Bill Tuthill wrote:
Could someone please summarize for me the arguments in favor of
bent-cranskshaft kayak paddles? I already know some arguments
against them (below) but am trying to understand the issue.
Maybe it's due to upper body rotation, but when I tried out a
bent-shaft in a store, my wrists rotated just as much.

I find that they cause less strain on my wrists and lower arms, which
makea a huge difference in paddle comfort for me.

. break more easily due to deformed shaft

Not IME.

. make sculling and draw strokes more difficult

I have never ever had *any* problems with this.

. higher cost

Not really.

. are harder to tie onto the roofrack

Never have found any problems with this, neither in my special paddle
holders:

http://wilko.webzone.ru/focus-wn.jpg
http://wilko.webzone.ru/roofr1.jpg
http://wilko.webzone.ru/roofr2.jpg
http://wilko.webzone.ru/soc-a10.jpg
nor elsewhere.

. cannot be made of wood

Why someone would want to have a wood paddle with all the high tech
solutions being available for so much less money is beyond me, but I bet
that it's possible to make a bent shaft wood paddle as well.

The advantages of bent-shaft canoe paddles are obvious to me,
but not the advantages of bent-shaft kayak paddles. Searching
old messages I found some points about easier rolling and
less RSI, but if I don't have problems with a straight shaft,
how would switching help me?

Less RSI for sure, but I have heard of a few people having *more*
difficulties rolling with a bent shaft (not for me though: I found it
easier to find that I was holding the paddle correctly).

--
Wilko van den Bergh
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.
http://wilko.webzone.ru/