I’m happy to help answer your questions ranging from Greenland-style technique, making Greenland paddles, wing technique, Water Tribe / ultra-distance kayak racing, kayak expeditions, kayak camping, surf kayaking and more.
I look forward to your questions! If you prefer for your question not to appear on my blog, please let me know and I’ll answer privately.
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A: Tom, thanks for the question.
Before going into specific techniques, following are some general points to ponder. There is a lot of condensed information here, you may have to read this more than once. (more…)
A: Dave, For full disclosure, I’m a Snapdragon team paddler but I bought Snapdragon before I was sponsored, they make a great product.
I have multiple skirts that I choose depending on my activity/conditions. The most bombproof skirts are full neoprene, they are dry but also warm (not an advantage in the Florida heat). (more…)
A: Hello “Confused”. Greenland paddle sizing is usually done using anthropometric measurements. This type of measurement takes into account body sizing, and can be done directly, without a tape measure.
For the measurements below, an “armspan” refers to the full reach of your outstretched arms, from the extended fingertips of one hand, to the other.
The key is to treat these guidelines as a ballpark estimate ONLY and experiment freely. Your ideal paddle may be several inches longer or shorter than these guidelines There is no “official/traditional” formula that will be perfect for all users. Don’t get too caught up in what is the “proper” or traditional sizing or what your friends use. By all means try many different sizes but what is important is that the paddle fits you, accommodates the dimensions of your kayak, and the type of paddling that you do.
Paddle length is affected by many things, including your torso height, arm length, kayak width and foredeck volume, height of your seat, and other factors, including your posture and technique.
If your paddle-length is not optimal you will have to compensate with technique, and your posture may be negatively affected. A good instructor can observe you and quickly determine if your paddle length looks good and if your posture and technique are sound.
Tip – if you make your own paddle, consider making your first one with the length slightly longer than what you think is “ideal”, and make the loom (paddle shaft) slightly shorter than what you think is “ideal”. This gives you room to experiment. After using the paddle, you can modify it as needed — by taking off some of the length or making the loom longer. It’s easy to remove wood but not so easy to put it back on!
For additional information please see the sizing information that I posted at Qajaq USA.