I received email asking about the weight of my favorite cedar paddle, so I borrowed a triple beam balance and observed the following:

Solid Western Red Cedar (homemade, oil finish)....................31.1 ounces
Betsie Bay Storm, laminated (older model, never refinished).......33.6 ounces
Betsie Bay Greenlander, laminated (older model, refinished once)..36.2 ounces
Maligiaq Padilla's '98 Championship paddle, solid pine............37.3 ounces
Superior Kayaks (unshouldered) laminated pine, oil finish.........45.5 ounces

I would also be interested in measuring the buoyancy of each paddle at a later date.

The lightest published weight of a "Greenland-inspired" paddle that I have seen is the Betsie Bay Graphlite at 26 ounces (@ $350.00). Superior Kayaks is working on a new foam core paddle but I have not seen the product or the details.

In Greenland, one of the old men told me that a "proper" paddle should be strong enough to support your weight if used as a chin-up bar (no, I did not stress test mine this way). The paddles used for hunting and the competition come under alot of strain and very few Greenlanders carry a spare.

Also, from the "hollow core" thread it seems that many people are taking the basic anthropometric measurements "as gospel". These are simply starting points, especially with regards to the loom width and thickness.

Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida