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SUP paddles – helping taller stand up paddlers to achieve correct paddle length.

SUP paddles – more specifically – the length of your SUP paddle shaft is incredibly important. It’s long been established that too lengthy a SUP paddle shaft is detrimental to your joints and limbs – particularly your rotator cuff. Rotator cuff injuries can be pretty problematic and sometimes require surgery – especially if damage has occurred over a duration of time and the injury is severe.

Mitigating SUP paddles injury.

Some may have you believe this is par for the course of being a stand up paddler. Yet there are things you can do to mitigate this injury.

Rotator cuff injuries

During the early days of stand up longer SUP paddle shafts were the norm. But as SUPers (particularly performance riders such as racers) pushed the limits, more and more were best with injuries related to, and directly applicable to, damaged rotator cuffs.

Shortening your paddle shaft length.

Soon after, any stand up paddler aware of the problem began shortening the length of their paddle shaft to (hopefully) halt rotator cuff damage.

As adjustable SUP paddles became more popular this got easier and didn’t require the use of hacksaws and glue guns. Cutting down fixed SUP paddle shafts can be strewn with errors if you’re not experienced.

Taller riders and SUP paddles.

This is all well and good if you’re an average height stand up paddle boarder. The industry, by and large, produces SUP equipment based on the average. Even shorter stature riders shouldn’t have too much issue these days nailing the correct paddle length either. There is, however, a bit of head-scratcher if you’re a tall SUPer. In a lot of cases the longest of SUP paddles just aren’t quite long enough – especially if you’re 6′ plus.

McConks SUP paddle bags

McConks has always tried to address potential problems, no matter how small. We’re all about making stand up as easy and accessible as possible. Which is why we cater to, and provide SUP paddles for, the taller rider.

Summing up.

If you fall into this category then McConks SUP has carbon paddles that are suitable for you in our online shop. We can make our two and three piece SUP paddles adjustable between 220cm and 260cm. That’s 40cm longer than most brand’s paddles.

They’re £180 including delivery so message us to find out more. In the meantime check out McConks’s SUP paddle range here.

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