;D ;D ;D

The lean is a part of getting used to a double paddle.
You watch a Kayaker they do the same thing but because their closer to water and have lower center of gravity it's not as 'unnerving.

I also suspect that being new to the whole rotating the torso thing you were probably “exaggerating’ the movement to try and get the technique down.  That will ease with practice.

You’re correct about it only feeling correct when the neck of the paddle is barely submerged. You don’t dig the paddle in like a single paddle your sort of ‘brushing’ the water ( at least I do) when you’re doing it right, you’ll feel  the “sweet spot” the canoe will just move along seemingly without a lot of exertion on your part. It’s not something you can pick up in a single paddle. If you stick with it after 2 weeks you’ll see improvement BUT you still won’t feel like you have it mastered.  I still don’t feel that way, but I now know when I’m doing it WRONG.

Dead Air day.  I doubt being new to a double paddle you’re going to see any noticeable difference in speed over a single on a calm day? Where the double excels for the people that use them is when you’re in a headwind or have the wind at your back.

A quartering wind you might be better off with a single and just paddling on the downwind side to keep your course. I’ve learned to use my double as essentially a single by floating one side of the stroke and exerting force on the downwind side, but that takes a little practice.

The best advice I'd give you is to try and use the Double every day and see IF it works for you all the time or just certain times or maybe not at all. I wouldn’t worry too much, we’ve all gone thru what you did it’s just part of the learning curve or it’s not for me process.