I've got an adjustable paddle and measured my preferred paddle length @ 27cm above my head.
I bought a new fixed paddle and made the mistake of consulting google for the best length, and recent pro opinion is to keep it shorter than 8" (http://www.ridingbumps.com/2013/08/25/the-new-rules-of-sup-paddle-length-determination/).
Keeping with my usual habit of messing things up, I figured I must be wrong and cut the length to 20cm above head (202cm total).
I went for a paddle yesterday and I'm pretty sure I cut it too short.
At present I only paddle leisurely with the Mrs on flat water.
With straight legs and very slight back bend paddling, the entry of the paddle is ~ 1/2 down the blade, and the exit is ~12cm from where to blade starts to expand.
My eye level is ~9cm (little lower than the image) above where the blade starts to expand. Sure I can bend over more, and can paddle short distances fine even with a paddle my own height, but my comfort point and getting the entire blade in seems to be around 30cm (11.8") above my head unless my technique is wrong and I should just get used to bending over more.
I have longer than regular arm length.
What do you folk reckon?
no worries.....you look at vids of hot young surfer dudes and their paddles are ridiculously short.
Bend the knees and bend the back. Probably good medicine 
I believe you need to learn to bend your knees and your hips as you paddle, not just use your arms. Get the big strong quads and glutes working to give you power in the stroke.
Little bit of back bend but make sure you don't do a funny bum stick out, think of your tailbone being tucked under to help look after your lower back. I try to eliminate the back 'flex and extend' with every stroke.
Engage you scapula's imagine a V where both scapula's sink down to the base of your spine. Your shoulders are low, not scrunched up around your ears and your neck is tall and loose.
Just focus on that little knee and hip flex (without dramatic lower back flex) to allow you to fully plant the paddle blade, then simply unflex knees and hips, but not to lockout. Think of bringing your hips forward rather than moving paddle back, that's it, you are done. Picture that the blade is fixed and you are moving past, I like the idea that you are planting into wet concrete and the paddle can't move.
Of course there are a million variations about torso twist and how far forward you reach etc etc.
After about a thousand million hours of thinking about it and going longer and shorter with padddle length, what works for me personally, is just focusing on a deep clean paddle plant, that's it. There rest seems to just sort itself out. I'm at about 5" overhead for distance and downwind and mid forehead for waves on a small board.
My other thing is that I'm not obsessed anymore about having the blade out of the water by the time it gets to my feet, particularly if I'm digging really deep with lots of knee and hip bend going for a wave or into strong headwind. What I do is stop pulling by my feet, after my feet I let the paddle move past (not too far) but without effort. It comes out when I stand up and go for the next plant.
YMMV!
Oh and start doing squats, do 20 every time you are in the shower (on your own..because that would be weird).
Yeah, too much I suspect!!
Just watched the vid DJ posted down the page a bit of the English guy on the Mistral board, you can really see him knee and hip flexing with his power strokes.
I try to do that for power and a toned down version for distance.
Sounds pretty good to me, my paddle I use for general paddling, training, racing, downwind etc is about the same i.e. 20cm above my head.
My surf paddle is pretty much head height.
Depends a bit on the board as well, on dug out (sunken deck boards) you can be standing pretty close to water level whilst some thick flat deck race boards will have you standing a good couple of inches above water level.
I'm sure you will get used to it once you change your technique a bit, slight bend in the knees etc.
IMO longer paddles are harder on the shoulders but too short can be hard on the back.
Thanks for all the input.
I'll stick with the paddle... right now I bend/flex my knees to get the paddle in the water properly, but this reduces my reach and increases my fatigue.
My board is an inflatable, which lies 0-2" above water line where I stand... as it bends with my weight :( and rocks with my strokes.
I believe high cadence strokes benefit from a shorter paddle, but leisurely paddling benefits from a longer paddle.
Should the paddle be all the way up to the round of the shaft in the water or should it be in up to just before it splits?
probably chuck the inflatable away.....hard to imagine it would be providing you with a stable basis for achieving an efficient paddling regime
Select to expand quoteFlySurfer said..
it bends with my weight :(
Are you sure it is inflated enough? Modern inflatable boards are quite rigid.
Select to expand quotecolas said..
