Paddle length selection guide

When determining the right paddle length, there should be some relation with the way one paddles. It is not like one’s shoe size, which has no relation to how and where you are walking. Of course the most relevant thing with paddle sizing is one’s body size, but other factors should be reckoned too, like:

seat/kneeling height;
body strength;
paddling style and technique;
paddle blade shape1 and size.

The best method for paddle length selection is therefore to actually paddle with several paddle lengths for some time2 in your own canoe until you find one that suits you most. To make that selection process a whole lot quicker, a guideline is to start with a paddle that comes at the shoulder height3 of your upper arm (so probably just below your chin) when in your canoe with the paddle blade in the water and the paddle upright, as illustrated in the drawing below:

From there you can also try somewhat longer or shorter to find out for yourself which length with your way of paddling is the best compromise between sufficient effectiveness and efficiency. Too simply said: shorter becomes ineffective and longer more tiring and can make it more difficult to do a pitch and (active) J-stroke to go straight.

Of course the flaw of this method is that it more or less implies having a good paddling technique. If you don’t paddle well yet, one may favor a longer paddle that is more effective than it needs to be, but turn out to be not efficient enough in the long run — for example when paddling against a strong headwind… Nevertheless, I would not recommend shorter than shoulder height when paddling from a relatively low position and/or a fully loaded canoe.

Luckily there is some leeway with paddle length because our body is quite capable to adapt, and you can do very well with a paddle that is not too short and not too long for you most of the time.
On the other hand, I favor a relatively shorter paddle the higher I sit in a canoe and vice versa. Ultimately this is a good thing, as it means I can use the same paddle in different situations: when paddling tandem as well as solo and with a lightly as well as heavily loaded canoe. For paddling in whitewater rapids I do favor a bit longer paddle though, but there my paddling style is also quite different as I need more effectivity then.

1. While blade length may have some relation with shaft length, the shaft length is the discerning factor for deciding which paddle length is best, as this drawing tries to illustrate:

Also there are rules of thumb that allow you to pre-select suitable paddles on dry land, but some of them are rules from the past meant for long-bladed paddles. If you use such a rule of thumb with short-bladed paddles, you get longer shaft lengths and thus likely too long paddles. If you need a rule of thumb on dry land to determine the right paddle length, at least use one where the length of the paddle blade does not matter, like the ‘basic-shaft measurement’ method shown below.

basic-shaft measurement

2. Preferably try a paddle for some hours if it’s a touring paddle you’re after, because if you are a bit tired you may better experience which paddle works better for you in the long run.

3. The idea behind the ‘paddle at shoulder height’ advice – which could perhaps better be described as chin height, because the shoulder of your upper arm comes out a bit higher when paddling – is based on the assumption that the shortest distance between the shoulder of the pushing arm and the grip of the paddle occurs when the paddle grip is at shoulder height when the paddle is vertically upright. A vertical paddle position is the most efficient for the forward stroke because it causes the least yaw of your canoe. With a longer paddle shaft, the grip comes out higher, resulting in a longer distance between the shoulder of your upper arm and your paddle grip. This will force you to use a lot more body rotation to get a vertical paddle position which is less efficient for touring paddling. Also a longer paddle makes it more difficult to make course corrections like the pitch and J-stroke, resulting in a lower stroke strate than would be efficient for touring paddling.

If you somehow notice that you often aren’t using the full length of your paddle blade, the paradoxical chance is that your paddle is too long rather than too short.

For other purposes than paddling long distances a bit longer paddle may work well as it can give you a stronger stroke. It’s just a matter of efficiency versus effectivity, where you can only find out for yourself which works best — for you.