high angle of attack (closer to vertical when pulling through the water) will be shorter and wider. Choose the blade shape that best matches your paddling style.

    Single-Piece Paddles

    • The single-piece paddle is made of a single 7- to 9-foot-long piece of hardwood that is as wide as the desired blade. Because the board is flat, it will not be possible to angle the blades to one another. The paddle will lie flat. The blade shapes are cut at either end with a band saw or sabre saw and the shaft is cut as straight as possible – usually with a circular saw and rip fence or table saw. Once the basic outside shape of the paddle is cut, then the final shape of the blade is achieved with rasp, plane and sander. The blade will need to be considerably thinned to keep the paddle from being too heavy, but not so thin that the blade will shatter against a rock. For strength, make the blade thicker at the center than at the edges. Round the shaft and taper it into the blade at the throat and sand it smooth.

    Strip Construction

    • In the strip-type double-bladed paddle, it is possible to angle the blades to one another so that while pulling with one blade, the other is feathered or side-on to the wind. This is accomplished by gluing the blade halves to the shaft at an angle to one another. Begin by cutting strips of hardwood the length of the blade. Cut them as wide as you want. A blade can be two pieces, four, six or more strips as you choose. For multiple strip blades, it's good to turn one or two strips across the grain from the others for added blade strength. Glue and clamp the strips together to form two blade halves for each end of the paddle and let them cure. Next lay the blade halves on a thin support so when you clamp them edgewise to the paddle shaft, the blade is centered along the edge of the shaft. Do one end at a time, especially if you wish to angle the blades. Glue and clamp one end and allow it to cure. Next trim the shaft so you can glue the blade at whatever angle to the first blade you wish, from 10 to 90 degrees. Glue the strips to the shaft, clamp and allow to cure. Finally, you will shape the blade with a sabre or band saw and use rasp, plane and sander to shape the blade and round the shaft.

    Finishing

    • Stain the paddle if you wish to adjust the color or stay with the natural wood color. Apply a clear marine spar varnish in multiple thin coats, sanding with wet sandpaper between coats. Use three or more coats of varnish to insure the wood is protected from water seepage.