Grip distance

[1tuberider]

I view the grip distance as a gear selection for power or speed. 

I am not a racer and am not trying to extract every bit of effort into forward motion so keep that in mind.

I am a surfer and in the surf zone I slide my hand lower on the shaft to get more digging power.  I use this to get speed up for dropping in and making way. 

For most paddling I find a comfort zone with my grip.  I don't think about it, it just feels natural.

When I am covering distance I raise my hand higher on the shaft.  It extends my reach but weakens my pull.  I find a balance there between extending my shaft forward and pulling power. 

We are unique and what works best for you may not be best for me.  My weight, height, arm length, leg length and torso length, strength and endurance is not the same as yours.  I believe you will feel comfortable when its working well for you.  If you are competitive and not quite there then some of the other factors should be considered such as stance, stroke, paddle, board, diet and the biggest factor  the motor.

[robon]

I have been experimenting with the kayak/Kalama grip and my current paddle of 79.5" is too short. It helps if I bend my knees quite a bit, but I'm going to have get a longer paddle. I thought 82" would be way too long with me only being 5'10" but my paddle feels short when I widen my grip.

Anyone want to trade for a Whiskey Jack Tall Boy 79.5" long lol.

[balance_fit]

I view the grip distance as a gear selection for power or speed. 

I´m not a racer either but enjoy downwinders and, curiously, upwinders too.
As you say, grip distance, for me, works like gears.
To make these gears work, this is how i did it:
I use bicycle handlebar tape  for my paddle shaft grip. The tape covers about a foot of shaft, around the ´sweet spot´.
Within this distance, grabbing the shaft on the highest part, i have a high gear for speed at lower cadence. Gripping on the lowest part of the tape gives me a low gear for upwinding at a higher cadence.
It works fine !

[colas]

I view the grip distance as a gear selection for power or speed. 

Great analogy, I feel the same thing.

It also means that increasing your grip distance will ease a lot the forces on your joints and muscles, avoiding getting sore elbows or shoulders.

[river]

Check out my instructional video, we go over this in the technique section. 
www.supinstruction.com

I recommend the 90 degree rule as a "starting point".  Some will vary depending on conditions and power desired.  More power means grabbing lower with a wider grip width, less power with less bending over means a narrower grip width (cruising and leisure paddling).  I think you will notice that many racers will in fact be at 90 degrees or even wider for MAX power.  Most beginners tend to grab too narrow and paddle with their arms only. 

[pdxmike]

Check out my instructional video, we go over this in the technique section. 
www.supinstruction.com

River--I tried the link, but it asks for a user name and password.