: I have always been fascinated by the Greenland Paddle. Never got to use one
: but I do plan on making me one to try. Just curious as to what those that
: have used them find different. Or what advantages they have? Not trying to
: start a flame war, just curious to her your perspective or what you like
: and don't like. And why.

: Jeff

I made a GP this past summer while making a boat with Brian Schultz - it's an OK stick. Well, actually, it's a bit of a plank which I am slowly whittling down into something better. A little later, I ended up with another GP that Brian made himself - it is worlds better than mine. It is narrower and thinner than the one I made, but has a better grip on the water, feels faster, quieter, etc. The physical differences between the two are not major, but the performance difference is really blatant. If I had based my opinion of the GP just on the one I made, I would say I liked it about the same as my fancy carbon Euro paddle. But having used Brian's GP for the rest of the summer, I have 'gone over to the GP side' and the carbon paddle is now my wife's. So maybe you can borrow a GP made by someone with some skill, which would give you an idea of what they're capable and a performance goal to shoot for when making your own.

As far as GP vs. Euro, there is one fundamental difference that doesn't get much mention. Euro paddles are drag-based propulsion devices. A GP is one also, but when canted, a GP can behave like a wing paddle, generating a lift force as well. If you have the cant angle right, you can sweep the blade out to the side, wing-style during the stroke, adding forward thrust. I've been able to do this on flat water pretty consistently and the boat really gets moving - it's a lot of fun.