Wm Watt wrote:
Be careful about transfering one's experince paddling a kayak with a
double bladed paddle to paddling a canoe with a double bladed paddle.
The canoe is not only wider and higher but there is no leg bracing.
Even if you use a longer paddle you can't put it vertically into the
water as you can in a kayak or as you can in a canoe using a single
baded paddle and by sitting over to one side. I've tried both and you
don't get the leverage in a canoe with a kayak paddle to steer very
well. There's more power going straight ahead from having the two
blades more continuously in the water, and working harder, than one
blade but that's about all you get from the kayak paddle in the canoe.
Unless you are in extreme conditions the kayak paddle would be okay. In
wind or waves I'd move more forward so the kayak paddle is pulling the
canoe instead of pushing it. You can steer better that way. The action
becomes more like a swimmer than a paddler. I used to swim a lot and
find that pretty comfortable.

I have no basis for evaluating these comments relative to a hard shell
kayak. I run both the Aire Lynx I and Lynx II inflatable kayak.
IK's
have notable differences. For the most part, there are no leg braces
and
the boats are relatively wide due to the presence of the main tubes and
one
does sit higher up - conditions more akin to a canoe.

Blakely