: I am thinking of building a nice wooden paddle but want it not to be too
: heavy. What is the best wood to use for wieght and strength? I understand
: that spruce is good. Is this the same spruce that they sell a Dunn lumber
: in one by material? Thanks for any suggestions Joe.

Spruce especially Sitka Spruce has a high strength to weight ratio. So it is good for paddle shafts, as well as airplane wing spars, but usually pricey. Western Red Cedar is used by a lot of homebuilders especially for Greenland style paddles. I went to the lumberyard and asked for spruce and was directed to stack of 2x4's. When I got home I discovered the clown directed me to hemlock. It made a great light paddle (with pine and redwood at the blade).