How do you determine the right length paddle to use and what does the bent shaft paddle do differently than a standard one?
try some
Recently had the same questions. Read lots in the archives and on other websites about how to measure yourself for a paddle. According to them I’d need a 54" bent shaft or a 56" straight.
Started with a 52" bent and it made my shoulders hurt, felt like my top hand was too high. Ended up cutting it down to 50" and that feels good, could probably go to a 49".
I’m 6’1" with a 33" inseam. I mostly paddle a solo Bell Magic and sometimes a tandem Sawyer Cruiser. I’m usually paddling fairly hard and keep a pretty vertical paddle angle.
Alan
Bent shaft is for speed.
I determined the length of my paddle by experimentation.
For what it is worth, I am 5’-8" and my paddle which is a bent shaft is 50"
Cheers,
JackL
As usual
Jack is right ( he did marry Nanci didn’t he? )
Two accomplished paddler acquaintances of mine: Ed who is 5foot 8or9 uses a 52 inch Zav in his J-boat. Neil who is 6 foot 2 or 3 uses a 50 incher! My freind Jim uses a 50 incher in his J-boat, and he only stands 5"8".
The simple way is to sit in the boat, in the seat you will be paddling in and keep trying the same paddle in different legnths. Trying to get the same paddle in to legnths is the hard thing.
I am still vacilliating between 50 and 51.5 inches.
I find it easier to shovel manure
with a bent shaft.
One starting point
– Last Updated: Sep-26-09 10:01 PM EST –
Remember that it's the length of the shaft that matters, not the length of the paddle. It's pointless to say that a person of a certain height should use a paddle of a certain length, or even that once you've found a length that works, the same length will be required for every paddle you buy, because differently shaped blades will dictate different paddle lengths. I have only four paddles that I regularly use, and though the shaft length is nearly identical on all of them, the total paddle length varies by several inches. Also, how high you sit in the boat makes a difference in what length works best.
One fitting method is to sit on a chair and place the paddle grip on the chair between your legs with the blade sticking straight up. When I was "fitted" using this method, I ended up with a paddle-shaft length such that the base of the blade is about the same height as the upper part of my forehead.
I find it very handy to have two paddles in the boat, with one being about two inches shorter in total length (or a lot shorter if the main paddle is a beavertail), to provide better comfort and control when paddling extended distances through shallows.
Oh, and bent-shaft paddles are usually shorter than straight-shaft paddles, which I think is due to the fact that they are normally used with short, fast strokes, but I'll leave any good explanation of that to the sit-and-switchers.
Mostly, but if you compare paddles
with the same shaft length, but one with a short, wide blade, and the other with a long, narrow blade, then you’ll find that one or the other might call for a different shaft length.
Very few rules apply toward the extremes.
Bent vs Straight
The bent shaft is intended for marathon racing technique. The paddler sitting is on a fairly low seat and switching sides to control his course.
The bent shaft allows the paddler to get the most efficient paddle placement with the relatively low seating.
The straight shaft is more commonly used with traditional, freestyle and whitewater slalom techniques.
The paddler is seated higher, often kneeling, and a wide variety of control and correction strokes are used. the straight shaft allows for finer control and allows the use of both paddle faces equally.
None of that is carved in stone. Folks paddle marathon style with straight shaft sticks and do all sorts of control strokes with bent shaft sticks. What ever moves ya!
Sizing is highly individual depending on your seated height, your preferred technique and your boat. I use between 54" and 58" in a straight and 54" in a bent. I’m 5’ 8" with short legs and a long torso and I kneel 99% of the time. My straights are pretty common lengths but my bent is quite a bit longer than most folks like to use.
paddles
Following the guidelines for paddle measurement in the ZRE catalog, I ended up with a 47.25" bent. It fits perfectly, no strain at all.
Measured by sitting in a chair, and measuring from the chair seat to the tip of my nose, and then adding blade length. Leg length does not matter, and the chair method eliminates problems with measuring while standing.
