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GENERAL
Outrigger Canoeing FAQs
Steve West
UK 07 859 294 188
Overseas + 44 7859 294 188
FACEBOOK
Mandy West
UK 07 859 296 741
Overseas + 44 7859 296 741
FACEBOOK
We've redesigned and reprinted both of our Outrigger Canoeing Books, and in doing so, we've achieved reduced book prices for paddlers in the USA, Canada, Europe, South America, Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia including New Zealand. In addition, we've taken a firm environmental stand in the way we have choosen to print and package. 

Steve and Mandy Powered by

"Steve is a fantastic writer and photographer and has been an extension of the KIALOA family for many, many years. Actively involved in SUP and Outrigger Canoeing, we welcome him as an ambassador for KIALOA in the UK." Meg Chun. Kialoa Bend Oregon USA  

"In the context of paddling, KIALOA PADDLES have been a constant companion and essential tool of trade for me for well over a decade, representing thousands of hours and miles of paddling, racing and training throughout the Pacific, Pacific Rim and now the UK. The superlative workmanship and willingness to work with paddlers in the same way a surfer works with a shaper, has resulted in what I consider to be the finest outrigger and stand up paddleboard paddles on the planet, to which end other manufacturers aspire to as their yardstick for excellence. A paddle is not an accessory, it's an essential and should never be a compromise"

Contact Us

Island Paddler
We provide the widest selection of outrigger canoe paddling equipment at the best prices. We take pride in offering genuine Hawaiian and Polynesian items – unique and of limited supply. We also have the latest in contemporary canoe paddles as well as related apparel.
716 Kapahula Av, Honolulu, Oahu
350 Hahani St, Kailua, Oahu
  
Tri Paddle Maui
Providing the paddling community of Maui with the best and latest for their paddling needs. "We can outfit you from head to okole"
92 North Market Street Wailuku Maui


'...deep reading that a sequence of printed pages promotes is valuable not just for the knowledge we acquire from the author's words but for the more intellectual vibrations those words set off within our own minds. In the quiet spaces opened up by the sustained, undistracted reading of a book, or by any other act of contemplation, for that matter, we make our own associations, draw our own inferences and analogies, foster our own ideas.'
Nicholas Carr




Sizing a Paddle

Cautionary Note: An overly long paddle can and probably will, over time, cause rotator cuff - shoulder, damage because you are applying power to the stroke with your upper arm raised well above the level of your shoulder. Better to use a paddle marginally too short than too long.

Extract from Paddlers Guide to Outrigger Canoeing

Over time, paddle lengths have been shortening. For example, even a paddler who is 6’6” can be found using a 52” paddle. The most popular lengths for a wide variety of heights seem to fall between 50-52” which is only a small variation. Lengths 1” below this length are rare and beyond that, rarer again.

ZRE paddles USA, suggests sitting in a chair and measuring the distance from the chair seat to the bridge of your nose or eye-level. This equates to the length of your required shaft from neck to top of the grip. From here, add the blade length of the paddle model you prefer, in order to obtain the total paddle length from tip to grip. When choosing a paddle, its size; the overall length from tip to grip, is possibly the single most important issue you need to consider. Unfortunately, it is far from being a perfect science.

The fact is, the application of quasi off water calculations are largely hit and miss. The single best way to determine suitable paddle length is as follows:

"When exercising good technique, when the shaft has reached the vertical angle of the power phase of the stroke, your top hand on the grip of the paddle, should be level to your shoulder and certainly no higher than eye level."

If purchasing a paddle from the internet, and you genuinely have no idea of what paddle length you require, the best advice would be, avoid using any formula given. Try a variety of paddle lengths first, indeed try before you buy wherever possible and never, ever skimp on the quality of your paddle regardless of ability. Your paddle is the single most important piece of 'paddling' equipment you will own. Period. 

1. If you have broader than average shoulders, go to the high end of the range.
2. If you have a longer torso than average for your height, go to the high end of the range.
3. When ordering a paddle to be used with a one or two person canoe, go to the middle or low end of the range. (Most people use a shorter paddle on an OC1 versus a six person canoe.)