Re: [Paddlewise] Wooden Paddles. . .

At 5:32 AM -0700 6/2/00, Sailboat Restorations, Inc wrote:
>
>I guess my question is rather general: why do some people prefer wooden
>paddles?  As I said, I do like mine, but I just don't know why.


I started out paddling with a wooden paddle (a discontinued Dagger). 
I really love the look and feel of the paddle and I think it is ideal 
for a beginner especially when you consider how banged up a paddle 
can get when you are learning various strokes and rescues. I 
eventually switched to fiberglass and carbon paddles because of one 
reason - weight. I simply haven't seen a wooden paddle (Greenland 
aside) that can be made as light or strong as a good fiberglass or 
other composite paddle. Of course, all this really depends on your 
paddling style, but if you are trying to keep up a quick cadence and 
are doing longer distances the lighter weight really makes a 
difference.

Though Werner seems by far to one of the most popular paddle choices 
in these parts, I actually found them to be somewhat heavy and pretty 
pricey. I am currently using a Lighting paddle (light and 
inexpensive) and a Swift paddle (ugly as sin, but cheap and rugged).

I still have by wooden paddle though and use it occasionally, 
especially in rougher conditions (rocks, surf etc).

-Patrick
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