Paddle length
I sit on the floor and turn the paddle blade up. The base of the blade should be level with your mouth. Based on that method. I use a different lenght paddle in my Clipper Sea 1 than in my Nova Craft Cronje. The Cronje takes a paddle shaft 2 inches longer because the seat is higher.
I have several straight shaft paddles but almost never use them unless I’m just floating or fishing. It’s bent shaft for me all the way. The question you have not asked is, how important is weight? Get the lightest paddle you can afford.
All the best,
Steve
BENT SHAFT
A BENT SHAFT PADDLE CAN DO EVERYTHING A STRIGHT ONE CAN DO BUT BETTER. YES IT IS MADE TO HELP YOU GO FAST BUT THIS IS DONE BY BEING MORE EFFICENT[EASIER] REC PADDLERS CAN GO FARTHER EASIER. WITH SOME PRACTICE YOU WILL FIND A STROKE. PADDLE LENGTH IS A PERSONAL THING. I HAVE RECENTLY REDUCED MY PADDLE LENGTH DUE TO SHOULDERS THAT HAVE BEEN RACING FOR 30 YEARS. THE SHORTER PADDLE TAKES PRESSURE OFF THE ROTATORS AND GIVES UP NOTHING
That would be why
– Last Updated: Oct-05-09 9:51 AM EST –
All those Freestyle and Slalom Racers and Olympic Sprint guys use straight paddles, kind of a give the other guy a chance to beat me sort of thing???
I do not understand P98's use of caps, basically shouting at the rest of us. Noise level doesn't carry the game in this group. While we hope for collegial interaction, knowledge generally carries the day without emphasis.
There are three current threads on bents, please read Glenn MacGrady and Pagayier and Tommy C-1, all of whom have a handle on this. My apologies to others who have contributed intelligently.
Paddle physics might as well start with Winters in the late 80s. If the blade is more than +/- 10 dg to square to the stroke you are doing something other than going where you think you are.
Straights enhance power when kneeling because we can rotate to a catch far enough forward to square the blade to the stroke. The Straight blade forward stroke starts as far forward as we can reach and ends abeam the knee. And, straights square up pretty easily to draws, pushaways, back strokes and the J.
Bents are designed for sitting paddlers whose forward rotation is limited. the thing squares up to a forward stroke from just in front of the knee to mid thigh, a more comfortable and compact rotation for sitting paddlers. Less rotation can mean a higher cadence and higher speed, but bents are already outside "Winters +/- 10dg Window" for J strokes, draws and pushaways.
Control is also a function of paddle length. Bents are fitted shorter due to the reduced rotation requirement. Straight fit longer for cross forward strokes and cross Duffeks and because we need more reach to the forward stroke catch. That extra length enhances draws, sweeps, etc because the blade is farther from the boat. For finite control the straight is the boss.
So, for marathon racing, where duration dictates a seated stance, bents rule: high cadence, pretty restful and the boat flies. Sir and switch for control with the odd turn carved around a bow hanging draw with an outside heel.
For control in whitewater, where we may have reasons to not go over the twelve foot falls backwards and upside down, straights generally improve controlling strokes and can improve power on that one stroke needed to make it into the safe eddy.
And, of course, for those who prefer symmetry, the double blade tightens cadence and increases speed while shortening the learning curve again.
FIT is another issue and can be boat and load specific, but.....here's a suggestion.
Straights for kneeling paddlers need to be long enough for cross strokes, so with a firm grip on the top grip, drop that hand in front of the body; the neck, where blade morphs into shaft should align about an inch above hair line.
Bents work closer to the body and usually with sitting paddlers, so they fit shorter. For tripping hulls, Bell, MRC, Swift, etc, with the same firm hand on the top grip the bent's neck should align with the bridge of the paddler's nose.
For marathon heritage hulls like Clippers, GRE, Savage River, Sawyers and Wenonahs, the shaft can be shorter yet due to lower seating and the complete dedication to sit and switch technique; the neck between the paddler's lips and tip of the nose.