Are you sure it is inflated enough? Modern inflatable boards are quite rigid.
It inflates to 15-18psi, I inflate to 18psi.
It's failry rigid, but 4.75" thick so it will sit ~2.3" above the water, and it flexes ~1.5"... you get idea.
Given the space in my garage, inflatable is my only option.
Select to expand quoteGboots said..
Inflatable are great.Good to have both
Hard boards are definitely more efficient, but they're darn big. Whereas inflatables are 90% there but offer a lot storage/travel/durability options.
Select to expand quoteFlySurfer said..
I've got an adjustable paddle and measured my preferred paddle length @ 27cm above my head.
I bought a new fixed paddle and made the mistake of consulting google for the best length, and recent pro opinion is to keep it shorter than 8". ...cut the length to 20cm above head (202cm total).
...I'm pretty sure I cut it too short.
What do you folk reckon?
I reckon you're right. That's the beauty of adjustables, is to dial in your preferred length. Regardless of improving your technique, you found a sweet spot, so just stick to it. I've bought multiple adjustables just to dial in my length and I've narrowed it down to exactly what I like in length, dependent of the board and conditions and my current fitness.
So after all the paddles I've bought and tested, it's funny that I fit exactly on my numbers that Quickblade has in their paddle length reference chart and I have the exact length paddles that the chart specifies.
www.quickbladepaddles.com/SUP-paddle-sizes/
When it comes to the Pros, they are racing and not touring. Make a video of your best paddling technique and compare it the Pro positions. I thought I was a decent paddler and was in good racing form until I started making videos... Now I know better.
So next time cut it long, hot glue or tape it and cut it down if the mood strikes.
Hope your wife enjoys her new paddle
Select to expand quotebaddog said..
Hope your wife enjoys her new paddle
Ha ha... she's known me too long; as soon as I told her I thought I cut it too short she said "I'm not having it!".
But honey just try it, "No".
After some nagging she relented, and said "no, it's too stiff and light".
But light's good, "No".
hard boards too big? I think any hard board would be preferable to an inflatable. Most 9'5 sups would paddle okay on flat water.
And ask Colas how long his board is........
Select to expand quoteGizzieNZ said..
hard boards too big? I think any hard board would be preferable to an inflatable. Most 9'5 sups would paddle okay on flat water.
And ask Colas how long his board is........
Actually, I find modern inflatables great for flat water and cruising. They paddle suprisingly fast. Note that if there is any chop, a pointed nose is mandatory not to plough in it due to the thick front rails, but otherwise, if I bought a cruise/race board, I would take an inflatable (and an electric pump).
I advise inflatables for recreational, non-surfing oriented people. My wife have one, for instance.
Granted, inflatables are somewhat tricky to surf (the nose "sticks" to the water on the takeoff), and not made for rollers, but for cruising, they are a very sensible choice.
Select to expand quotebaddog said..FlySurfer said..
I've got an adjustable paddle and measured my preferred paddle length @ 27cm above my head.
I bought a new fixed paddle and made the mistake of consulting google for the best length, and recent pro opinion is to keep it shorter than 8". ...cut the length to 20cm above head (202cm total).
...I'm pretty sure I cut it too short.
What do you folk reckon?
I reckon you're right. That's the beauty of adjustables, is to dial in your preferred length. Regardless of improving your technique, you found a sweet spot, so just stick to it. I've bought multiple adjustables just to dial in my length and I've narrowed it down to exactly what I like in length, dependent of the board and conditions and my current fitness.
So after all the paddles I've bought and tested, it's funny that I fit exactly on my numbers that Quickblade has in their paddle length reference chart and I have the exact length paddles that the chart specifies.
www.quickbladepaddles.com/SUP-paddle-sizes/
When it comes to the Pros, they are racing and not touring. Make a video of your best paddling technique and compare it the Pro positions. I thought I was a decent paddler and was in good racing form until I started making videos... Now I know better.
So next time cut it long, hot glue or tape it and cut it down if the mood strikes.
Hope your wife enjoys her new paddle
+1
and if this is the same flysurfer who had a bad paragliding accident then long term his back will not appreciate a shorter paddle, he has longer arms and is paddling for leisure, choose comfort..and enjoy the wife's company while paddling together watching her knees and back flex that bit extra
