I saw the post about the surf skier that broke a paddle in Tsunami Ranger conditions so thought I’d share my (much more modest) recent experience. I have usually (but not always) carried a spare paddle in my solo canoe and have never broken a paddle but a few times in very windy conditions I’ve wondered if my paddle might break.
A few weeks ago I got to my put-in and realized that I forgot to bring a paddle so l went home and got a paddle and put a spare in the back of my vehicle. Fine. Then a week or so later I went to the same put-in, loaded all my stuff (including mask and disinfectant rag), loaded the dog and pushed off. Reached behind me to grab the paddle and - no paddle. Now the current is taking us downstream in cold water and a whole lot of things are going through my head. Tried paddling to shore with my hands but it had no effect so I raised my energy level to max and dug in with my hands and arms and managed to get the boat back to shore. Fortunately I now had a spare in my vehicle so I ignored the folks that had watched me flailing around and went back out. When I got home I swapped the spare in my vehicle for a double paddle sock with two paddles in it to help make sure that I’ll always have a paddle even if one breaks. I also hung a “permanent” back-up paddle next to my favorite primary use paddle so now I try to make sure I have 4 paddles in the vehicle before leaving home. 