Steve,
I have been paddling euros since the early 70's.and even longer if you count canoe strokes. I am one of those old dogs that just hasn't learned the new trick .....yet. I have used Greenland paddles a fair amount in the last year, and I just don't find the comfort with them yet. That is not about the paddle its about trading styles. Every stroke you take renforces the way you know, and I have a lot of renforcement on euros. I guess part of my neuro pathways are now hard wired to euros.

However, I may not be a practicing convert, but I am a theoretical one. I now recommend to anyone new to paddling that they start out with the Greenland paddle. All around, I think in theory and practice its full of better ideas. I can understand those who are smitten with practicing an acient aborigianal form of paddling. That counts. I tend to bend that way on lots of stuff too. However, that is not part of my recommendation. Greenland style paddling has a number of advantages.

I have tried Greenland style paddles and I agree that the most compelling reason to use them is they are indeed very much easier on the body. I just did a pretty hard paddle twice through a narrow straight which just blows a swift tidal current. On the Euro I felt it. On the Greenland I didn't. ITs also better on big wind. The blade finds water euros have a tougher time accessing.

Just as importantly the greenland allows you to roll in a different way. Much more intuitive and easy... dare i say even lazy. Its great to watch the effortless loop back to the surface of an inuit roll. Watch Jay Babina's Greenland rolling demonstration and I'll bet you'll be a convert too.

For myself I have 30 years of paddling euro to overcome. I already have my euro roll and its done largely on instict now. (More hardwire) Beyond that the things I have come to rely on in my euro blades, I find I miss. Its not that they don't exist in a Greenland. THey just are accessed in different ways.Its a matter of trust. When, I get close to a rock garden and I want to floor the gas pedal,.... I want to instictivly known, the familir horsepower behind the wake. I don't get that warm fuzzy feeling in a Greenland blade......yet.

A Greenland paddle I think is a more about finesse a euro affords a little more power. Perhaps less effectivly used.On my last outing I switched back and forth and on a GPS I was able to get nearly the same speed out of a boat. I got about 6.5 knots sprinting on a euro and 6.3 on a Greenland. However effective yield of power is best on a Greenland at cruising speeds. My problem with Greenlands is that I tend to over power the paddle. When I pull too hard on the blade. (which is most of the time) Its starts to shimmy, and I hate that feeling. It feels wierd and its power wasted that I am expecting to be able to use. Let me be clear, that is not a relfection on the Greenland paddle. Its totally a reflection on my improper use of it. If I would slow my cadence from 4 seconds to something more like 5.5 seconds a stroke and trust the power/acceleration curve of the paddle as it is not as a euro is, I'd not get to he shimmy point.
What I have found is that to access the power of a Greenland paddle I have to do the opposite of a what works better on a euro. If you need power and speed in a euro you extend longer pull harder and faster. In a Greenland you do the opposite. Its better for your body, but for me it leaves my hardwired neurons wondering whats up. I guess I have a lot of practice before I play carnigie hall on a Greenland.

From a power perspective, I liken the two blade styles as being similar race cars. euros are the 1 mile straight track burning Nitro muscle cars. Greenlands are the smaller bore aluminium block engines using multiple valves and a fancier suspension system. They both will kit 150 miles an hour, but one does it on less gas, less wear and tear and it manuvers on a roll easier. So to my way of thinking, its an aboriginal porche verse a euro GTO. Me I'm still a goat, but I'm working my way towards a rengining. At the same time, I am not going to ruin my expeince by beating myself for being an old goat. At the same time I am going to enjoy being an old dog learning new tricks. OK very old tricks that aren't new but new to me.

If Greenland blades have down side I think its that they are a lot wetter. In trying them out again last week I found my self getting soaked by al lthat sheathed down the blade, Having said that I have read on this BBS a lot of solutions to this problem all of which seem fairly simple to implement.

In the end, what you paddle with is a personal choice, and I say use what works best for you. Use what you trust. I am working to learn aboriginal paddling, but for me its all still software and not hardwire. However, if your new to paddling and you have achoice, I'd suggest becoming an old dog on a Greenland before becoming an old dog on a euro.

Happy paddling

!RUSS