Hi Stan, Definitely do-able. Try making a hollow shaft and then covering it with maybe a 2 oz. layer of woven glass.

Blades could be epoxy/composite fiber or very light wood, cut very thin, covered with thin glass.

Look at my paddle building page: the paddles there aren't necessarily ultra-light, but you might get some ideas to start with.

Right now, I'm making a new form for solid composite blades, so I could make them as light or heavy as I want, based on how many layers of glass or carbon I put on them.

Shawn

> I'm thinking about making a few kayak paddles. Basic approach will be
> along the lines of the one in Nick Schade's book, but with smaller blades.
> I would like some ideas on how to make them strong enough for regular
> touring but as light as possible. Wouldn't a composite be a better
> approach than plain wood? What about using a light wood core such as pine
> or cedar but wrapping it in fiberglass or carbon fiber to achieve the
> necessary strength. Carbon fiber is light and very strong. It is also very
> expensive but you wouldn't need much for a paddle. What weight of cloth
> would you recommend? How many layers? Has anyone any experience or
> opinions to share?