Hank Williams sang about poling the pirogue down the bayou in his famous country classic, Jambalaya. Pirogues were a common site in cajun country. Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander himself can be seen poling around on a pirogue from time to time.
Pirogues are made to be paddled or poled. They’re for getting in the skinny water stealthily and sneaking up on fish and game with the aid of a good pirogue paddle or quality push pole. The paddle is for covering longer distances when speed over stealth is preferred. When it comes to getting in the backwater, swamps, and other skinny water it is a push pole all the way. A pirogue paddle simply isn’t long enough to provide much thrust and the ability to turn like a push pole. In this article, we’ll go over some pirogue push poles and paddles.
Pirogue push poles
The traditional pirogue push pole is wood and approximately 11 to 12 feet long and 1-2 inches in diameter. Some choose to carve their own from spruce, ash or tamarack, hand carved push poles are more traditional and crude. Other polers simply buy an aluminum or carbon fiber one. A metal shoe or foot is supposed to be added to one end of the pole to help grab the bottom of the river.
Push poles come in a variety of materials including metal, wood, fiberglass, graphite and carbon fiber. Some push poles are adjustable and come with foot options such as a duck foot or u-shaped handle and a sharpened point for pushing against hard bottom.
Push poles come in a variety of lengths and diameters. For a small pirogue, I would go with a small lightweight adjustable pole up to 14 feet long.
Pirogue paddles
A pirogue can be push poled but it can also be paddled as well. There are a variety of materials and styles of pirogue paddles. Some folks use a canoe paddle for short distances and a double-bladed kayak paddle for longer distances when speed is a necessity.
Pirogue paddles are usually narrower than boat paddles simply because they don’t need to move as much water to propel the pirogue. It’s wasted energy to move a large volume of water for such a light craft.
For a paddle that is specifically designed for a pirogue check out the Bayou Wild TV video below. These are specialized hand carved cajun cypress pirogue paddles. These paddles feature a rounded edge instead of a flat edge. Some would call this a beaver tail or otter tail paddle. The rounded edge allows you to stir the paddle back and forth without switching hands. The stir method is a great way to ease the pirogue along without making a full stroke. One side of the pirogue paddle is also completely straight.
Having a straight side allows the paddle to get right against the side of the pirogue for more efficient paddling and less wasted energy. Typically you see a narrow shaft as well, a narrow paddle shaft makes it easier to hold the paddle. You may even see paddles with notches cut of one side of the blade. These notches are for snagging trot lines or duck decoy lines. Some paddles will feature duck heads carved into the handles as well.
Cypress Pirogue Paddles
Southernwoodpaddle.com uses salvaged old growth sinker cypress logs recovered from the low-country region of South Carolina and Charlotte to make beautiful hand crafted cypress pirogue paddles.
Pirogue builders like Tony Latiolais create cajun pirogue paddles out of sinker cypress as well.
Why is cypress wood used for pirogue paddles?
Cypress wood is very strong, light, durable, and resistant to decay. Some believe it’s the resin inside the wood that adds to Cypress’s durability. These properties make cypress wood an excellent choice for making boats, paddles, and other items exposed to the elements.
Will cypress wood turn grey?
The pale yellow wood will turn grey if left untreated. A coat of oil every few years will keep the finish and color on your cypress pirogue paddle.