Congrats! You might want to look at the AT Odyssey Glass. It is a great paddle and very light....but strong. I also have a BB Scout Angler. As far as scratching the kayak up. It is hard not to. I worried about that a lot. Being 62 and having to man handle about 80 pounds it can be cumbersome. While I don't abuse my kayak I read a post on a forum about scuffing up a boat and then asked Chad Hoover his opinion on it. The post said "treat it like the pig it is". It is going to get a lot of scratches if you use it. Sore Lip'Em All!
Regards
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