Dan,

Congrats on the paddle! Plop on entry is common, and is eliminated by technique. Technique can also control the "water slinging problem". Keep in mind that Greenlanders rarely use drip rings and they paddle in water just above freezing. With the correct technique most of the water will fall on the foredeck (or the front of the skirt if you have a big cockpit). If you are hearing a "plop", you may also be hearing a "scratching" sound afterward. This is air that has been pulled down behind the blade and will reduce your efficiency. A popular technique to handle these problems, and flutter, is the canted blade technique (top edge of paddle is tilted toward the bow). Check the archives on Nick's Technique BB, or the link below for more information.

You say that your paddle is flexible. Did you select wood with vertical grain? The grain should look like pinstripes running down the wide side of the board. The "pinstripes" should not run diagonally, if you follow one stripe it should run from one paddle tip to the other. If you chose a board with grain "run-off" the paddle will be prone to breakage. If you used flat-sawn lumber (grain looks like the "flame" patterns on the face of plywood), the paddle will be too flexible (for my tastes) and will not be as strong as vertical grain.

Regarding using a fine paddle to push-off against solid objects, all I can say is don't ever let Derek Hutchinson see you do this!

Have fun!

Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida