If you adjust your paddle do you adjust your grip position

If you change paddle length, say for different conditions do you still place your hand grip at the same spot so that when shortening your hands are closer, or do you move them further towards the blade so that you maintain the same right angle arm spacing (if thats the spacing you use)?

I currently shift from 216 for flat/sheltered to 210-212 as it gets bumpy. Having ridges on the shaft to help locate my hands symmetrically this kind of messes up if I move my hand grip position. I feel cramped up if I dont move my hands closer to the blade

I see a lot of ski paddlers have their hands closer together than many flat water paddlers, is this due to shorter paddle settings but maintaining similar blade to hand distance?

I set my paddle at different lengths, depending on whether I paddle with my sprint kayak or surfski, but I keep the distance between my hands the same.

To know where to keep my hands I have strips of tape on the paddle.  When the paddle is long, I keep my middle fingers on the tape, when short, I keep my index fingers on the tape instead. Works great!

waverider wrote:

blade so that you maintain the same right angle arm spacing (if thats the spacing you use)?


I see a lot of ski paddlers have their hands closer together than many flat water paddlers, is this due to shorter paddle settings but maintaining similar blade to hand distance?
 

I suspect this is just because ski paddler are less obsessed with a perfect stroke or at least more distracted by all the other things they have to pay attention to. Many paddlers hold their hands too narrow but few too wide in my observations. 

I position my hands according to my body shape - not a distance from the blade.

That said, my hands wander a bit - sometimes the paddle ends up a bit lopsided. Only noticeable once it gets to be 2-3". 

Unless paddling on calm water, there is a lot more going on. Just make sure your hands aren't getting closer together.