In the military there is saying “2 is 1 and 1 is none”.

If you are paddling near shore or paddling in flat conditions you may choose to go with 1 paddle, but even then conditions can change unexpectedly & rapidly We must respect what being on the water can bring.

1. The obvious reason to carry a spare is because the one you are using breaks. It can and does happen.

2. You simply lose control of your paddle in high surf and/or strong wind & current conditions. When it’s howling, you may never see or find that paddle again.

3. Someone else around you experiences one of the two situations listed above.

4. If you are like us, you have serveral paddles (in some cases you are clearly addicted) and would like to test lengths, bends, and shapes of the various paddle manufacturers out there.