And…
…and not everyone is paddling a long skinny stick boat with their GP, either.
length
carldelo already mentioned it. Using traditional methods of measurement also assumed you have a kayak that was built for you with traditional measurement methods. We make a paddle using the general measurement methods than we jump into a stock one size fits all sea kayak. I have different sizes. There are many factors I think. Using a loom length that feels best and works with the kayak you use, and using a blade size that works best with that can change the paddle length to something much larger than you might think you should use. And depending on you, you may prefer one size for paddling and another for playing with rolls, etc. My favorite size paddle is nowhere near what “traditional” measurement suggests. It is as many say, just a good place to start. I use a much shorter Euro than I do a GP. Even the shorter gp’s that I like are longer than my euro. Just stuff to consider