Measuring paddle length

darreng · Post by **darreng** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:57 pm

Are paddles measured from the tip of the blade to the top of the t-grip?

Jan_dettmer · Post by **Jan_dettmer** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:28 pm

yes, most manufacturers give total length. However, shaft length is the
important thing. Some manufacturers give blade length as well and then you can figure the shaft length out.

rule of thumb: sit in the boat, submerge blade completely while shaft is vertical, grip should be on shoulder height.

...some people like longer shafts, I personally prefer shorter shafts
cause they are faster from on to off-side.

Cheers, Jan

ezwater · Post by **ezwater** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:37 am

What we feel when we try a paddle is the length from our grip to the center-of-pressure of the blade. The center of pressure is not just halfway down the blade, it depends on the shape of the paddle and the arc through which it travels in the water. A paddle with a shorter, wider blade, compared to one with a longer, narrower blade, may feel as if it were longer, even though the total length of the two paddles is the same.

Because the paddle blade should not be buried too deep, the length of the shaft will depend on the kneeling height of the paddler, and should be such to get the blade just properly buried with the paddler's arms at the most effective working height.

If one is not sure what length of paddle to order, it may be good to err on the long side, because it is easy to shorten a paddle, but hard to lengthen it.

Hope this doesn't confuse the issue.