Paddle length advice.

Second on the Epic online guide
And Werner has one too.



230 is a ridiculous length - there is a good reason you can pick them up like candy on EBay. But there are still people out there who (improperly against current thought) advocate for longer paddles.



Most of this is your own technique, and the right paddle will help that happen. We were paddling with a woman a couple of years back, when she started kayaking, who came out in an OK boat but the paddle was awful - some 230 cm thing the guys at the shop had insisted was right for her. I gave her my much shorter foam core paddle and while she appreciated the weight, she had the devil of a time paddling with it. When she handed it back I found out that she was scheduled for an upcoming clinic with a very good coach. I told her that the coach was going to get her technique tuned them tell her to get the same paddle I had just handed her. She thought I was nuts - we met up a month later and she had the same paddle as mine except it was bent shaft…

Ok
After entering my info in the recommended links above and doing some reading, it looks like 220 cm icomes out as the suggested size. So, as I said, I know my technique is not there yet but either way, I’m using a borrowed paddle so I have to get something Anyway.



Will going up from 213 to 220 cm be noticeable?



Lastly, any suggestions are greatly appreciated but not if it’s going to start a war. I need to keep is as cheap as possible. I’m hoping to spend no more than $75 or so. It’s just all I can afford at this point.

Choosing a paddle
It would be best to start a new thread for choosing your paddle. Lots of people will be ignoring the current thread now that they have said what they wanted to about proper length. Ask a new question about prices and choices, and attention will be renewed. It is good that you recognize how restrictive you price limit is right now, but some advice about more expensive paddles may be valuable for other reasons, or in the future. Don’t worry about starting a war. We can do that without your help :wink:

At 220
it is still worth checking out places like EBay for used, to get a better (lighter weight) paddle. The tendency on paddles has gotten to be so much shorter due to high angle paddling that good deals can be scored on used 220cm as well.

It’s a temporary paddle for you anyway as you learn more, so it just has to hold together long enough to get you started.