Interesting thread...Some canoes are being designed to be paddled
sitting on the bottom with a double bladed paddle (as per Bill's post).
To me, they seem to be very much like an open kayak. And I think that's
the key. Sitting low, with low sides would make a double paddle more
efficient, whereas sitting high with high sides (as in a traditional
canoe) would argue for a single bladed paddle. From Wenonah's web site,
it appears to me that the Prism may be one of the more traditional canoes.

Another observation, that might not be accurate, is that it seems to me
that double bladed paddles have less surface area per blade than do
single bladed paddles. Is it possible that each stroke sequence pushes
about the same amount of water in double and single bladed strokes?

Bubba wrote:
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?