Surf paddle.

Wasn't sure which topic header I should put this in, so it fell here.

Is there a better paddle blade design over another for getting through the surf zone, and waves more efficiently? 
Does this same paddle design work good for getting around on the flatter water efficiently, or is there a seperate purpose paddle blade for the two environments?

Hmm ... never really thought about it.  But ... thinking about it.

A bigger blade in the surf can result in more responsiveness, at the expense of effort.  The added effort of a bigger blade can result in fatigue in flatter water situations.  If you're not a "strong" paddler (i.e. cannot supply the necessary effort) then a bigger blade might not actually buy you anything in the surf.  At least that's my first inclination on the subject.  Learning proper technique is probably more important.

-Allen

Like Pole said, a bigger blade will work well getting through the surf but afterward, while fishing, will get you tired faster. IMO getting through the surf is a short process compared to the time you spend on the water fishing. So getting a paddle that works for most of the time on the water is a good idea. I use a Werner Camano which is a pretty low angle touring blade. While it's not perfect for a surf launch it does a good job. Now if you were going to be surfing your yak a lot then it might be a good idea to invest in a surf paddle.

Z

Regarding paddle size: My take is that 100 square inches of blade surface is about in the middle, with 85 or so a small blade and 115 or more a large blade. Is this about right? I realize blade shape is a key factor as well.

Typically unless specifically called out as an oversized or undersized paddle, most are about "normal".  One big exception to this is the paddle I use.  The Lendal Kinetic-S (S for small) seems to be able "normal" size, and the Kinetic seems to be oversized.  Go figure.

-Allen