Courtney wrote:
I know that Werner and some
others measure their lengths this way, however there are some other
companies that only include the shaft in their length but I'm not sure of
who they are.

The only thing I've seen advertised before is the length of the entire
paddle. However, I saw someone (maybe on here?) say that they had an
xxx 145. It would make sense that the shaft length is 145 cm.

I still think that a low angle (long blades) paddle is the
way to go. You will definitely get enough power from these types of blades.

I read recently that low angle/long blade paddles are designed for a
touring stroke, with a low upper-hand. I guided for a summer with a
long bladed paddle and I loved it! It seemed very efficient. Whitewater
blades are short and wide because we have more of a vertical stroke. I
would think that a racing blade would also have a shorter, wider blade
because a vertical stroke is more efficient -- less energy is wasted
turning the boat with each stroke.