Just my .02…if you’re worried about wrist rotation, you may be holding your paddle too tight.
I have paddled many more canoe mile than kayak miles. But the last 4 years have all been kayak. Feathered seams more natural to me. My wife can not paddle at all, unless the blades are feathered. If they are both on the same plane, she constantly slices the paddle through the water on her left side
@Overstreet said:
This is like the Ford or Chevy discussion. Do the one you like, ignore the other.
I thought it more akin to the never ending rudder vs. skeg discussion.
@StakedPlainExplorer said:
@Allan Olesen said:
The main advantage of feathered is that it teaches/forces you to rotate the shaft correctly before the catch.When you row unfeathered and lift one blade out of the water, the other blade is not at the correct angle for the catch. So you will have to bend your wrist backward to align the blade for the catch. Or - which is probably what most of us do when we row unfeathered - just make the catch without fully adjusting the blade angle and accept that we don’t get full bite. This situation will be exactly the same for both blades, so you will not feel any difference between the blades.
When you row feathered for right hand control, with the amount of feather adjusted to fit your paddling style, the right blade will catch the water at a good angle, and you will get good bite without you having to rotate the shaft after lifting the left blade out of the water. The left blade, on the other hand (haha), will now catch the water at a really bad angle and get bad bite. The difference in bite is unacceptable, so you will automatically feel forced to rotate the shaft before you put the left blade in. Consequently, you get good bite with both blades.
Which way do you think is easier on the wrists? I try to rotate them as little as possible, the way I currently row.
I have a history of wrist problems due to some breaks and multiple years of carpentry-related wear and tear. I found that unfeathered minimizes wrist pain for me. I redrilled an expensive carbon paddle to make it unfeathered (gave me the willies doing that) but have not regretted it at all. A GP is even better for wonky wrists, BTW.
I don’t really buy the statement that most people who paddle unfeathered are settling for poor blade catch because the orientation is ‘close enough’ to correct. I make the small rotations necessary to get a good quiet catch, all the time - with the bonus that the amount of rotation is less than when using a feathered paddle so affects my wrists less.
I agree with Magooch re strong headwinds - it’s nice to have an adjustable paddle that can be feathered if needed. I’ve done that, but de-feathered it afterwards. Side winds are another issue, of course…
I started out experimenting with both feathered and unfeathered. I felt comfortable with either and did notice feathered being easier in headwinds, but finally stuck with unfeathered for two reasons.
Firstly, I was concerned the blade might slice through the water when bracing in an emergency. Forgetting to have a wrist rotation on the wrong side is likely to have me out of the boat( no roll). If the face of the blade isn’t flat to the water your lean to the brace side will begin a dunking. Secondly I had read stories that some paddlers had wrist problems paddling feathered.
@Overstreet said:
This is like the Ford or Chevy discussion. Do the one you like, ignore the other.
Best answer Overstreet!. Do what feels right to you. Or left to you.
I’ll say it… Get yourself a Greenland paddle. All the benefits of feathered and all the benefits of unfeathered.
I once tried using a feather to paddle. I didn’t get very far.
@Sparky961 said:
I once tried using a feather to paddle. I didn’t get very far.
That’s because you are supposed to use the whole wing, both of them! 
@Rex said:
I’ll say it… Get yourself a Greenland paddle. All the benefits of feathered and all the benefits of unfeathered.
I am actually considering that. They’re a little pricey, so I might have to wait until next year.
@castoff said:
@Sparky961 said:
I once tried using a feather to paddle. I didn’t get very far.That’s because you are supposed to use the whole wing, both of them!
You mean “That’s beakause…”
@castoff said:
@Sparky961 said:
I once tried using a feather to paddle. I didn’t get very far.That’s because you are supposed to use the whole wing, both of them!
Of course! I knew I must have been doing something wrong. Next time I’ll just catch a few geese and put them in harness…
Ah the fun with puns has “beakgun”! When we wing it to paddling with webbed feet would that be a Canadian stroke you would tern to? I would love to take a gander at the harnessing of the geese. I feel sure the feathers would fly, or am I all wet about it. Where oh where is Canoeswithduckheads when you need him?
StakedPlainExplorer all puns aside it isn’t difficult to make a Greenland paddle. I paddle with one made by a friend that frequents this site. For the cost of a 2x4 and a few hand tools you could make your own. Instructions can be found at Qajaq USA,
http://www.qajaqusa.org/Equipment/paddles.html
Usually 45 degrees right feather for me with a Euro.
I think it’s a bit less wet and just feels right to me.
Unfeathered GPs also feel right to me.
Go figure.
SPE, I’m the paddle builder mentioned by Castoff. If you have a little carpentry talent and a couple of tools, you can make your own. My grandson’s used two I made this morning.
A caveat on the cheap part. You want to use light weight wood. I’ve made a few from pine but prefer Western red cedar. If you use clear , knot free, it isn’t cheap but that can be hard to find. I think knots are interesting as long as they don’t weaken the paddle.
I’ve made a few using 1x4 and glued 2 together.
For my first, I would, and did use a clear pine 2x4. Find one that is quarter sawn.