My choice Posted by: magooch on Mar-04-13 9:55 AM (EST)
You might want to consider water-based polyurethane. My favorite is outdoor Varathane Spar urethane. It is extremely easy to use and the finish is absolutely clear and non-ambering. I've used this finish on all of my wood paddles. It takes six to ten coats and light sanding between coats--particularly the first couple. Repairs are effortless--just a quick sanding and apply another coat. It is very fast drying, so it is not necessary to have a perfect environment to work in I build a lot of wood furniture and I have now been using this finish for all of my projects. I've used many differnt finishes over the decades and this is the best I've ever found