: I'm planning on attending SSTIKS (www.qajaqpnw.org) and they have a class
: where you can build a greenland solid shaft or laminated hollow-core shaft
: paddle. I assume the difference in them is the hollow one is lighter, but
: that's about all I know. Are there any photos of the 2 types,
: reccomendations? I've never built either.

I would recommend that, especially for your first efforts, simply find a nice piece of clear, vertical grain western red cedar and finish it with oil or leave it bare. A solid cedar paddle is very lightweight as-is, and will have more buoyancy than a laminated paddle protected by a heavy finish. Solid paddles remain my favorites, partly because of their simplicity.

A solid or laminated/hollow-core Greenland paddle should have an identical shape since the paddle shape is determined by custom fitting it to your hands, body and kayak, rather than conforming to a particular construction method. You may wish to review Chuck Holst's excellent article on paddle-making on the Qajaq USA site at http://www.qajaqusa.org (look under the "Traditional Equipment / Paddle Making / Kayak Building" heading).

There was some talk of paddle-blanks being supplied at SSTIKS. I'm sure that Don will provide some additional information.

Greg Stamer