I see the kayak, paddle, PFD and owner as a “system” which works best together when VIEWED AS A SYSTEM. What I mean by that is as follows;
In your correspondence with me I see you got her a Delta Rec kayak with a cockpit of 50" in length and no thigh braces. What that means in a practical scene is that large waves with breakers are going to flood over the deck and swamp the kayak unless a spray skirt is installed, but such long cockpits have a set of problems with skirts too, simply because the skirts must be put on from front to back because human arms are not long enough to install them from back to front as in most other kayaks.
So let’s assume big waves and breakers are not in the mix. Not the best kayak for that kind of water (In the future ask me ---- and I’ll tell you exactly how I know these things)
So — we have a lady who is small and is going to enjoy outings in flat, calm or sheltered water. Still it’s a bad idea to ever go out with no PFD. So when she’s wearing a PFD we need to look at the space she’ll have to shift her weight from side to side, to learn the skills of edging that kayak. Yes, even a rec-kayak responds a lot better when you can edge it to turn it. And learning to use them skillfully make them a lot more fun which in turn make them want to go out more.
No thigh braces mean she does all edging with hip/butt pressure, not by lifting up with a knee or thigh. It also means a shift of the butt to the side, to place the weight off-center. Such kayaks as the 12AR do very well with that kind of weigh shift, and are very stable and easy to lean. But now, think of her being off-set and having to clear both the hip-pads in the seat and clear the PFD (not a problem at all if the correct type is used) and that means the paddle is also now off set from the center line of the keel. The angles and extension used in this way vary some from the way a paddle is used when someone rotates but doesn’t off-set in a sea kayak. MOST paddling instructions are given with the idea that the paddle will be used in a WW or a Sea kayaks. The difference is not great, but it IS noticeable.
Last we need to consider the factor of physical strengths and endurance. Just because a woman is small is NOT a reason to think they are weak in their paddling skills. FAR FROM IT! My sister introduced me to a friend of hers that paddles the Alaskan coast all the time, and that woman amazes me with her abilities. 68 years old, at 5 feet zero inches and about 104 pounds she acts like a sea mammal in her kayak. But she is very dedicated to her sport and simply an expert at how to paddle. So if your wife has the desire to learn the top end of the techniques she may become “an amphibian”. The Delta 12AR is a rec kayak but it’s a very good one, and it has potential to be far more useful then just “a thing that floats”. Learning to use it to it’s top design limited is what’s fun.
Which brings me back to the original question. “Best paddle”? “Best paddle” is like "best kayak:. Best for what?
I do see wisdom in getting something very light weight and VERY buoyant simply because I see nothing to loose in gaining those 2 attributes in ANY paddle and in all paddles extra weight is never any real advantage. In long wood paddles it’s not as much a disadvantage as some would till you. but it’s never an actually advantage either. But if she is, or wants to become a very strong paddler, a longer paddle reaches over the wide cockpit easier then a shorter paddle, and at 5 feet tall her occasional high-angle catch is not as steep as it would be from a paddle who is a foot taller. Simply math and geometry.
But a longer paddle is a longer lever, and the power and fulcrum of that paddle is a 5 foot woman. So her physical abilities are or should be the real focus. Not just what she is but what her goal is to become, and how much dedication is attached to that goal. It’s easy to make recommendations based on math, but that’s a bad way to proceed, simply because in all skill based activity it’s the person doing that activity that has the most potential for variability. Math discounts the human factor.
If she is of the type who wants to go out 1-2 times a month and only on the calmest days, not deal with currents or wind, and never get into water that is very cold the choice relaxes to some degree. Considering the type of kayak, as I said above, I’d assume she is not gearing up for rough water. At 5 fee tall, if in “urban housewife shape” (for lack of a better term) something with a light weight, slim shaft, smaller blades and probably 220 to 230 in length will suit her well. If shifting side to side to edge come easy for her and she will learn that skill you can drop 10CM and maybe even up to 25 CM from the length. If she is in “cross-fit wife shape” (again for lack of a better term) she would probably find a bit more length and a larger blade face to suit her better.
Too bad you are so far from me. I’d say come over and let’s go down to the water and I’d lend her about 7-10 different paddles to try out and see what she likes best. When choosing the ones you like, to do a good test you them should used them for 4-6 hours each so your impressions are based in not just a 1st feel, but how you like them once you have some time with them. And keep in mind that ALL paddles get easier to use as you use them more ---- simply because the paddle is not changing, but the paddler is. He or she is getting stronger and learning the sills better, which changes the overview of the paddles. A LOT.
In my ‘many dozens’ of paddles bought and sold or given away, along with over 3 Dz kayaks in the last 5 years, I have learned a few things about kayaks and paddles. And I have to believe I am far from being done learning too.
What I have come to myself (at this point) is an Aqua Bound Eagle Ray in Carbon 230 CM long, A Warner Kalliste full carbon in 240 CM, and a few GL and Alaskan (Aleut) paddles and 100% of the time when I go out I have one of those 2 euro paddles and some variant of a Greenland or Aleut paddle.
I have also found that most folks who use the GL paddles I make want them to be made with splits if they have kayaks of less then 16 feet in length but that’s not universal. Some prefer 1 piece paddles.
Stowing a 220 to 270 CM paddle on the for-deck of a short boat means the blade is going to be sticking way out to the front. Not a problem at all if the water is calm, but can be in the way in waves. Those made with a split break down. So a 7 foot GL paddle is only 3.5 feet long when stowed. Takes a bit of time to remove from the deck and snap together as opposed to grabbing a spare paddle and paddling instantly, so it’s a trade-off no mater what you get.
