Why Are Stand Up Paddles So Expensive? Know The Exact Reason

Paddle-boarding, canoeing, and kayaking rely on paddles to make the adventurous activity successful for people engaging in recreational experiences and those undertaking them for competitive sport. Paddles come in different forms customized to suit the activity they are used for.

We have wooden paddles, fiber-glass/ carbon paddles, aluminum paddles, and plastic paddles. The paddles used in paddle-boarding are expensive relative to other paddles used in canoes and kayaks. These paddles aid the person standing on the paddle board to propel themselves with ease while maintaining a perfect balance.

Parts of a Paddle

Paddles are artistically designed, with each part customized for a specific purpose. The stand-up paddles are no exception in this aspect. They are designed with 6 key parts. The basics of these paddles parts are important, especially to beginners who wish to engage in paddle-boarding, canoeing, or kayaking. The grip is the top part of the paddle.

Below the grip is the shaft, which essentially is the handle of the paddle. These two parts are key to maintaining steady speed and control while paddling. From the shaft, we have the throat, which is the part that widens into the blade. The blade is the wide, flat end of the paddle, which wades through the water as you paddle your canoe or kayak.

In between the throat and the blade, you find the part called the shoulder. Finally, we have the tip which forms the edge of the blade. When storing your paddle, avoid storing it by the tip, as this may cause some serious damage to your paddle.

Reasons Why Stand Up Paddles Are So Expensive

Paddle boarding is an exciting activity for you or your dog. The following are the top reasons why paddles come at a high price.

Demand

Stand-up paddles are always in high demand due to the sport's popularity. Many people are embracing paddle boarding for leisure, sport, and healthy living. People are engaging a lot in paddleboarding as a workout exercise, increasing the demand for these products.

Consequently, the rise in demand and mismatch in supply has caused the prices to shoot. The sport's popularity causing high demand has somehow caused the stand-up paddles to be expensive when weighed against other paddles.

Material used

Paddleboards and the paddles are made from special material to ensure that they remain afloat on water and last longer. In addition, the paddles must support the weight of the person paddling the paddle board and be portable in weight. 

These factors imply the need for unique material for the paddles. Polystyrene material is used in assembling the paddles, and this material is expensive by itself, so the buyers of the paddles feel the cost implications.

Design

Just like the paddle boards that are made with unique designs to remain afloat on water, carry the paddler's weight, and glide smoothly over the water, the paddles are made with a unique design. 

This allows the person paddling the paddle board to charge the movements while on water paddle-boarding fully.

You will notice the paddles come in varying heights and are light in weight. This ensures you hold them comfortably while paddling and switch the wading without getting tired easily. 

This customization makes the paddles expensive since it requires investment in time and material to come up with the perfect paddles.

Functionality and Performance

You can use a paddle board for fishing, yoga, leisure, racing in competitive sport, touring, or simply as means of transport. All these activities call for a paddle and a paddle board that will give you complete control of your navigation while onboard paddle boarding. 

The paddles you settle on must ensure you are stable on your paddle board and that you can propel yourself as required based on what you are engaged in.

As such, the paddles used are customized to suit the specific purpose intended for these activities. The customization of a racing paddle is different from that of a yoga individual, and so is that of a person going fishing adventure. 

This customization makes the paddles expensive since it takes much to design them to meet the specifications of the paddlers.

Buying Guide For Stand up Paddles

Once you settle on the right paddle board for your adventure, remember the paddle used in propelling your board is as important as the board itself. Therefore, you need to consider a few factors before choosing the paddle you purchase for your paddleboarding.

Check to see that the design of the handle or shaft allows you to be fully in control of the movement while onboard. It should be flexible to allow you to use the paddle while kneeling, bending, or standing, depending on your comfortable posture.

See that the blade design is suited to your need because this dictates the speed of your navigation. Paddles with broader blades allow higher speed since they generate more force to propel your paddle board with single wade. The paddle's weight must allow for higher flexibility and portability to allow you to shift between wades.

The material used in making the paddle needs to be qualified to make it durable, given that water may cause damage to low-quality materials within a short time. Spend sufficient time to identify the best paddles for your paddle boards so that your paddling experience is quite a successful adventure.

Conclusion

Paddles are as important as the paddle board, and they both complement each other in making your paddle boarding a thrilling and successful adventure. The material used in making the paddles, coupled with the customized design, contributes to the high price, making them expensive.

However, the price is justified through the valuable experience of the paddles in ensuring you maintain a stable and safe control while you navigate through the waters. Let paddling be an enjoyable experience by getting the right paddles instead of a tiresome experience.