Types of Canoe Paddles

Depending on your preferred type of canoeing—whether solo adventuring, canoe tripping, lake paddling, or anything else—we have the type of canoe paddle perfectly crafted for your needs.

Keep in mind that all of our models are considered “Ottertail” shapes

Ottertail - 

The Ottertail is a traditional paddle style which has been commonly used by paddle-makers for many years. It has a ~6" wide, symmetrical blade that is ~27" long. The Ottertail is great for the traditional paddler and recreational paddling, but keep in mind all of our other paddle shapes were created and built from this dinosaur of a shape. At Fishell Paddles we swear by the Ray Special and Modified Special, if a blade of that length is not for you then we highly recommend the Modified Ottertail. The Mod Ottertail is the step up from the Ottertail, the Mod Special is a step up from the Modified Ottertail and the Ray Special is the one paddle to rule them all.

Modified Ottertail -

The Modified Ottertail is a variant of an Ottertail with its broader shoulders at the top of the blade. This puts the widest part of the blade near the paddler’s lowest hand and offers better control and greater power. The Modified Ottertail is Ideal for those paddlers who like a shorter blade but are looking for a little more surface area than the traditional ottertail. The Modified Ottertail is well suited for tandem and makes a great tripping paddle for all day paddling.

Ray Special - 

The Ray Special is our number one seller. It is more than just a beautiful paddle. It combines a well-proportioned blade with an appealing ratio between the blade and shaft lengths. Ray Specials pair a shaft and blade of equal length. This results in a paddle with a longer than normal blade that is mechanically superior to other paddles. The Ray Special is a great paddle for canoe tripping, lake paddling as well as paddling solo. The long blade provides a solo canoeist with greater reach and responsiveness. Although not for whitewater the Special is great for all other paddling needs.

Modified Special - 

The Modified Special is a nice middle ground between the Ray Special and the Modified Ottertail. The Modified Special is ideal for paddlers who like the look and feel of the Special but find the long blade a little too long for the shallow stuff. Ideal for canoe tripping, lake paddling as well as soloing, the Modified Special is a beautiful well proportioned paddle.

Quill - 

The Quill is the quintessential solo paddle!

The Quill is designed for precision canoeists looking for a blade that feels truly responsive and alive in their hands. The Quill has an extra-long narrow blade designed to always be in the water. The Quill is for those paddlers who want to be in constant contact with the water feeling the ebb and flow of the forces on the blade so minute changes can be made for precision paddling. The Quill maintains its efficiency with a narrower width by extending the blade to reach deeper and provide greater leverage.

The Quill is the ultimate solo paddle for master canoeists who love to kneel in the tumblehome of the canoe.

Quills really are a custom item. Please specify the blade and shaft length for your Quill using the options provided. This paddle isn't sized based on your height, it is custom based on how much the paddler typically chokes up on their traditional paddle and what they think will suit their paddling needs. The most popular shaft length is 27".

*Do not add the shaft length and blade length to “create your perfect height” this paddle isn’t designed to fit you as a standard paddle would. If you aren’t sure about what sizes call Greg at 714-482-7493

TYPES OF CANOE PADDLES

Depending on your preferred type of canoeing—whether solo adventuring, canoe tripping, lake paddling, or anything else—we have the type of canoe paddle perfectly crafted for your needs.

Ray Special

is more than just a beautiful paddle. It combines a well-proportioned blade with an appealing ratio between the blade and shaft lengths. Specials pair a shaft and blade of equal length. This results in a paddle with a longer than normal blade that is mechanically superior to other paddles. The Special is a great paddle for canoe tripping, lake paddling as well as paddling solo. The long blade provides a solo canoeist with greater reach and responsiveness. Although not for whitewater the Special is great for all other paddling needs.

Modified Special

is to the Special in the same way the Modified Ottertail is to the Ottertail. In the Modified Special the shoulders of the blade are wider near the paddler's lower hand. This results in a type of canoe paddle with greater control and slightly more power when paddling. The Modified Special is ideal for paddlers who like the look and feel of the Special but find the narrow blade a little under powering.  This paddle is ideal for canoe tripping, lake paddling as well as soloing, the Modify Special is a beautiful well proportions paddle which is lovely to paddle with.

Quill

is the quite essential canadian style solo paddle!  This type of canoe paddle is designed for a precision canoeist looking for a blade that is truly responsive and alive in their hands. The Quill comes with an extra-long narrow blade designed to always be in the water. The Quill if for those paddlers who want to be in constant contact with the water feeling the ebb and flow of the forces on the blade so minute changes can be made for precision paddling.

Modified Ottertail

 is a variant of an Ottertail with its broader shoulders at the top of the blade. This puts the widest part of the blade near the paddler’s lowest hand and offers better control and greater power. The Modified Ottertail is well suited for solo paddling as well as tandem and makes a great tripping paddle for all day paddling.

Ottertail