A brief explanation of the different styles of paddles from left to right;
The laminated wooden paddle was made by the chap holding it Clive, it is based on a river running paddle, Mine is a Werner Nantahala paddle an all purpose paddle that I use for shallow and white water (its renowned to be a tough paddle as I tend to break them), the long wooden paddle is a deep water/touring paddle, they are a joy to use, Stu's paddle is a hacked up kayak paddle with a T grip, by rights it should be a pig to use, but I have paddled with it and it works.....really well, finally Mikes is a kayak paddle.
There are a plethora of canoe paddle shapes and styles, some are a joy to use in one environment only where as some are suitable for most, a Jack of all Trades so to speak.
A link HERE may explain it better
I hope this answers your question?
Cheers
Tim