Both versions of this article are copyrighted material. Introduction Throughout history, and before, paddles have been made of many different materials. They still are today, and the list of available materials is now longer than ever before. First there were vegetable and animal fibers, mainly wood, plus sinews to tie the wood together, of course. Then came the modern composites industry with their plastics and reinforcements.
Manufacturers still use all three material categories in paddles today.
Of course, the technology behind all materials has increased significantly. A composite is a combination of two or more different materials in which the combination makes a better finished product than if either material were used alone. Many individual filaments are put together into a yarn, and then, usually, many yarns are woven into cloth like a bedsheet. What most people call fiberglass is a true composite of two differing components, the fiberglass, and a plastic resin which impregnates it and makes the otherwise floppy fabric hold its shape.