Choosing The Acceptable Kayak Paddle Length
knowledge | August 27, 2010
For every person who loves to kayak, the ideal kayak paddle length is the shortest. Easily put, it is more effective for everyone to use a shorter paddle which is within the limits of the user. On the average it is suggested that the length for a paddle should be 220 cm.
There are a lot things to take into consideration when choosing the appropriate paddle but mind you the size of the user is the least of factors one must look at when shopping for a paddle. There are more significant things to look out for.
One of them is being the style for paddling. There are 2 varieties of paddlers, the high angle and the low angle paddlers. The main difference between the two would be that the high angle paddler has his upper hand high above his shoulder level and the lower paddler has his nearer to the deck, below his shoulder level. For one high angle paddler, a shorter paddle is needed and for a low angle paddler a longer paddle.
Aside from the paddling style, the seat is also a very important variable to check when selecting a paddle. A higher seat requires a longer paddle to reach the water and a lower seat will mean a standard paddle considering that one is closer to the water.
Another significant element is the kind of kayak. A narrow kayak (for example the sit-in kayak) needs the shortest paddle length. Nonetheless, the inflatable kayaks will use longer paddles.
For the height of a person, it is not really a factor as a shorter person may use a similar length of a paddle as a taller person. The thing is that, it might just feel uncomfortable for an inexperienced tall person to be handling a shorter paddle but most importantly it is the most effective paddle length for that person.
One must be warned that a length more than 240 centimetres is not the best.
You can find more information about kayaks at http://fantastickayak.com/importance-of-kayak-paddle-length/, where you can read about Kayak Paddle Length.
