"Bubba" wrote in message
...
All of my paddling experience has been with single paddles in a tandem
canoe. In a few weeks I'll be spending quite a lot of time in a solo
canoe (a Prism) in touring mode. Is there any advantage in using a double
paddle? Disadvantage?


Well, there is a certain erosion of style in using a double-bladed paddle in
a canoe. Not that there is explicitly any rule stating that canoes must be
paddled with a single blade, but that creeping change is on the same road
that eventually leads to using a motor. so who's to say where the line gets
drawn? For me, I only use a single blade, solo or tandem, because I feel
cheap if I use a double. Thats the big disadvantage, and AFAIC, it outweighs
any advantages. YMMV

--riverman