Packraft Paddles & Loading

[AK Shane]

My wife bought me a Yukon Yak for Christmas. It's been sitting in the corner taunting me to get out for the past six months. It's time to gear up and go but I need to pick up a paddle. I'm 5'8" and per the standard charts I should get a 230 cm paddle. In doing a little reading I've found others saying I'd be better off with a 200-210 cm paddle.

What length paddle are you packrafters using? 2 piece or 4 piece?

Kind of wish my wife would have gotten the Llama for more capacity, but beggars can't be choosers. How much weight have you guy loaded onto your Alpacka's?

 

[EasilyExcited]

i have the discontinued double duck and i beleive a 230cm 4 piece paddle is perfect. when i had the shorter paddle the water would run down the shaft and land in the boat. i have had 2 people and overnight packs in the boat and paddled to the end of a lake to get away from other people. i put the blades of the paddles in the wings on the kifaru fulcrum and the shafts fit in the main bag

 

[Stid2677]

The wife and I have an Explorer and Yak,, the Yak is only good for one and a pack. Tried putting a boned out sheep with gear and myself and it was doable, but really not enough floatation. The Explorer was IMHO just enough for that task. I like the 210s 4 piece for backpacking,, lets you get the blades and poles in the pack and not sticking up hanging on every tree.

Also the paddles should have rubber scuppers that prevent the water running down and filling the raft.

Explorer

Yak,, no meat just pack and horns.

See the scuppers here, I bought one paddle that they were missing, they make a HUGE difference.

 

[Becca]

2 piece paddles are fine if you don’t mind them sticking up, and won’t be going thru much brush. We often haul ours off trail thru some brushy stuff, so 4 piece paddles have been much better for that application.

 

[Stid2677]

One other thing I have discovered,, that is a carbon fiber or fiberglass shaft is WAY warmer and transfers less cold to the hands for good weather paddling.

 

[AK Shane]

Luke which of your Aqua Bound paddles do you like better? Looks like the Shred carbon and the Manta carbon? Was looking at both over at AMH. The Shred is about 4 Oz heavier a costs a few dollars more, as it's built as more of a whitewater. Is the extra weight justified?

I'm definitely going carbon shaft, four piece, with some scuppers. Just need to pull the trigger on one.

 

[jhm2023]

I use the Aqua Bound manta carbon and really like it.