: To each his own, but SYP is much heavier than cedar and the
: difference is weight does make a significant difference in
: fatigue over the course of a day on the water. Try a cedar
: paddle sometime and you'll see for yourself. There are good
: reasons that people prefer lighter paddles.

Hi Brian,
Agreed on the each to his own. I don't find my GP tiring on a long day while I do have a limit with my Carlisle. Mostly this is due to wind effecting the EP much more than the GP. The EP is 'twitchier' in wind, which we get a lot of here. For me, the 'extra' weight makes the GP less wind responsive.

I had thought of a cedar paddle but the quality of cedar here at the time was poor. The SYP was clean with good grain (though it is flat grained, gives a nice grain pattern and a bit of flex) so I went with that. I can do chin-ups with it with no fear of it breaking. :) Traditional, that. Plus, it makes a good defensive weapon for aggressive critters. Several aggressive dogs don't attack me anymore. They're fine, just scared of the flat of the paddle now.

If I do make a cedar paddle, it'll be heavier than expected because I'd be putting hardwood armour on the edges and tips, my paddling area is rocky. That will happen when the SYP one breaks. :D

Mike Savage
South West Cork