Hi Brian!

It's true, many people on the Qajaq USA form build paddles with a strictly lenticular cross section all the way down. To be sure, they use them and they like them.

I got interested in historic paddles, and I looked at a lot of surveys and went to museums to see actual historic paddles, and while there are always exceptions, they generally don't have shapes like that. I wanted to see how they paddled, so I started making paddles with the shapes I had seen and even making some replicas, and I feel strongly that they are more efficient than a uniform lenticular shape.

Of course we all get used to what we like, and like what we get used to, so I guess that's why there are different paddles, right?

m