Joey,
Let's also discuss paddling form. My guess is that you, like 99.99% of us, (including me) started out paddling by pumping your elbows and arms. That is an OK method, but will give cramps and tire you out early. Here's a better way, follow me on this.
Your forward stroke should be all from your back muscles, NOT your arms. Try this. Measure your paddle and place a mark at the center of the shaft.
Standing with the double ender in your hands at waist level, grip the paddle with your hands at shoulder width. Have someone mark your paddle where the inside edges of your hands are.
Next, hold the paddle up top shoulder height, arms spread put flat with upper arms straight out to the side, and forearms straight forward & gripping the paddle. have someone mark where the outside edges of your hands are.
On my paddles, I use reflective tape, and place a small triangle, pointing forward, on the top part of the center of the shaft. This is the primary index point. I have narrow strips encircling the shaft at the inside and outside points. These mark the area where your hands will be most of the time, when you are paddling symmetrically. (More on that later.)
When you are sitting in your boat, and are ready to paddle, hold the paddle straight out in front of you, arms locked. Now, take a stroke with the paddle - DON'T UNLOCK THOSE ELBOWS. Dip the paddle in, and twist to that side keeping your shoulders parallel with the paddle shaft. Rotate the paddle to dip the other blade, and rotate your shoulders again. Repeat for about 100'.
This proves to you that you can paddle a boat without bending your elbows. Now, relax your arms and let your elbows bend a bit to a comfortable position. Again lock them, but in this comfortable position, and paddle all day long without bending them. Rotate your shoulders by coiling up your back muscles to one side, then uncoiling to the other. This uses your large back muscles and they can go all day long.
You will probably have to pattern yourself for a few sessions to learn this technique. Paddle slowly and deliberately, using your back muscles, NOT your arms. Soon, it becomes automatic. Only time I use my elbows is for sneaking up on wildlife or picking the paddle straight up out of weeds.
Most of the time, you will be holding the paddle centered evenly. Sometimes, wind or current will push you around. If your boat keeps pulling to, say, the right, stick the paddle out to that side some more so that the stroke on that side has more leverage to correct the off course tendency. You can even stick it ALL the way out so that you are holding the paddle with a blade in one hand and the whole paddle out to one side.
Sometimes, you want the boat to make a sharp turn to, say, the left. Do a bow rudder stroke to the left by tucking the left end up under your left armpit, and dipping the other end into the water beside the left side of your bow. Not out very var. this will use forward momentum to turn the boat.
Another thing to put into this regime is to always keep your elbows below your shoulders. This will help prevent dislocating a shoulder. It's also a lot easier to paddle this way. Some extreme whitewater strokes require elbows high. Flat water doesn't.
Paddling where you do will be a lot easier if your paddle isn't a partially feathered paddle. It will be much more predictable to you for sudden bracing, sculling, turns, windy conditions, etc. Feathered paddles are of only a limited advantage, and several disadvantages.
