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Key Features
The shape of your blade goes back to whether you prefer a low-angle or high-angle paddling style. Low-angle blades are narrow and long, which makes them more comfortable for casual and long distance paddling. High-angle blades, on the other hand, are short and wide and are designed for maximum power when paddled at a high angle.
Plastic/ fiberglass reinforced plastic These are the most economical blades you’ll find. Plastic blades are most commonly found in recreational kayak paddles. Reinforcing plastic blades with fiberglass can improve performance and durability. Fiberglass This is your middle of the road option. Fiberglass blades offer excellent durability and performance but are significantly cheaper than carbon fiber blades. They’re a good fit for more committed recreational paddlers and as entry-level touring paddles. They have a little bit of flexibility so this makes them a bit more impact resistant, which is nice if you’re paddling around rocks.
Straight vs Indexing Straight shafts are what most paddlers are familiar with. However, if you do a lot of paddling or have issues with your wrists an indexed shaft is worth considering. This allows you to grip the paddle firmly with your right hand and loosely with your left hand, which will prevent fatigue and lead to a more pleasurable experience. Most Pelican paddles come with this feature. Feathering All of our shafts allow you to ‘feather' your paddle blades so they're offset from each other. Paddling with offset blades reduces the wind resistance of your upper blade while it's moving through the air. Adjustable length
Aluminum Shafts made from aluminum are easy on your wallet and are actually fairly durable. The downside is that they can be uncomfortable to hold when it’s hot or cold out. This is particularly worth thinking about if the water you’re paddling in is cold. That is why certain Pelican paddles offer features such as PVC sleeves or PU coatings, which gives a feeling of rubber around the shaft. Fiberglass Composite materials make for the most lightweight and highest performance shafts. Fiberglass fibers are excellent at insulating your hands against the water temperature.
Gauge the Materials
Having a lighter paddle allows you to extend your time on the water and do more paddling with less fatigue. Shaving off a pound may not seem like much but it adds up over the course of several hours of paddling and thousands of strokes.
More rigid materials perform better while paddling and do a better job turning your effort into forward motion. Materials with more flex don’t hold their shape as well while moving through the water, leading to less efficient paddling and requiring more strokes to cover the same distance.
While there are exceptions, higher-end materials are generally tougher and will stand up to abuse better than lower quality materials.
As with most things, you will pay a premium for higher quality materials. From affordable to more expensive, here are Pelican’s material combinations: Plastic blade/aluminum shaft Fiberglass reinforced plastic blade / composite shaft *Refer to the comparison chart below
Joel
Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2024
If you share your paddle amongst users of different size or use a couple different width kayaks, the adjustable size on this is a great feature and one that is moderately rare. Other than this, the paddle has all the features you'd expect at this price point (and more) and everything works well. I can confirm it does float for a time despite being two-piece.
michael R.
Reviewed in Canada on May 2, 2024
Seems to be well-made, very comfortable to hold, lightweight, looks great, good adjustability. If it stands up, it’s a great deal.
J. Whitney
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2024
Love my carbon fiber paddle with a nifty design. Lightweight. Only wish I was able to put grips on it. Unfortunately it isn't made in a way that the grips can slide on. Otherwise very happy.
Ryder Dye
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024
I bought these to use with inflatable kayaks. For the price point, these are quality. The connections in the middle are really solid. They can be just the right size for a variety of paddler sizes, and they truly do feel lightweight and easy to maneuver in the water. I really like the tree etchings on them, too. I’m glad I found them!
Not worth it
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2024
Love this paddle and the design! Very lightweight
Some Guy
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024
I had no idea what I was missing until I went out with this paddle. I'm 6'4" and prior to this I was using the 89" Poseidon paddle which was fine and all but I always felt like my stroke was awkward compared to all my short(er) friends. This paddle changed everything. I even ended up extending it further than I'd expected to. Also, and I don't know how cuz the difference of weight between these 2 paddles is next to 0, this longer paddle actually feels lighter. It's definitely the material because my eyes can easily see how much bigger this paddle is but it feels like it moves with half the weight.My only real complaint is the color. It is in fact "more blue" than the blue-ish gray it appears in the product photo, but not very much. The Poseidon paddle is a truly beautiful blue pattern that matches my kayaks perfectly. This looks ok, and the performance more than makes up for the deficiency in color, but come on Pelican: this paddle needs another, blue-er color option 😆 I'd buy that immediately!
