Brett,

Pine tends to be quite heavy, but it is still used to good effect in Greenland and by some commerical builders (Superior kayak). I prefer cedar and douglas fir. There are other good woods but they are hard to find in my area. As others have mentioned, you really have to pick through the stack. Most pine comes flatsawn, and you want vertical grain (aka quartersawn), but don't expect the guy at the "Home Despot" to know what this means. The grain should run like tight pinstripes down the wide face of the board, the grain should run from one end to the other without running out diagonally, off the side. Grain run-out in the loom area is a common cause of paddle failure. In contrast, flatsawn lumber has diamond or "flame" patterns on the wide face of the board, like most sheets of plywood. As a rule, flatsawn is not as stiff or as stable as vertical grain, and tends to warp and cup.

Making a solid paddle requires finding a great piece of wood. Lamination might be easier, but I don't like the look of a laminated paddle and a solid paddle made of cedar has so much buoyancy that it must be felt to be believed. The buoyancy makes many techniques and rolls so easy it's almost "cheating".

Chris Cunningham recommends that you use the "center" of a board. In other words, plane away the heat-treated outer faces of the wood. If you plane only one side, internal stresses can cause the wood to warp. For this reason I usually avoid 2X4's (it is hard to find clear ones with vertical grain in my area anyway). I have had only one paddle, with excellent grain, to warp (after initial shaping), so this is not something that is a "fact of life" with traditional paddles.

Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida