: Have you used the CPES-coated paddle shaft much to determine its long-term
: durability? Is CPES alone good enough without varnish?

That is very much a matter of personal taste, but the Epoxy Doc likes it. There is a very thin surface film, but 0000 steel wool knocks that right down.

: Barring the long-term use, have you stored the paddle outside? How's it
: holding up?

Yup, it's been outside since last fall, and none the worse for weather. No blush, no discoloration, no rot, no problems of any kind.

: I think I'm going to dive into another round of paddle building, and am
: thinking about CPES alone instead of epoxy/varnish.

I'll be using this stuff on paddles and much more. For example, I soaked my Nick-style footrest assembly in it before gluing it into the boat. It's a 0-maintenance finish, and you can put on 3 coats in less than an hour. I use a plastic laboratory wash bottle, draw lines on it, pour in the 2 parts, swish it around a few times and squeeze. Couldn't be simpler. Severne Johnson has seen it in action, and I think he's a believer too.

: I think I'm going to try my hand at Greenland sticks, and also build some new
: Euros with birdsmouth shafts, albeit unfeathered, so I don't have to
: "relearn" what feather angle I'm using every time I switch
: paddles.

Yeah, the stroke is different, but the real difference is on your offside roll. Gotta love that ugly stick!

: I'm also not totally sold on my vacuum-bagged blades. If I can't get a good
: reinforcing rib along the backside to stiffen the blade, but still keep
: weight down, I may try some solid cedar blades ala Nick's book, but with
: that 3 oz. satin from Boeing surplus on both faces.

How about a half-round of backer rod for caulking, as a permanent core? It's dirt cheap, comes in 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" and on up, so you can dial in any dimension you want. Downside: hard to taper. Or maybe not, hot glue it to a scrap strip and run it through the table saw at an angle, from 1/2 diameter to feather edge.

: Been hitting the pool this winter?

A couple times, just enough to keep some muxcle memory going. Did I mention that you gotta love those ugly sticks?

BTW, Pete Roszyk was kind enough to let me borrow his thickness planer several times, and I gave him a birdmouth euro for beta testing. It has a mahogany shaft and laminated blades ala Nick's book, no glass, and no finish except CPES. He probably has more time in the water on that paddle than I have on either of mine shown in the pic, and he reports that the only modification he would like to see would be some kind of edge protection. Hey Pedro, is that the whole story or is there some followup?

The paddle on the left is unfinished, and the storm paddle on the right is saturated with CPES. The sticks were both the same color before treatment. The dark edge on the storm paddle is 2 thicknesses of walnut veneer, glued on with Gorilla Glue. The CPES did not affect the glue at all.

BTW, the CPES leaves behind a thin film of something that turns slimy on exposure to water, but washes right off with no solvent or soap. Hose that puppy down before its first dip in the pool.