Upon request of friends who are have enjoyed my first article How to Choose A Dragon Boat Paddle, I have decided to come up with a more comprehensive guide on choosing your paddle which may help the paddler who has been paddling for at least a year to pick up some tips before your next purchase. With the numerous paddles around in the market place, I will give you my top 5 tips to look out for and also sizing the paddle.Material and Weight
Most paddles would come in a array of carbon fibre, composite material or wood and your choice would also largely depend on your budget as the prices of the paddles get steeper as you move up the rank in paddle material; wood being the cheapest, followed by composite and Full carbon fibre. Weight of the paddle would also follow in this order but there is no indication that you would not paddle as well with a wooden paddle just because it is heavier. Stroke ratings may be reduced for recreational paddlers, but elite teams may very well use wooden paddles at peak conditioning levels. I would recommend wooden paddles for beginners who are paddling for under a year or those who come from a recreational background as the natural ability for wood to flex allows the new paddler to gradually condition himself to move towards a stiffer CF based paddle. Composites are generally stiffer and heavier but they do a relatively same job as a wooden paddle. Full CF paddles have enhanced paddle characteristics to ensure the paddler will be able to maximise his potential with his high strength and skill in performing the repetitive movement in dragon boating. As you would imagine, a stiffer paddle would also prevent loss of power via flexing of the paddle. If performance is your thing go straight for the CF. If its a weekend get together you're more into, a wooden paddle would suffice. You'll use it more as a support when you are in the MRT train anyway..
Sizing
Length of the paddle can be an entirely subjective topic but to make things as simple to every one of you reading this. I am going to basically share with you 2 methods I have found out through resources and experience.
Method #1 Measuring the height of the paddle from the floor to the sternum of your chest
This is the most common way we gauge the length of the paddle we would need especially in Singapore because many have been taught that way from many of the coaches here. Your personal paddle length is determined by the height of the paddle from the floor to your sternum (its on your chest btw). Although common, many paddlers have a vague understanding of why the length of the paddle should be this way. Sometimes, I can't even explain it to my paddlers. I think the second method will be better to explain to novice paddlers.
Method #2 The inverted paddle method
While sitting in a boat hold the paddle with the inside hand just above the blade
Rotate the paddle to its inverted position pointing the handle towards the water line.
With the bottom arm extended, the handle should just touch the water.
If by now you realised that your paddle is touching the surface of the water, its just nice. But if its above the water, it is too short, and vice versa.
I believe this method, although not widely used in Singapore can a better way to estimate the length of the paddle that you should use. My recommendation is to try out what works and ask your coach if its a good length for you. Most coaches would be able to give valuable advice from the experience they have gathered measuring paddles for so many people.
Profile
What I mean by this is the profile of the paddle blade. If you actually compare between one brand to the next, their profile may vary although they fit the IDBF racing specifications. You have to take that into consideration if you feel that a slimmer profile may help you achieve that catch you always want to achieve. Yet at the same time, it does not necessarily mean that a slimmer profile of the blade will always ensure a better catch. It only means it gets easier to get the catch. However, that leads many to believe that their stroke will get better. Most often than not, it actually opens up more vulnerabilities in your strength and skill because it will be much easier to visually identify if you are optimising your stroke potential.
With the tips in mind, I hope it will give you a better idea on how to choose a paddle for yourself, especially those who have been paddling for some time. Remember, its not about what the people around you use, but what you are most comfortable with that counts. Test out every paddle you can get your hands on and determine based on YOUR personal judgement, not someone elses. Light paddles whose brand starts with the letter T are not the only Carbon Fibre paddles in the world. Let me know if you enjoyed this post by liking or sharing!
