paddle length

[alap]

Just curious about the length of a paddle.
If you on the foil you are a feet in the air, so you'll need a longer paddle to reach to the water.
or you paddle only when the board is about to touch the water, so you are not that high in the air?
So... what the length? longer, so you paddle out with a longer paddle ?

[sharksupper]

I've been thinking about this one a lot lately.  I broke a paddle last week and was contemplating how long my new paddle should be for foiling.  Pumping while foiling seems to make sense to have a longer paddle to reach the water.

However, I was considering this; when you compress your legs while pumping you have a shorter stance and are closer to the water.  In my case 5'10 and 32" inseam I get about 25" shorter somewhere between full squat and catchers stance.  My mast is 28" so I can pretty much reach the water normally when I'm fully compressed.

Another major factor I figured out the other day when my paddle hit my foil while pumping/paddling back out.  If you hit your paddle on the foil while flying you're highly likely to break the paddle!  Dave Kalama stated in one of this videos that he broke several paddles so far doing this.

Given the two cases above, I'm thinking the regular paddle length we're currently using is probably about right.  I thought about adding an inch or two, but after clipping the foil (and getting lucky in not breaking my paddle, that time anyway) I decided against making my new one longer.

I'm curious others thoughts on this though.

[Beasho]

I am running 1" overhead for my surf FOIL paddle.

I do not see any benefit to longer paddles in the surf. 

I have no problem pumping with the paddle despite it being considered super short by all but aggressive Hawaiian standards.

[Califoilia]

I use the same head height paddle for SUPing and foiling. If you're flying, no need to be paddling with it, and when you're turning or using it incorporated when pumping...you're lower on the foil/water anyway, so no added/extra length is needed.

[frenchfoiler]

For surfing I've been trying short (+0) and a little bit longer (+4''). Not asure yet which one I like most.

DW so far I'm using 4 inch taller and same thing I need to try shorter to see.

The thing is like many people, I broke many paddle...



I wonder if with a longer mast you need longer paddle ??

Looks like everybody is going with longer mast (gofoil is releasing new longer foil : 28.5 plate and 29.5 tutlle)