Description

This Redtail Ottertail (LOD-OTT) paddle is made of American poplar, Canadian aspen, and highlighted with two strips of black cherry.

Features

• Ottertail design
• Laminated shaft and blade
• Resin tip for durability

Choosing your paddle size

While In-Store

When you come into the store we fit paddles in a few different ways.  For some paddles it’s as easy as standing up straight with the paddle blade on the floor in front of of you.  The grip should be somewhere between the top of your sternum and chin.  For other paddles we may have you hold the paddle as if you were about to take a stroke, and then put the shaft on top of your head.  If your elbows are at 90 degrees you have a good fit.

Ordering From Home

If you can’t join us in the store and see the paddles in person, the following is the best technique to get the correct size. The overall paddle length should be determined by the shaft length from the top of the grip to the throat of the paddle (where the shaft meets the blade).

To determine your paddle size, sit up straight on a chair and measure the distance from the surface of the chair to your chin. Add 6” for the approximate distance the canoe seat would be from the waterline. For example, a person whose chin to chair measurement is 26” would add 6” to arrive at a 32” shaft length. Looking at the specifications for the this ottertail (below) you would find the best fit would be a 54” paddle. A one or two inch variation really will not have much effect in usage, just try for closest shaft length. Remember to consider that canoe seat heights vary as might a ‘comfort range’ that you might feel more suited to.