D. Theoret
Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2023
It's very lightweight for this price and feels good in the hands. I like the locking mechanism better than a spring pin, so making fine length adjustments is easy. And last but not least, it's beautiful. I don't mind that both paddles are not the same color and one does not have the decal on, so it's just plain green color, it's still a beautiful paddle. The only negative is that there is supposed to be an indent or a change of shape to show where to hold it, but mine seems to be just straight for one paddle and the other has a very slight indent, barely noticeable. So I guess I will hold it where ever I like to hold it. Also, I thought it was a bit more aqua in color, but it's actually more green than aqua. I put a photograph of it on a blue sheet for comparison of the color.
Stephanie
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
We use these for kayaking every weekend. They were easy to put together and take apart when traveling. They are very light weight and are easy to use in the water. They also have an adjustable screw if you need to tighten or loosen the size
Javier_
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022
The Pelican Symbiosa Kayak Paddle is a very good basic kayak paddle at a reasonable price. After doing a lot of research, I learned that the number one feature that many experienced kayakers want is a lightweight paddle. This kayak paddle is super lightweight at only 2 pounds, this is one of the lightest kayak paddles you will get for a hundred dollars (you will have to spend 2, 3, and 4 more times to get a paddle that is 0.5 pounds lighter). Yes, one hundred dollars is pricey for many people who are looking into recreational paddling (including me), but you get the ability to adjust the paddle's length and feather it at any angle. After testing out a couple of paddles, the most annoying thing for me is the push-button paddles as they are difficult to push and slide with wet hands, and tend to get stuck with sand. You can adjust the Symbiosa paddle with ease and there is no more pinching of your fingers!With that said, it is important to point out that the right shaft is deformed on purpose, it's supposed to give you a better grip but I don't like it; what if you are left-handed? I purchased both, the light teal, and the blue paddles and quickly found out that the oval shape on the right raft of the paddles is not consistent as I got one that was more round than the other. I exchanged the teal paddle for another and received an inconsistent shape. Another important thing that I was highly concerned about was the flexibility of the paddle blade; the less flexibility the more distance you can get per stroke. This paddle has a moderate amount of flex to the blades, I wish they weren't as flexible. Overall, I don't think I will find another paddle with most of the features that I want for under one hundred dollars. I will end up keeping both of my paddles until I can afford to buy a $300 carbon paddle.
Terry
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2022
This one was a bit over my budget, but it was for my wife. Of course I didn't want to compromise if it got her excited about getting out on the lake with me. She loves it. The carbon fiber shaft is lighter than the one I use, and seems more rigid at the same time. The colors really pop. It's every bit as good looking as it is functional. I don't regret saving up a little while longer for it. It's an amazing paddle.
chubbena
Reviewed in Canada on July 29, 2021
Box has water marks and is damaged. The content is fine but could have been ruined as we all know how some couriers handle packages.The paddle is reasonably light weight - exactly what I needed.
Yusuf Khan
Reviewed in Canada on June 7, 2021
Excellent paddle.I bought two of them to use on my new Advanced Elements inflatable kayak and have had a great experience so far.The assembly is quick and easy, and the joint clasps on sturdily. The length adjustment is very quick as well, and you can play around with it while paddling.The actual blade is very durable, and has held up well so far after being used to push on hard surfaces.Only thing I would be careful with is the clasp - I hope it holds up in the long run.
Kurt B.
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2020
The paddle is amazing for the price! Its stiff no flex at all. I have a yellow 1995 prijon seayak 16 footer that looks like a giant bannana and this paddle is the perfect size. Not one complaint at all with it at all!Update: still an amazing paddle for touring. I have switched to a high angle style of paddling and have learned lots of advanced maneuvers so I decided to upgrade to a werner shuna carbon. To my surprise the blade shape and size is nearly identical to the pelicans blades. The big difference being the spine that runs 90° to the back of the blade on the pelecian. I've used the pelican in very rouh conditions, paddled into 30mph winds for over an hour, used the blades to push off of rocks and gravel and have zero complaints! I have read a lot of bad comments here but think it's either bad luck (got a paddle made on friday) or people that either lack experience or just want to nitpick! I'm keeping this paddle as a back up or a loaner when a friend needs one its definitely a keeper!!!!
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