: Pete- The fiber in the paddle is black (carbon fiber?) and visible under a
: clear outer gel coat. When the coating is scratched it shows up because of
: the contrast with the color of the fiber. I don't think the coating is
: softer than the coating on my other paddles. As I remember, Whetstone 's
: delivery policy said they would ship within 72 hr of order receipt or
: notify customer of delay. I think this shipment policy may be posted on
: their web site (www.kayakstore.com). I did not get any notification at the
: time of purchase (they did acknowledge receipt of my order via email), but
: I did get an apology for the delay when the paddle was delivered. I
: believe the note said something about slow production. My paddle was a
: standard 2-piece, 220 cm. Disclaimer: I do not have any commercial or
: business interests in Whetstone. WesT

Whetstone clearly states on their web sites that there is a 1-2 week lead time on paddle orders. When I ordered mine, they were taking about 10 days.