I have used a cedar pole with a duck bill for 45 years. Stored well and given a bit of oil finish will make them last a long time. Love it for soft marshes and it does eve better on hard ones. I cut down a cedar tree that was growing in a very dense cedar patch so it was very tall without being too thick. In fact Ihad no saw or axe with me and cut it down with a Buck Folding hunter knife. Took awhile. Let it season out then worked it down a bit with a spoke shave. The only way to improve it would be to make it telescope.
I thought about going that direction but was afraid they would not hold up to hard use. Nothing would displease me more than having one fail me when I needed it. The phrase up the creek without a paddle comes to mind. If you used wood version you must get the grain perfect or heavy use would tend to cause it to break easily. Mine has flexed a lot over the years but springs right back without any cracks. You can pole faster than you can row and it takes a lot less effort.
