Greenland Paddles?

after that attempted hijack, i hereby recommend CBY get the ass hat for one day...

just wait till you see my ghetto trough

Back to discussion-

Paddle size and shape will both make a difference, in my opinion.

 Area: a smaller, lighter blade will be easier to use over a long day, especially for cruising/motoring. For WW and surfing I'd prefer a larger blade area for better acceleration and maximum maneuverability. It would be drag on my old joints, by the end of the day, though. Smaller, narrower blades will transfer smaller forces on your body, too.
 
For low angle paddling, I prefer a narrow asymmetric blade. The reason is that when a paddle is in the water, at a low angle, the force of paddling will affect the portion of the blade that is below the shaft axis, more than the portion above the axis. With a wide blade there will be more of a twisting motion to the paddle, because of the longer arm of leverage. A narrow blade will have less twisting leverage. I prefer an asymmetric blade so that an equal area of blade will be submerged on each side of the axis of the paddle shaft, also reducing twisting leverage.

See my all-explaining 90 second diagram!

That drawing would be even more awesome if it was scrawled on a cocktail napkin from a seedy dockside bar.  Cool explanation, Pisco.  That clears it up nicely.