....stuff deleted
For that reason, most sea kayakers use feathered paddles.

I'm not sure how true that actually is. The use of unfeathered paddles
seems to have increased dramatically in the past few years.


I stopped using feathered paddles when I began paddling in storms. The blade
was always catching a lot of air (between the blade and the water surface)
and was, at times, nearly touqued out of my hands (it did put a
twisting/lifting motion to the blade). I unfeathered the paddle then and
there and never went back. I think my roll is better with a feathered
paddle, but since I don't plan to do my paddling upside down, this is a
small tradeoff (grin) that is overcome with practice.

(I'm not sure why most ww paddles are feathered at all)

It was originally done to help the paddle clear gates in whitewater
racing. Again, in the past few years, the trend in feather angles used by
whitewater paddlers has changed dramatically, with many using little (10
degrees) or no feather now.

...so that when a forward stroke is taken the out-of-water blade cuts
through the air rather than pushing it with each stroke. Otherwise, when
paddling for several hours in a strong wind, it can put quite a bit of
pressure on the wrists.


Feathered paddles require a lot of wrist rotation, another reason not to use
them, especially on multi-day or extended trips. A little tendinitis goes a
long way.

Unfortunately, the common 45-75 degree angles used by sea kayakers cause
one blade to lift and the other to dive when paddling into headwinds and
with tailwinds. They also catch beam winds in the same inconsistent
manner. The stronger the wind, the harder these things are to control.
This can create significant stresses on the paddler, reducing the benefit
of reduced drag on the paddle from feathering.


Sure do. The only time I found a feathered paddle to be an advantage is when
paddling into headwinds. Any other condition, the unfeathered paddle wins,
hands down.

In contrast, an unfeathered paddle has more drag, but it's consistent and
predictable.

....stuff deleted (because I agree, too)

Rick