MichiganKayaker.com

As I posted a while back, I made a few Greenland paddles using the free informational video from Matt Johnson. The video is downloadable and runs about thirty minutes (there is a link on the sidebar of this blog).

There is always apprehension when taking my "home-made" equipment in front of fellow paddlers. Whether it is a boat or paddle, I can't help but wonder what other people are thinking. When I made my first Greenland paddle, I had never even seen or held one made by an experienced paddler. I always think everyone must be looking at the flaws. Of course, most of the time, this is not true. People tend to look at the whole package and not the details. My anxiety again proved unnecessary regarding my paddles made from this video. At my first pool session, where I learned to roll, I was given feedback for my paddles from two experienced paddlers. One asked me what my source was for my paddles (which is a great compliment) and another said that my paddles looked like something that would be found right on the deck of a qajaq in Greenland. That made me feel good.

Not everyone has the time to build a boat, but almost everyone has the time to make one of these paddles. I found the experience of taking a raw cedar 2x4 and shaping it to a paddle was rewarding in many ways. I do feel a connection with the water I did not feel paddling with my Werner. Plus, nothing is quite as nice as that Cedar smell driving home from the lake!