The real beauty of the GP is that you can make as many as you want, which allows you to experiment with blade width, length, shape, shoulders/no shoulders etc., etc. to your little heart's content. Can't do that with Euro paddles unless your fabulously wealthy, or own a paddle shop.

The guidelines we use to fashion GP's are just that - guidelines. Not rules, not laws; guidelines. You are perfectly free to make your blades wider or narrower if you want, or make your paddle longer or shorter, or just whatever. I suspect some get caught up in a "cool contest", and make narrower blades for no better reason. Well, what the heck; you're certainly free to do that too. Me, I have a quiver of GP's with blades from 3.25" wide to 4". Which paddle I use depends partly on what mood I'm in, the sea conditions, what boat I'm using that day, what I plan to be doing, etc., etc. Today I was using my narrowest blade, and because there was more wind and waves than I expected, and I made a longer open water crossing than I thought I would, I kinda wished I'd've grabbed a bit wider blade. But the one I had served fine. They all work.

http://ngc704.home.comcast.net/~ngc704/GreenlandPaddle/