4-Piece Kayak Paddle
February 11, 2010 by IK World
Most kayak paddles will either be all one piece or very commonly will come apart in two pieces. These are fine if you are using a hard-shell kayak or if you are only transporting your paddle in your vehicle.
However one of the great advantages of using an inflatable kayak is that you can usually take it traveling with you or possibly even carry it in a pack on your back. If you are planning on doing some traveling you will want to have a 4-piece kayak paddle.
There are many different types of kayak paddles and they have quite a large price range. I am not a paddle expert in any way. I know that kayak paddles can be carbon or fiberglass, can have different shapes and sizes that provide different comfort levels, control and can help reduce fatigue. However that is basically where my knowledge ends.
That being said I do know that when I am traveling with my inflatable kayak I only want to bring a 4-piece paddle with me as it is so convenient to pack up and head out.
It is not always easy to find a really good quality 4-piece paddle but there are several decent ones available that will be more than suitable for any expedition.
Below are a few good recreational 4-piece paddles that I have found to work well for traveling and convenience that come at a decent price:
Sea Eagle AB40 or AB30 4 Part Paddle– This one is the best price and sells for roughly $95. It has a fiberglass reinforced blade and weighs just over two and a half pounds (excellent for traveling). Its asymmetrical spoon blade design supposedly requires less gripping force and less effort per stroke. It comes in two different sizes… the AB40 (8’) or the AB30 (7’ 10 “).
Aqua-Bound Sting Ray 4-Piece Paddle
– This paddle comes in three different sizes. It is fairly basic but in my opinion works fine and is a good price at roughly a hundred bucks. It has an aluminum shaft and the blade is a blend of fiberglass reinforced thermoplastics. It is lightweight and durable.
- Aqua-Bound Sting Ray Carbon Shaft 4-Piece Paddle
– 
If you don’t mind spending an extra 40 dollars this is a much better paddle. It has a carbon shaft and fiberglass-reinforced nylon blades and supposedly delivers a high strength-to-weight ratio. Also the shaft has a slight flex which really does help with paddling comfort. This one also comes in three different sizes.
If you have any expertise or knowledge on the different types of kayak paddles, please leave a comment below as I would love to hear from you. I am in the process of trying to learn more about kayak paddles and with such a massive range in prices for them I would assume the quality and performance they give are hugely different as well. Please feel free to educate me!
Want to travel with a kayak? Check out our list of Best Inflatable Kayaks for Traveling.
Did You Know?Related postsBy clicking on our links then shopping at Sea Eagle
, NRS, MPGear, Amazon, Altrec, Innova, Backcountry, Outdoorplay
,REI, Water Outfitters or West Marine you are helping us to keep IKWorld growing. Thank you for supporting us at Inflatable Kayak World.
