Switching paddles is one of the most ...
Posted by: Glenn_MacGrady
on Nov-03-12 3:20 PM (EST)
... rewarding aspects of the sport.
A paddle should be thought of, not as a mechanistic tool of propulsion, but as an artistic instrument of motion pleasure.
Different shapes, lengths, materials and weights of paddles contribute to an eclectic menu of ever changing stimulation for one's muscles, skeleton and the ancient pleasure centers of one's lizard brain.
I always take at least two very different paddles on a canoe outing. On day trips, I may take as many as four.
This variation in paddle type should be accompanied by the pleasures of changing to very different paddling styles. For canoeists, that would include frequent changes from kneel paddling to sit paddling to one-leg extended paddling -- each with different types of paddles. Also, one should change sides and become ambidextrously proficient.
If all you do is go kerchunk, kerchunk, kerchunk with the same tool every time, I think you're missing a significant amount of paddling aesthetics as well as musculo-skeletal exercise benefits.