Be careful where you leave the paddle - it is light enough to get blown into the lake if you are not there to watch it.  I have two ZRE's and may get a third - the light one and the lighter one.

We do use them as walking sticks when portaging - yeah, they get chipped up a bit, but its easier to repair them than a broken leg - you don't need to baby them too much.  Great for batting the deer flies out of the air too.