I guess I shouldn't worry too much about a plastic paddle since my boat is skinned in the stuff. To address your point, though, this is (what I consider) a double paddle canoe, basically an un-decked kayak, and I'm sitting on the floorboards. In any case, my knees would just laugh if I tried kneeling.
In my own semi-serious whitewater days I considered switching to C1, but the cartilage rebelled then, too.

Anyway, the drip rings worked good, and I'd get more water in the boat by switching sides with a canoe paddle. Bad technique, I know.
Also, and I suppose the most relevant of all, that's the only paddle we had.

The skin is 20mil (.020?), and those (river polished) rocks wouldn't bother it at all.

I also built a transparent kayak, a few years ago, and, yes, the crowds love em.
There aren't any crowds out here in the sticks, though there were some angry geese.

"Your canoe looks great . . ."
Thanks!

: As someone who currently has a kayak skinned with .004" clear PVC, I
: have to say you are a bit more courageous than I am paddling so close to
: those rocks in your first pic. Perhaps your PVC is a bit thicker than
: mine.

: Your canoe looks great and as I'm sure you have already found out, clear PVC
: boats are a real crowd puller.

: As someone who paddled TC2 and C2 fairly seriously a few years ago, I have to
: say it is not the fact that your paddle is plastic that upsets my
: sensitivities, but the fact that it is a kayak paddle rather than a proper
: single bladed canoe paddle.

: I'm just joking of course. You can paddle with whatever you like, but don't
: you find the double paddle dribbles a lot of water into the canoe?