here's a question from someone who's never even seen one of these before, let alone paddle one!!...

I'm building a paddle with an asymmetrical shape (per Nick's book). I can't figure out which is the top of the blade and which is the bottom! Is the lower half of the blade slightly longer and narrower than the top, or vice versa?

while I have your attention... WHY is the asymmetric shape good? My distant and foggy mechanical engineering intuition suggests that a turning moment around the shaft axis would be the result. Although top & bottom are the same area, the reaction of the blade to the water resistance is further from the shaft axis on one side than the other. What's the scoop?

Thanks in advance

Les