Scratches arn't damage they're just scratches. Check the edges of you paddle blades to see it it's extremely rough or abrasive. Smooth them off. You could pull an old sock over your paddle blade for your practice sessions. All wood boat owners seem to have a few scratches behind the cockpit even from bridging the paddle from get ting in and out. I too like using the bungee loops behind the cockpit althought I can easily do it with out them. There's no one ideal system. You have to experiment to see what works for your body size and agility with the paddle float re-entry.