Other Paddle Materials Titanium Titanium is one of the space age wonders. Some racers and advanced recreational paddlers do like it in shafts. There is a lot of hype about the metal, though. It's best engineering characteristics are corrosion resistance and high melting point. Both are good for rockets, but neither do much for paddles.
Titanium does have very good strength and durability, but it weighs almost twice much as aluminum.
Like graphite, it is strong enough that not as much metal is required to make a serviceable shaft. Most of the other negative attributes of aluminium, like hot, cold, and noisy, also apply to titanium. Shafts made from titanium are quite stiff, and seemingly very durable. They can be a shiny or dull silvery color, and the surface can be anodized to produce a wide range of colors. The metal is very expensive at the moment, but prices are coming down and may drop to acceptable levels within the next few years.