There are many kinds of paddle boats. According to the number of paddles, there are single-paddle boats, double-paddle boats and multi-paddle boats. According to the length of paddles, there are short paddle boats and long paddle boats. In the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Qi Apps pyramid more than 5,000 years ago, there was a tomb boat as the Pharaoh's tomb, which was a paddle boat with long oars.

According to the paddle configuration, there are single-layer paddle boats, double-layer paddle boats and multi-layer paddle boats. On double-deck and multi-deck paddlers, paddlers sit on benches on each horizontal deck and paddle. In the Aegean Sea, Crete was also one of the earliest sailing nations, and their paddle boats probably absorbed the shipbuilding technology of Egypt and Phoenicia. Crete warships are equipped with 44 paddlers who paddle on benches on the upper horizontal deck. Phoenicians first separated merchant ships from warships and built ships with different purposes according to different navigation areas and distances. In addition, the Phoenician warships had double paddles. Later, more paddle boats were developed.