Kayak paddle length for wider canoe

[Gamma1214]

I’d like to see someone using an Impression in a kayak

I have a Brother-in-law that's 6' 7"... If he were inclined to kayak, he might wield it as a "high angle" windmill.

Honestly, he's pretty used to nothing fitting him. He had to stuff himself in my old Ranger once and we almost had to grease him to get out.

 

[sailsman63]

To OP, Some of this has already been covered, but:

• Sitting mid-line in a wider canoe, you're almost certainly going to be going for a low-angle stroke with a dual blade. (The high/vertical style would require sliding to each side on every stroke. Sounds exhausting.)
• At this point, the dimensions are going to be more about how far above the water your shoulders are. This is affected by both torso length and seating height.
• Data point: I'm about your height, slight skew toward a shorter torso for my height. I sit my tandem about 8-9 inches off bottom (4-5 inches above waterline, depending on load) and I've found that 280cm is about right for me. I did need to cut some drip points into my blades to keep water from running back along the shaft. (shop-built, didn't have drip grommets on the shaft.)

If you haven't run with double-blades before, be aware that it's a very different kind of workout. Muscles will need to adjust. Recommend taking a single-blade as backup until your conditioning stabilizes, just so you can switch out if you need to.

 

[tketcham]

You don't select so much based on "canoe" or "kayak", but on the stroke you intend to use, when selecting the double bladed paddle.

Exactly. That's what I've been trying to point out but apparently failed to convey. It's not about whether it's a canoe or a kayak. It's about a double-blade paddle that fits you and your boat and your paddling style. I think manufacturers and retailers would be better off not referring to double-blade paddles as either "kayak" or "double-blade canoe" paddles and just call them double-blade paddles period. The line between canoeing and kayaking has blurred into a big fat grey area and all they're doing is making things confusing and somewhat irrelevant.

I used to own a Clipper Sea-1 partially decked canoe (17' 9"/ 28" wide) and used a single-blade bent shaft paddle. Worked great. I also tried a Werner Shuna double-blade (don't recall the exact length but it was around 230/240) and it also worked well using a relatively high angle stroke because I kept the seat fairly high. But with a wide canoe (or a low seat in the Sea-1) I'd have to use a longer paddle and a lower angle stroke in order to reach the water.

 

[Cruiser]

I bought a double blade to try with the first canoe I built and the combo was literally a whole new experience. That boat was about 26.5" at the waterline and I bought a Gray Owl 250 cm Tempest.
After a year I decided that it could be a bit longer and made a 260 cm, used that for a year, then made a 270 cm which I currently use with my latest canoe, which is some 25" at the waterline. Once I get my current canoe finished, another batch of paddles is on the job list and that will contain a 280 cm double for me. Each longer length I have tried seems to be better, not sure where the optimum is yet.
So the length advice Tryin' and Black_Fly have given, closely matches what I am finding.