: You can whip the end of the cord using a thinner gauge line. It's quite easy
: and is in every Boy Scout handbook. Once whipped you could super glue it
: for a permanent fix. Using a contrasting thread to whip the end might look
: pretty nice, if you use good taste. Here is a link to an amazing site with
: more knots than you ever imagined existed.

To get real fancy you could also use the binding techniques used in fishing rod building. They should be convertable to shock cord, and could be an idea for paddle shafts. There are formulas for both weaving writting and graphic designs. Just look at some custom built rods to see the type of graphics that could be incorporated. It has been quite a few years since I've built a rod and have misplaced the formulas but I remember that they were quite easy to work out.