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Tips / Equipment
An old wives' tale among paddlers is that you should be able to reach over the top of your paddle with your fingertips when it is standing vertically on the ground. Experience has shown that this is not true. The above rule will result in a paddle that is too short for a shorter person, and one that is too long for a taller person. When Abe Lincoln was asked how long a person's legs should be, he replied "Long enough to reach the ground!" Likewise, your paddle should be long enough to reach the water.
Paddle length is a function of many factors including:
Body Size — A tall person will use a slightly longer paddle than a short person.
Seat Height — The higher your seat in the kayak, the longer your paddle will need to be to reach the water.
Boat Width — A wider kayak will require a longer paddle.
Blade Shape — The paddle should be placed in the water so that the top of the blade (blade/shaft junction) is just at the surface of the water. Therefore, your shaft length should be consistent and a paddle with longer blades should be longer overall in length. An active touring (short, wide blades) paddle should be shorter than a relaxed touring (long, narrow blades) paddle.
Paddling Style — A vertical stroke (pushing relatively high with the top arm and paddle blade close to the boat) will require a shorter paddle than a horizontal stroke (low pushing arms and wide stroke).
Personal Preference — Those who prefer long, slow strokes should use a longer paddle than those who prefer short, fast strokes.
The top of your paddle blade should be at the water's surface. A natural tendency is to not dip the paddle deep enough at the beginning of the stroke, and then to go too deep at the end of the stroke. Paddle length becomes a compromise — a longer paddle helps the beginning of your stroke, while a shorter paddle will help you exit quicker and cleaner at the end of the stroke. You can go with a longer or shorter paddle length, depending on which part of your stroke you need to improve the most.
In my experience, the above suggestions work best for most paddlers. Your length within the recommended ranges will be determined by your profile in the above factors. These are just guidelines. If your circumstances are different, then by all means use what works best for you.
Check out our Paddle Wizard to help you find the right type of paddle and paddle length.
Paddle length is a function of many factors including:
Body Size — A tall person will use a slightly longer paddle than a short person.
Seat Height — The higher your seat in the kayak, the longer your paddle will need to be to reach the water.
Boat Width — A wider kayak will require a longer paddle.
Blade Shape — The paddle should be placed in the water so that the top of the blade (blade/shaft junction) is just at the surface of the water. Therefore, your shaft length should be consistent and a paddle with longer blades should be longer overall in length. An active touring (short, wide blades) paddle should be shorter than a relaxed touring (long, narrow blades) paddle.
Paddling Style — A vertical stroke (pushing relatively high with the top arm and paddle blade close to the boat) will require a shorter paddle than a horizontal stroke (low pushing arms and wide stroke).
Personal Preference — Those who prefer long, slow strokes should use a longer paddle than those who prefer short, fast strokes.
The top of your paddle blade should be at the water's surface. A natural tendency is to not dip the paddle deep enough at the beginning of the stroke, and then to go too deep at the end of the stroke. Paddle length becomes a compromise — a longer paddle helps the beginning of your stroke, while a shorter paddle will help you exit quicker and cleaner at the end of the stroke. You can go with a longer or shorter paddle length, depending on which part of your stroke you need to improve the most.
In my experience, the above suggestions work best for most paddlers. Your length within the recommended ranges will be determined by your profile in the above factors. These are just guidelines. If your circumstances are different, then by all means use what works best for you.
Check out our Paddle Wizard to help you find the right type of paddle and paddle length.
