Took some time to convert the measures and digest your post. Looks like your paddle really has much "more of everything", thickness, assymetry, width. Very interesting to hear that it gives satisfaction. Do you use it as a one-side-only paddle (euro fashion), or is it possible to use both sides for a power face? If yes, how is the difference?

Would you agree that a paddle like yours might be just the thing for teaching first timers the sweep roll: straight, with no paddlefloats or the like as an intermediary step?

: I've been using it for about three weeks now and I've decided to leave it the
: way it is for the time being. The way it is: About 13/16" thick by
: 3-1/4" wide at the tips. The aft face, during a stroke, has about
: 3/16" of camber, the forward side has 5/8" of camber. The edges
: are fairly sharp. The paddle profile is ala Chuck Hoist's plans, ie
: tapered from the ends to modest shoulders at the loom.

: In my last post, I think I said I liked the paddle a lot except for a funny
: little flutter at the exit and the sour feeling the paddle gave when
: skimming the surface of the water with the heavily curve side down as I
: normally do on the return following a sweep stroke.

: The little flutter and noise at the exit has become less noticeable as I use
: the paddle. I think I have subconciously adjusted the exit part of the
: stroke to minimize the flutter and noise and it now no longer bothers me.
: In fact, I sense a little boost forward with each exit. The catch and the
: stroke are very solid and quiet.

: The sour return of the sweep stroke has been solved by learning the flip the
: paddle 180 along the loom axis and sweep with the curved side of the
: paddle aft instead of the flat like you would during a normal forward
: stroke. The switch takes far less than one second, just a matter of
: flicking the wrists really and makes the return very sweet. The sweep
: itself doesn't seem to suffer much.

: Meanwhile my rolling and scullng skills have improved substantially as the
: paddle gives a lot more lift than any paddle I have ever used. This
: results in much less swimming time, even when the roll isn't done exactly
: right. Less swimming means more time to practice the techniques
: themselves, hence improvement progresses faster. The added floatation is
: helpful as well.

: As luck would have it, the piece of Western Red Cedar I used for this paddle
: is considerably lighter than the piece I used for the last paddle and
: though the new paddle is a lot thicker, it is noticeably lighter! Still,
: it seems strong and stiff enough.

: As time progresses and my rolling and sculling skills get better, I might
: consider reducing some of the blade thickness and asmmetry some, mostly
: out of interest to see how it would fell. For now, however, I'm pretty
: happy with this paddle as is.

: BTW, Cape Cod & Cape Ann were blast. Great kayak surfing with convenient
: sandbars 100 yards offshore on the ocean side and quiet paddling on the
: inlets, tidal rivers and bays. Water as clear as anything I've seen north
: of the Bahamas with white sugar sand beaches. I'd do that again in a
: heartbeat.

: Craig