Paddle length

Hi, I hope someone can help. I am busy buying a surf ski and getting into the sport. I have been told that a 216 length paddle is correct for me (the shop I am buying from mainly deal with river paddlers), my dimensions are if I stretch my arms out, crucifix style and lift my forearms so that they are at 90 degrees to the rest of my arm ? from elbow to elbow I measure 1040mm, I am 1.85m tall. My balance is terrible and I will be paddling a Honcho Guru. Is a 216 Length correct?

Short answer is YES.

It depends on the paddle you use, your technique, strength, and the kayak.

I'm 1.84 m high and uses normally a length of 2.14 to 2.17 m for a standard wing paddle.

I will recommend that you get a paddle, which you can adjust in length and angle, so you can try what is best for you.

The Epic homepage have a nice guide for selecting a paddle, that you can try.

Generally your paddle is much shorter in the sea.

On flatwater most guys paddle between 215 and 219 in K1's.

In a ski, they will use 211 to 215 - even the big guys.

There are no rules with how long your paddle should be - maybe start a bit shorter at 214 and experiment with what feels best.

A lot depends on the blade length. A longer blade like a Lettman 1 will need a longer overall length - maybe around 2.17m. A shorter blade as has become more popular recently will need a shorter overall length, maybe as short as 2.12m. As was aid earlier - an adjustable shaft is really the best way to start. Get something 210 to 220 and you will be covered.

I used to paddle with a 2:14 shaft and was advised by Oscar Chalupsky to try 2:12 which I've been setting for a year now.

I use an Epic mid-wing.

Dawid and Nikki Mocke advise training with the paddle set to 1cm longer than you race with.

Then when you race at the "correct" length you feel stronger...

Haven't tried that trick yet!

216 seems like it might be a little long.

Like what these guys have been saying, get an adjustable paddle and see what fits you best. I tend to like shorter paddles for a higher stroke rate, but I still never go longer than 214 and that seems very long in certain conditions like going upwind. Adjustable paddles are nice because you can even change the length depending on what you are doing. 216 might be good for a downwind, but you might find you like something shorter for flatwater.

Thanks a million guys for taking the time to answer, it gives me a bit more of an idea what to look for

Shaun wrote:

216 might be good for a downwind, but you might find you like something shorter for flatwater.

I assume this is a typo and you meant to say the exact opposite?

Stew wrote:

Shaun wrote:

216 might be good for a downwind, but you might find you like something shorter for flatwater.

I assume this is a typo and you meant to say the exact opposite?

Well, perhaps I am different than everyone else, but that is how I paddle.

For flatwater and mixed choppy water, I use my standard paddle length, too long of a paddle and I get tired quickly and my stroke rate slows more than I like it. When I am going downwind, I make it a little longer because I am going faster and I can use the extra length for more power to sprint my way onto a wave. Also, it allows me to keep my normal stroke rate. I shorten my paddle when going upwind for the exact opposite reason, going slower through the water so a shorter paddle will allow me to keep about the same stroke rate.

So what does everyone else do?

Oscar Chalupsky shortens his paddle to go upwind - and when he's tired or it's very rough.

As he said, changing the length is like changing gears - the shorter the shaft, the lower the gear.

I'm 6 foot tall, and discovered last week that my paddle length at 216 was too long (for 3 years!). It's now 212 and MUCH for comfortable

Hi Guys

All the posts about paddle length got me thinking about my own set up. My paddle is an Epic mid wing i.e. MWFC 208 - 218 and have it set at 3. My question is what is 3 in terms of length?

The other question I have relates to the degrees offset of the blades. My offset is 30 I assume this means 30 degrees.

What are your thoughts about the offset given a range of paddling conditions.


Cheers
John

John, you can measure your paddle, tip to tip, and get the exact measurement. But, I assume that "3" is 3 cm more than the shortest, so 211 cm.

For feather, average is about 60 degrees. Most ski paddlers fall in between 50 and 70 degrees, and I would guess that virtually all ski paddlers are between 45 and 75 degrees.

I once found an internet page that visually explained why the average feather is about 60, but I can't find it at the moment - it was written by a young Englishman for a university project or something like that. In short, it shows that if you view the paddler from the side, the angle made between the top arm and the lower arm (at the catch) dictates the appropriate anatomic feather angle and the end result is that the top arm control-side wrist is in neutral position when the non-control side pull begins.

So, your feather angle of 30 might be appropriate if your hands stay mid-chest high or lower while you paddle.

I haven't heard of paddlers changing their feather angle for various water conditions. I suppose a small minority might increase feather if going directly into a strong headwind.

ERik

Hi Erik. Thanks for your advise I've tried a couple of variations on feather and found 45 degrees to have the best affect.

Cheers
John

Bingo - found the link.

www.simondawson.com/artkcr1.htm

His pics of the arm height / angle and how it relates to the amount of feather are well done.

Erik

thx erik, it's quite useful.