: Everyone's information is very good.

Few subjects get the crowd going better than those about GP's. But there are two things I seldom see mentioned:

1. The anthropomorphic (or however you say it) measuring system is a guideline, not a rule. It gives you a starting point, not an end point. Use it to get in the neighborhood, then refine to your own taste.

2. Your taste will evolve as your skills evolve.

My perfect paddle is 81", and I am 5'-6" x 165 lbs. The blade started out being 4" wide in 2005, and is now 3.25". I have no clue what it will be in 2015, and don't care- all I want is for it to feel right ... right now. The greatest thing about using GP's, as opposed to commercial paddles, is that you can make lots of them for both practice in making them well, and for discovering your own preferences. The photo I include may look like a lot of paddles, but there are lots of people who can post photos showing many more times that number. I'm a just a wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn Greenlander.