How long should oars be for a 16' boat?

Question

How long should oars be for a 16' boat?

Answer 1

The oars should be 8 ft. long.

Answer 2

The oars should be twice the boat's beam (width) plus 6 inches.

Answer 3

There are actually many formulae for determining the proper length for oars for different boats.  My husband rowed competitively when he was young and he was very fussy about oars.  For the typical light and beamy boats that we row in ordinary conditions, a 7 foot oar is adequate.  Your boat is long enough to go with a longer oar, 7 and 1/2 to 8 feet.  Think about where you will be rowing, as that can make a difference - in congested areas, shorter oars may be a better choice.  

Here is a good site that discusses how to decide upon the best length of oar not only for your boat, but also for your situation.  Best of luck with it.

Answer 4

You need to give the beam of the boat for a proper answer. Oars vary in length by beam of the boat, not length. For a 16 foot boat, it probably is about 5 feet wide, and then would take 7 to 8 foot oars.