correct paddle selection

I currently paddle with a fenn 4 (212cms)and have done for the last few years, but i'm begining to feel the blade is "too heavy" through the water and my cadence is probably slower than i would like.
Any suggestions on the choice of new paddle.
I paddle a v 12, 46 yrs old and 5 foot 10 inches tall( 80kgs)
My initial thoughts are the fenn 3 or the epic mid.

Just a thought, what are the top boys using, can't help but notice there high paddle cadence. Apparently Dean Gardiner uses a fenn 3.

Any thoughts and advise well apreciated...

Adam

Try shortening your paddle. Most of the blokes I paddle with are similar ages and would use 2.09 to 2.11. I constantly change paddle length depending on conditions. It makes a big difference. The rougher it is the shorter the paddle.

Maybe look at going down to 210 but also actively work on your technique.

Find some flat water and ask one of the top paddlers in your area to watch you and give some tips.

Thanks for the advise boys!
I agree a shorter paddle may be the way to go but my fenn 4 is fixed length.

I suppose we all have to continually work on our technique and I try to fit in a couple of tech sessions a week.

Here in perth we have a number of local races varying in distance from 12 - 23kms and in all races over the past couple of years i seem to find that my forearms and back blow out a little and i am hanging on towards the last few kms rather than being able to lift my rating or put in a series of intervals to help me consolidate the closing stages of a race.

What paddle are you guys using??

Adam

It will cost you $60 to bung an adjuster on your paddle....$45 if you do it yourself. It will cost $600 for a new paddle. I still think 212 is a long paddle. The good guys with big tickers and big muscles may be able to use longer paddles. I am taller than you and would use a 2.09 legend champion, which is a mid plus blade, into the wind and downwind (cos of the increased cadence) and adjust it to 212 in the flat. I thought the tendency was for shorter paddles nowdays.
I would love to know what the elite paddlers use.

I also have a fixed length Fenn 4. If yours is like mine it is pretty easy to shorten. I purchased mine with the left blade unattached due to shipping reasons and cost. I cut the shaft to length and used epoxy to attach the blade. Since then I've made several adjustments to length and blade angle. Just heat the shaft end with a hobby type heat gun to soften the epoxy and twist the blade out. Just be careful; go slow and don't force it. All that is left is to squarely cut the shaft to the new length and reglue the blade back in to the shaft. If you can it may be a good idea to try a shorter paddle before you cut yours, possibly too short.

One thing to keep in mind is that regardless of the paddle length, you need to bury the blade under the water. The practical ramification of this is that a paddle with longer blades will naturally require a longer overall length, while a paddle with shorter blades will naturally require a shorter overall length. (If you think about it, you are really buying a paddle according to shaft length.)

Obviously, many different brands of paddles have blades which are of similar length, but you should be careful about simply thinking that you need a paddle of X overall length without accounting for the length of the blades.

I use an Epic small-mid 205-215. I generally paddle at ~209 cm, but sometimes shorter if I am tired (particularly going into the wind), or a bit longer for a sprint.

I have an Epic mid wing and an Epic mid large wing.
If I set them to the same length, the mid wing feels longer.
It seems to have a different center of pressure or something.

I'm currently doing a series of trials with the 2 paddles at various lengths.
I let you know what I find out.

To set 2 paddles to the "same" length for purposes of paddling, you should simply put the two paddles side by side and adjust the length(s) such that the shaft portion of the two paddles are the same length (that is, ignore the length of the blades). This way, the blade of each paddle will naturally be buried to the same point near the end of the shaft.

I don't think that you will be able to tell much from time trials. The differences between paddles will be too small, and the differences between your output will be too big.

I have definite trends already.
Trials, not time trials.
A series of runs each way, 2 runs with each length, alternating.
After 10 runs, there is definitely clues as to what is better.