I think that's the crux of the matter - simpler and more versatile.
I started imagining a pole with ends finished like Greenland paddle to reduce flutter. Adding a fulcrum seemed like it would improve power efficiency....then both sculling oars and gondolas popped into my head. But, my Greenland paddle still fluttered a lot paddled from standing. And an oar is probably heavier and more ungainly than a pole. It's almost as if people before me have thought this stuff through.... still, thinking the stuff over, reading, maybe experimenting....it all leads to a better understanding of why the stuff that works, works.
