The paddle is quite convenient if you want to do SUP and canoeing. BUT BE CAREFUL. IT IS NOT fiber glass like the pastel for example, as a result the middle tube bends when you use the single paddle (SUP). After light use with the single paddle (I had the shaft at full extension because of my height) I noticed that when I wanted to shorten it so my wife could use it, the handle tube would not fit inside. So I looked at the central tube and it had bent in the middle at the point where it was receiving the greatest pressure between the water and the handle.