: Would it make sense to construct a greenland paddle with a hollow core? I've
: looked at some threads here on paddle construction, but it seems the
: closest to this was when a while ago there was some speculation on how to
: join the birds-mouth hollow spar to greenland blades.

A Greenland paddle shaft is quite short as is. If you are looking for a technical challenge then you might find making a hollow core interesting. On the other hand, keep in mind that each lamination adds weight from the glue, and epoxy or varnish finishes also add weight (and reduce the buoyancy of the paddle). If you truly want a lightweight Greenland paddle, the simplest approach is to use a solid piece of western red cedar with vertical grain and don't apply a finish.

I was working with a paddler this weekend who was using a Malone "Firestorm" Greenland-inspired paddle. He was very surprised at how much lighter my cedar paddle was. Also the buoyancy was much different. The solid paddle, held vertically, floated with only about nine inches of the paddle blade under the water, the laminated paddle sunk down to the paddle shaft. I find the extra buoyancy to very helpful. Of course his paddle would fare better for encounters with oyster bars. As always YMMV.

Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida