"Hi, my name is Shawn" 'Hi Shawn' "..and I am a wood addict." >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. Hey Mark, As a wood junkie, I think I can answer that question (at least with my own reasons). It's the aesthetic aspect for me. Nothing looks or feels as good as wood. A direct analogy could be made in sailboats. Why do some people prefer wood boats over FRP? Why do people pay beaucoup bucks for classic ChrisCraft mahogany runabouts and turn out in droves at wood boat shows? It's like furniture you can use, man! Wood is not necessarily stronger, lighter, or stiffer, but it makes one feel more connected to the "good old days" in maritime history when sailors felt the timbers creek and the decks roll on a classy oak-ribbed schooner, with a fresh breeze filling canvas sails held taut by hemp lines. As far as paddles go, wood shafts feel warm to bare hands. Wood shafts are generally more flexible than glass or carbon shafts, so they "feel" more forgiving, and are probably easier on tired joints. Wood blades, well...they look cool! Also, like Don Herring already said, it would feel blasphemous to paddle my wood kayaks with anything but a wood paddle. Of course, I don't have a wood PFD, wood compass, wood sprayskirt, or wood VHF. (yet!) Or maybe I just don't know any better. Shawn -- Shawn W. Baker 0 46°53'N © 2000 ____©/______ 114°06'W ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\ ,/ /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ baker_at_montana.com 0 http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Jun 02 2000 - 11:50:37 PDT
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