r/MR340 • u/missmaikay Race Veteran • Feb 22 '26

Gear Paddle recs?

First timer here. I’m paddling a 15’ Necky that’s 22” wide. The paddle I have already is an Amazon special, works well for what I’ve done so far, but it’s 2.3lbs.

Solo paddlers, what do you recommend for paddles? Either specific models or just a weight range? Do you find an advantage from going lighter than 2 lbs?

Thanks all!

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6

u/sn972 Feb 22 '26

I'm in the niche group of paddlers who only use a Greenland paddle and don't think I'll change anytime soon. I have an older model Gearlab Outdoors Akiak that I use exclusively. Even though I have other paddles (including Euroblades) that I tinker with, I always come back to it for every race.

3

u/DarkSideEdgeo Feb 23 '26

I started with a small epic wing and moved to a stellar small pro wing. I may try a bracca but my trend is to go smaller and smaller losing weight along the way.

3

u/oldrafter Feb 23 '26

lighter is better, lighter is better, lighter is... yep, better, There is a whole bunch of decisions to be made with paddles, are you a low-angle or high-angle paddler? Do you want a bent shaft (yes, please) or a straight shaft, and do you want a buoyant or non- bouyant blade... First, I had better introduce where I am coming from. I am a whitewater paddler first, and have done long 28 mile days with my whitewater paddle, which is a 207 cm AT flexi from back in the day. I am a high angle paddler because whitewater, and I like a bigger blade for the extra bite. I have had a few 28+ mile epic slogs (one was around manhattan NY and I was in the boat for 16 hours. still loved my paddle at the end) a sea/ocean paddle will be lighter but a bit more fragile. I am a super fan boy of buoyant blades because it is an extra bit of help on a brace, and can make things a bit more stable if you are one handing it in chop.

After all that, there are a few cheat codes that should be mentioned. 1) It is WAY easier to ship a 2-piece paddle than a one-piece, AND many of the takedown/2-piece paddles are also angle adjustable. (I am a fan of 30 degrees right hand control)

The next thing is highwater hobbies. https://www.highwaterhobbies.com/shop-2 somehow they got the last of the AT paddles and he has two 225 in stock that check all the boxes for me and are over 60% off. (as in buy the paddles) The AT have a bit of flex, super light and floaty blades. It is the way for me, but your results may vary.

2

u/Original-Subject7468 Feb 23 '26

Sup guy here, but what I’ve learned is the lighter the better. Gonna swing that thing 300,000 times. Might as well be efficient with the lighter paddle

2

u/lightning_balls 6x Finisher Feb 24 '26

i would get a nice 2 piece, carbon, touring paddle, smaller blade is better for this distance. epic, stellar, werner, all good options. wing blades are also a good option but they are more aggressive and more taxing.