Some time back someone “fitted” a paddle to us by sticking the handle under our armpit and measuring it to our fingers. :shock: Question is, to where on our fingers and to where on the paddle? :? Any help greatly appreciated. 8) We would like to change the high tech metal and plastic paddles for the warmth and feel of wood paddles. 8)
…lee s.
I thought you measure a canoe paddle by the height from the floor to your chin.
jed
I always used armpit to floor or out stretched arm bottom of palm to floor.
If you buy wood thats varnished etc, make sure you sand off the finish and apply an oil finish, (boiled linseed oil works great) or you will have blisters.
Eric
I like a 6 ft paddle so that I can paddle while standing
I like mine floor to chin or just a tad longer. I got that from the book “Pole, Paddle & Portage” by Bill Riviere. I bought the book prior to buying my 1st canoe MANY years ago. If you can find it, that is a fantastic book for “common sense” information on canoeing & camping.
Mike
Sizing a paddle seems to be a question with no easy answer - Mike cites the one I think most paddle shops will use and it seems to be fairly accurate, but you suggestion, dudley, strikes me as correct too in certain cases. In my courses I learned to size the paddle by sitting in a chair or crouching to roughly your height when sitting or kneeling in a boat. Holding the paddle upside down with the grip on the ground in this position, the throat or part where the blade begins to widen on the shaft should be about nose high.
On the water, if your paddle blade is fully submerged, this should place the top grip at nose level as well.
I keep my ottertail paddles a little longer, and vary in length Between a 58 and 60 usually - for bent shafts go shorter obviously.
I remember being in boy scouts as a kid and being asked who was paddling in the bow and who in the stern. If you said stern, they gave you dudley’s paddle - if you said bow you got one about chest high, no more. It’s a wonder I ever took to paddling with a 20 lb paddle in hand. 
-Erik
Thanks guys. 8) It’s off to procure a wooden motor of the proper size now. 
…lee s.
Are you supposed to measure those things?
I don’t even know how long my yak paddle is. It reaches the water OK…that’s all I know.
Semper Fly!
Sizing kayak paddles - now thats a whole different ball of wax. Boat width, paddler height and stroke angle. Or, just go with what feels good!
-Erik