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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Group Forum: Solo Tripping :: paddle sizing-solo canoes
 
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bwcasolo
05/25/2015 06:12PM
 
quote kanoes: "my zav bent is 50 (could easily use a 48), my zav straight is 52, I could get by with a 50. when I first got my magic my main paddle was a 54 inch straight expresso, I knew right away that it was too long."
jan, how tall are you? will your present paddle lengths, bent and straight work for you in a tandem? thks, curt
 
kanoes
05/25/2015 09:57PM
 
5-11 but paddle shaft length is more about torso length than total height. I don't know if they would work in a tandem, I only paddle my magic now.
 
bwcasolo
05/24/2015 04:34PM
 
quote kanoes: "my zav bent is 50 (could easily use a 48), my zav straight is 52, I could get by with a 50. when I first got my magic my main paddle was a 54 inch straight expresso, I knew right away that it was too long."
ditto here.
 
butthead
05/25/2015 12:51PM
 
Much the same here. Started with 52 inch BB Explorer, 52 inch Camp Paddle bent, after years of Carlisle and other basic blades. First carbon was Wenonah branded 10 degree at 50 inches. Tried a bunch of medium to high end wood, bent and straghts.
Settled on 48 inch, 14 degree, 8 inch, ZAV Z Light, 50 inch, straight, 8 1/2 inch, Z Light.


butthead
 
bwcasolo
05/24/2015 03:07PM
 
Funny thing happened this past trip. I own a Prism. For four years, I have used standard sized paddles with it. I picked up a ZRE from bojibob, which was shorter than my standard bent. To my surprise it was perfect for the Prism.

I then had a chance to try the standard bent at Moose Lake the day before the trip and it just felt too long. I also took my BB Expresso Plus straight as a backup. It felt too long as well.

When I got home and measured the wife's Expresso Plus, it compared to the ZRE, which would have been perfect as well for the Prism. The standard paddles work well with my Souris River LeTigre tandem.

Anyone else run into using shorter paddles with your solo canoes?


 
kanoes
05/24/2015 03:18PM
 
my zav bent is 50 (could easily use a 48), my zav straight is 52, I could get by with a 50. when I first got my magic my main paddle was a 54 inch straight expresso, I knew right away that it was too long.
 
ZaraSp00k
05/24/2015 03:51PM
 
most people use too long of a paddle, when they finally get to use a shorter paddle, they figure it out

I use 50 with my Wenonah solo's FWIW