The shaft part seems to be the
: weak area. Should I use a stronger wood for the blades too?

Mike

About paddles I know little or nothing, but about wood........ O.K. little. But, going to a stronger wood will probably add unwanted weight as well. Why not laminate a sheet of kevlar or carbon into the paddle shaft. When flying model aircraft, and observing some of the Pylon racers build up their wings they would lay a strip of carbon or kevlar along the spars and in the wing joint. The wings of these models in the pylon turns, at full throttle, would pull in excess of 10 to 12 G's and hold up. Those wings of planes not using the extra material would snap like twigs if they went into the turns at full throttle. I've seen then actually explode into sawdust. After a season of racing, the laminated spars were even showing signs of damage, but, they were still there.

My point being that that thin layer of extra material doesn't take up much space, would barely show, wouldn't weigh much more that a standard epoxy glued shaft. ??? With no actual experience I can't say anything definite, but, seems to me...............

I guess I should be thinking about my own paddle(s) now. Shucks!

Rehd