>>I agree with David Walker,but question your use of cedar.Granted ,it is light,but it is also brittle,and may fracture without warning.Spruce is almost as light and is more flexible and less apt to break without some warning,hence its use for masts,spars,paddles and oars.<<

Yes, I really don't know about wood. The instructions I have seen have reccomended quarter sawn fir or cedar. Here in Atlanta, there are tons of yellow and southern pine, but not so much good quality fir and no spruce that I have yet come across. I finally found some high quality cedar and grabbed it. Apparently, white and red oak is also available quarter sawn and I have seen some decent (but not really quartersawn) appropriately sized pieces of maple and poplar at Home Depot. Do you think I should glass the paddle? Will that help with fracturing? I have heard that simply oiling the paddle gives a nice feel and decent grip whereas serious varnishing etc., can make it too slippery (and I believe that a previous post said something about varnished shafts having a higher incidence of blisters).

Dave