I’ve been testing paddles to find the right one for me. Tried a super long one that was nearly 18″ tall than me. This one provided great speed, but was hard to not catch the water’s surface after pulling the blade out and starting the next stroke. I’ve already had a bout with tendinitis in kayaking due to a paddle that was too long and a poor stroke, so never again! Yesterday, I tried a Werner that was too short, maybe 6″ taller than me. Paddling was slow, and it wasn’t enough stick to brace quickly. Looks like something in between.