PADDLES

CUSTOM PADDLES

Turner is now taking orders for custom built wooden paddles, crafted to your specific measurements. An obvious complement to traditional Skin on Frames, wooden paddles are also popular with paddlers of other sea kayaks. The beauty and simplicity of "skinny sticks" are matched by their functionality. They are a pleasure to use, gentle on the shoulders, and their natural buoyancy can help those learning to roll.

Contact Turner to learn more and to order.

PADDLE FITTING GUIDELINES

Fitting a paddle requires considering some dimensions taken both from your body and your kayak. What kayak do you typically paddle? What is the beam width? And its foredeck height? Generally I recommend a loom length that is beam or a bit longer depending on boat depth.

You will need a few body measurements. First is a wingspan, which is the distance fingertip-to-fingertip of your outstretched arms.

Then add a cubit, the distance from fingertips to elbow. Once you have your wingspan plus cubit this gives us a rough guide to the overall length for your paddle.

To cross-check that length, reach up overhead as tall as you can and measure from floor to index fingertip. Please send both numbers, plus the Green line and Red line measurements 3 & 4, as pictured below.

1. Wingspan plus cubit.
2. Vertical ‘floor-to-outstretched finger tips’ above your head.
3. Green line and red line measure of index finger joint creases.
4. Green line AND red line measure of middle finger joint creases.

Remember that the thumb and index finger wrap around the loom at the shoulder in normal paddling and the rest of the fingers wrap the blade shoulder or ‘root’. These numbers will help determine your loom and root measurements as well as the blade width at its tip.

Additional Information

What is your height?

What is the beam of the kayak you paddle?  Front deck height?