Well, my boats are a Puffin Swift, beam 64 cm, and a Safari inflatable, beam 72 cm. I'm 5'5", and I use a 215cm paddle for both. Although the Safari is wider, the seat is higher, which makes it easier to reach the water, so the same length works for both. Initially I bought a couple of cheap alloy-and-plastic paddles of different sizes, to find what suited me, then bought a better paddle. I decided on 215cm, feathered 65 degrees, and the blades are Lendal Archipelago ("relaxed touring" blade). For the Puffin II, you'd probably want a length of about 220-225 cm.
Folbot sell a standard paddle of 240 cm, but their kayaks are mostly wider than the Puffins, and even then, some people find that too long. If you go on to the Folbot Forum and search on paddle length, you'll probably find some more discussion.
Amount of feather is very individual, too. Whitewater paddles are often feathered 90 degrees, but touring paddles tend to be much less; some people go as low as 45 degrees, or even unfeathered. (I presume you know whether your friend uses a right- or left-handed paddle?) And I'm assuming she prefers a straight paddle shaft, not a cranked one.
Going back to Lendal - simply because they're the makers I know best - "Paddlok" is their trademark joint for 2-part or 4-part paddles. They are easy to join or to separate, and are very solid in use. But they also have something called "VariLok". That's an adjustable centre joint. You can set the paddle to any feather you like, and you can also extend the length by up to 5 cm. That gives you a wide range of settings, but it's expensive.
Let's say you went for a 2-part Lendal paddle, 220cm, Archipelago blades, with a VariLok centre joint, in Lendal's most basic materials, which is fibreglass shaft (much nicer than alloy) and polypropylene blades. That would cost around £130 in Britain, something over $200. To make it a 4-part would need the extra joints at the blades - more cost, but more convenience in use. That would cover most of the options. But as you can see, there's a lot involved in choosing a paddle.
Mary
_________________ Not in Oxford any more...
|