Around here cedar ,red and white,is used for siding and deck material,so is redwood.which can only be gotten in spring and summer.As for Sitka,look for a yard that sells boat wood,and ,if you can, get shorts or off sizes or cutoffs, which can be affordable.Otherwise,bring money,lots of it.It is the wood of choice for this application.You can use other light wood for blade lams,but the loom should be spruce-strong,flexible,and light.All factory Greenland paddles I've seen are godawful heavy,and gotta be fatiguing after a few hours.Go light.