andrei wrote:

My wife, who has the same kayak, is having a hard time. Our kayaks
came with 30$ paddles Carlisle. The next paddle model up (judging by
price) was already at 90 bucks! Should she consider changing?

That higher-priced $89 paddle might be the Carlisle RS, which is
a big improvement over the flat-blade or spoon-blade $30 Carlisle
in terms of weight, flex-feel, feather, and blade design.

Most other $90 paddles are not very good. The Carlisle RS is made in
New Zealand and is currently a screaming bargain. I reviewed it here
about a week ago.

Above the Carlisle RS you have to spend over $200 and I'm increasingly
of the opinion that it's not worth the extra cash for most paddlers,
perhaps even myself.