Again, I have no interest in debating or arguing with experienced paddlers who have their own paddling preferences and experiences.
However, for those who are closer to the beginning stages of the sport and who don't have experience with various paddles in various conditions, I will say that my experience in wind is apparently not quite the same as Mike's. Or at least I have to relate a more complex experience in wind.
If using one of my kayak double paddles, none of which is longer than 212 cm, so I can get a relatively high angle stroke, I could double blade into the wind faster than I can single-side correction stroke into the wind. I've said that.
However, I think my speed would about the same if I switch paddled with a bent shaft into the wind. In the world of competent switch paddlers, I consider myself below average. Were I an above average switch paddler, I believe I could go into wind faster that way than I can with a short double blade using a high angle stroke.
I'm almost certain I can paddle faster into the wind by (my below average) switch paddling than I could with a big honker double blade (240-280 cm) used with a low angle stroke. First, if you ballast your canoe bow heavy when going into the wind, it will naturally stick in that direction. Therefore, you can take a lot of single blade canoe strokes on each side before switching. Second, I have no doubt that each forward stroke with a bent shaft paddle has more forward vector force than a forward stroke with a big honker double paddle in the low angle position. The forward stroke with a bent shaft is close to the keel, tight and efficient, producing very little sideways vector force. On the other hand, the forward stroke with a long double blade has a much bigger sweep stroke effect and hence relatively less forward vector force. Going into the wind, for my skill level, a switching bent shaft is more efficient, more powerful and less tiring than using a long double blade.
If I am going at an angle into the wind--say, 30 to 45 degrees--I'm probably taking 70%-90% of my strokes on the downwind side. I can do that much more easily and powerfully with single blade than a double. The single paddle is lighter and I don't have that second blade waving way up in the air on every stroke. In this wind situation, I'm also probably using my 57" ZRE straight paddle rather than my 48.5" ZRE bent, because I want the extra leverage and sweep component that a straight single blade can give me. As I said in my previous post, to paddle on the downwind side one must be comfortable and practiced paddling with a single blade on the off-side, because the downwind side will be the off-side 50% of the time. I think that inexperience with off-side paddling in wind/waves is a primary reason why people often lose single blade confidence and then reach for a double blade.
I won't talk about the situation where wind is at my back, because ever since I bought a sail a couple of years ago that's never happened.
Finally, I should say that my preference is to avoid any wind/wave situation that would require Conan levels of effort via switch paddling or double blading. If the wind and waves are at that level when I arrive at the put-in, I'll take my ruddered outrigger off the roof instead of my CanAm open hull. If I don't have my outrigger with me, I'll scrap the trip, log onto the internet and pontificate about canoeing rather than doing it. If I'm in the middle of a trip and big wind/waves come up, I'm going to surrender rather than fight. I'm never far from shore, so I'll simply go to ground, smoke a Cuban and sip Uncle Lee's decaffeinated tea until it all blows over. If that takes a day or two, so what! I'm unemployed.
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