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Re: ISO Two Paddles
Submitted by jayh <jay.herbig@earthlink.net> on 29/Mar/2021 in reply to ISO Two Paddles posted by ChipL on 27/Mar/2021
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Couple of things, first there's the pre-trip mantra...
Helmet, sprayskirt, lifejacket, paddle. If you're doing up to class 2, PFD (lifejacket) and Helmet are also mandatory equipment. Also, bike helmets aren't kosher head protection.
Here's a good analogy for paddles... if your kayak is the car, your paddle is the engine, so don't get a crappy engine. Especially if you find you're getting into the sport more, you will be trying out different boats. Already having a good paddle means it won't be another expense down the road.
Paddle sizes have changed a lot in the last 20 years, a common size used to be over 200cm, but now 194cm is pretty common. For the 6.4 person, 200 cm or a little over isn't a bad size, for the 5.5 person I'd personally recommend 198 or less. Other things to factor in are shaft type (bent shaft or straight) and Feather. Feather is the angle offset because there's some wrist rotation involved in a proper paddle stroke. Feather commonly used to be 90 or 75 degrees, but lately 30 is pretty common and 45 went out of style about 10 years ago. I wouldn't recommend going for a zero degree offset personally.
Another note on the paddles, for the tall one, since people are buying newer shorter paddles with different offsets, you might be able to find a good deal on a used 200 or 202 with a 45 degree offset.
Too much information, a lot of it is all personal preference. My recommendation is hook up with a local club and paddle with them. That way you can ask to try some different gear and see what feels comfortable without having to buy stuff sight unseen.
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