: 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.
: ....I find the extra buoyancy to very helpful.

...yes, there is a bit of the technical in the itch. But I have decided to use only three pieces to laminate from, and am thinking about extending the hollow at least eight inches into each blade. Also, no extra strips for toughness or decoration are thus included. But I think I'll initially make it thick in the middle and along the edges, to reduce flutter and for comfort of the grip. Only a light coat of oil for a finish.

But as I am planning to gradually whittle away at the blades to see how thinner and thinner will feel like, this will probably be a paddle that in the end will either be ruined, or simply break. At that point it will be time to make another one to the dimensions that I found most pleasing, using more expensive wood. So, a study project spanning at least one season, if not several.