Greetings Nate-

I took CLC's advice on the 8' oars for the fore and aft stations, on the strength of their familiarity with the design, oar length formulae from Shaw & Tenney (= 7.4-7.8') as well as Collars of Oxford (7.7-8.0'), and the relatively low cost of 8' oars from Barkley Sound.  I've positioned the leathers for an overlapping handle position during the stroke.

Unfortunately, in that configuration, I find them to be 6-12" too short in both positions.  I am 6'5", however.  My wife (5'4") likes them very much.  

I also purchased a pair of 9.5' spoon-blade oars from Tom Regan at Grapeview Point Boat Works for the center station.  Definitely not cheap, but they really do make the Barkley Sound oars feel like surf-tossed 2x4s.  They are exquisite in every detail.  But they feel a bit too long, to me, at the fore and aft stations.

Hope that helps!

   Wildlifebio, thank you for the reply and info, a big help.

I have never heard of the oars from barkley sound, wow they look lovely.  Sitka spruce.   your 9.5 spoons must be a dream then.  

I'm 6' and my partner is the same.  I think the 8's are what I will go with.  from Van Fancys in mahone bay NS.   have a look at their website and let me know what you think.   Its close by, so I wouldnt have to ship, just drive over from the island on a saturday and get them.  

  I agree that 8' oars are perfect for the fore and aft stations. Slightly shorter oars might be preferred by some. I find that my 8' oars suit me perfectly in the center station. (I'm 6' 3.")

I thought it was challenging and fun to make my own oars -- and a heck of a lot cheaper! The finished products get a lot of compliments. That said, I am not a competitive rower and can't compare my oars with truly high-end ones.

Here are links to my blog pages about my DIY oars:

Making oars, part 1

Making oars, part 2

Wildlife Bio: Surf tossed 2x4s - Hilarious and true!
I'm 5' 10" and have 8' Barkley Sound oars and 8.5' Shaw & Tenney spoons. For me they both work nicely for tandem rowing with the S&Ts at the wider aft station. There is considerable hand overlap on recovery. The S&Ts at 8.5 feet work pretty well at the center station with a little overlap.
Years ago someone said the BS were lousy oars but good oar blanks. I've been thinking about tinkering with them for a while and this thread provided enough activation energy. It took about two hours on the first oar and an hour on the second, plus a little sanding. Waiting to varnish before trying them out. Will post again on results if there's any interest.

More photos and descriptions here if you're interested...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/feetwetphotos/albums/with/72157710561077458

Click a thumbnail to read captions.