colas said..
For surfing, If you are a beginner, cut it 4" above your head.
Otherwise, cut it at your height.
After some time you will find the appropriate length for you, your board and conditions.
As a rule of thumb, short people tend to have it 1" or 2" overhead, taller ones 1"-2" less than their height. And people in bigger waves can tolerate longer paddle lengths.
I'm not a beginner but I have my surf paddle at 4" over..
But I'm old and not real flexible..
