I bought a used aluminum paddle at a garage sale three years ago for exactly twelve dollars. It has a heavy red plastic blade on each end and the metal shaft is covered in deep scratches. The man who sold it to me said it was a lightweight model. It is not lightweight at all.
After two hours of steady paddling my shoulders always start to burn. The metal shaft also gets completely freezing if the air temperature drops below fifty degrees. I tried wrapping the middle section in black electrical tape last spring to keep my bare hands off the cold aluminum. The tape just melted in the afternoon sun and peeled off at the corners. It left a dark sticky residue everywhere. I spent an hour trying to scrub the glue off with dish soap and a kitchen sponge. It did not work. Now my hands stick to the shaft and collect small pieces of dry leaves and dirt.
I know carbon fiber paddles exist. I see them in the local sporting goods store window every time I drive past. They cost more than I paid for my entire kayak. I cannot justify spending two hundred dollars just to shave a few ounces off my gear. I will keep using the heavy red one until the plastic cracks.
I did buy a pair of cheap gardening gloves from the hardware store to deal with the sticky tape residue. They have green rubber dots on the palms. They look ridiculous but they give me a much better grip when the water splashes up.