WG wrote:
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?



I have used both single and double paddles in my Folbot, which is more
of a tandem, decked canoe, that you sit in like a kayak. The boat is 35
in beam, so is very stable on flat water, and does not require alot of
bracing stokes.

I set in the rear seat, where it is not quite as wide, and you can
easily use a single paddle. However even then the standard double is
quite long, I think like 255, and I use a long single.

I heard that the special forces use the single to reduce the effect of
wind on a double paddle, and I have definitely seen a difference.

The main problem with the single, is that as you shift sides your
paddle drips into the boat, and onto the front paddler, for which I
have been chewed out a few times.

Otherwise both seem to work just fine, at least on flat water lakes
where I am usually sailing, and just need to give a couple strokes to
complete a tack (turn into the wind) HYY