We practice in Champion dragon boats and race in BuK, 6×1 or the POS Geminis (sorry, had to bestow the Geminis with the “POS” tag, I couldn’t resist). If you paddle in a teak dragon boat or a dragon boat with very little freeboard ( 6-) (the distance from the top of the gunwale to the water) then you should subtract inch from the matrix size c. Doublefifth is also a supplier of Dragon Boats , plus a wide range of accessories including paddles. The chart gives you a bit of a range of paddle length. For example, I am 5’11” (71″) tall and my paddle length if I were novice would be 48″, for an intermediate it would be 48″ to 49″ and for an advance perhaps a 50″.
Kialoa paddles are made in the US, Chinook are made in China and Apex are made in Canada.
RAP offers a variety of paddles to suit different needs. How to Size a Dragon Boat Paddle. Deciding on length: Ideal paddle length depends on the size and flexibility of the paddler and the technical style that has been chosen for the paddler’s crew. If you have a longer torso than average for your height , go to the high end of the range. Where you sit in the boat can affect the size you choose.