Much has been said about using a double bladed (kayak style) paddle in a
canoe but not a whole lot that I can remember about the reverse, that is, a
single bladed (canoe style) paddle in a kayak. I always carry a single
bladed paddle with me in my kayak. It is one of those collapsible paddles
and I stow it right behind my seat most times, my thinking being that it
would probably be a bit more efficient than just my bare hands if I dropped
or lost my main paddle while out on the water. I know some folks carry
spare "break down" double bladed paddles, but I'm never far away enough
from land to need that. I have found that in a number of places I go that
a single bladed paddle seems to be a distinct advantage. Places like the
Everglades, or Juniper Springs, or any number of swamps and rivers where
there is not a whole lot of overhead clearance. I haven't used a single
blade any distance in open water, but I have often found myself breaking
down my double bladed paddle and using the single blade to go places I
never could have gone with a double blade. Has anyone tried to paddle a
kayak with a canoe type paddle in the open water or is the idea too stupid
to even contemplate?

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Guns don't kill people, religions do