Submitted: 07-08-2002 by G. Baldwin
I was looking for a (more)powerful touring paddle, and decided on the Werner San Juan. To thwart theft, I ordered one in yellow for easy ID in a crowd. I THOUGHT I wanted a 230 length paddle. Well, it arrived and my first time out, my girlfriend commented: Wow! that paddle looks short for you! We took it home and compared it to her Sequel 220, and lo and behold!, the shaft length was the same! I think Werner should refine the way they measure paddles. If a Camano blade is 52cm in length and a San Juan is 56cm in length, then there is a difference of 8cm in shaft length between a 230 Camano and a 230cm San Juan. If you want - or are used to - a 230 Camano, then you need to order a 240 San Juan to stay with the same shaft length, otherwise, you lose the effect of the larger blade on the San Juan. Here's the scoop: The Molokai in 225cm has a shaft length of 127cm, the Camano in 230cm has a shaft length of 126cm and the San Juan in 240cm has a shaft length of 128cm. 15cms difference in gross paddle lengths, yet only 2cm difference in shaft length! I rest my case....
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