Hi. None of paddling friends use a crank shaft and they give me a hard time about my Lendal Archipeligo crank shaft but I have been extremely happy with it for the past 4 years. Maybe my stroke is not correct or I grip the paddle too hard but I found that my wrists and forearms did not hurt after a paddle like they used to.(it could also be that my old paddle was a cheap and nasty, very heavy.) My wife has the same Lendal paddle but in a straight shaft and it works fine for her. I found that the initial wierd feeling disappeared quickly on my first paddle with it. The other day I got my kayak off the car ready to go for a quick paddle before work when I realised I had left my paddle at home. I saw that my wifes paddle was in my car so I thought "no problem, I will just use hers'". It felt very uncomfortable and strange even after an hour. I didn't find any difference in my boat control but I did feel a little tenderness in my tendon later at work, so I will keep using my crank shaft. I have thought about trying a Greenland paddle but unfortunately they are few and far between in Australia. The few brands of GPs available here are pretty expensive, so I don't want to fork out a lot of money only to find that a Greenland paddle is not for me.