As it happens, I dip the blade 100 % roughly a couple inches from the side of the kayak and use long strokes when I am going at a good pace. I prefer using long tight strokes to get the most out of my efforts when the weather is good and use shorter strokes when I have affecting winds to contend with. This, of course, depends on whether I am on the river which is quite shallow at times/places or out on a lake. I like the idea of a wider paddle to be used as if using a higher gear on a bicycle...that's a great way of looking at what I am thinking about. Your idea to make plywood paddles of varying sizes is a good one. I have a huge pile of scraps in my garage (built my house 4 years ago and too cheap to scrap the scraps) that I can use to experiment with. I will spend some time this summer working through different sizes until I can find the right one for me. If I become determined enough I still have a fantasy of building my own paddle and doing some fancy insets for added flourishes. Thanks for the advice, guys, I think I have something to go on.

Rob Pruden