So, the lake is a very large one and it's quite deep. I remember learning the J (I'm not an expert but have no issues tracking a boat nowadays) on a small lake in North Carolina. It was a heavier boat, probably a discovery series as it was a rental and that seems to be the go-to rental boat. Anyways, I got caught in a cross wind and I couldn't move. I slapped the water in anger, and finally made my way back to shore. I didn't pick a paddle up for a while after that.
I know this is anathema to some here, but if I am paddling into an oppositional headwind, or even close hauled into the wind at an angle, I’m gonna use a double blade. There, I said it.
In our solo canoes a
long double blade, at least 250cm, more often 260cm, depending on the gunwale width. A long,
lightweight double blade; you are lifting half an 8 foot long paddle out of the water on each stroke.
As discussed elsewhere on CT paddling on a beam reach, broadside to wind and wave is daunting. You could hug the shoreline if there are any wind protected coves, but at the end of that protection you still need to round a point or peninsula, where the wind and wave may be concentrated at their worst, or clapotis confused.
Paddling out of a wind protected calm cove or leaving an embayed shoreline has surprised me at times when rounding a point of land, as in “Oh crap, the wind has picked up and those waves look awfully big now”.
Paddling in beam reach wind and wave on open water I will give up a “direct” route and paddle at some manageable angle to the wind. The downside of that solution can be a zigzag course, necessitating a quick-as-I-can 90 degree pivot between waves, sometimes further from shore than comfortable for that dicey move.
Paddling downwind is a different story, it's kind of a "no-guts no glory" kinda thing.
Paddling in large following waves is exhilarating. And sometimes scary. When the hull is up stems-free on the crest of a following wave you don’t have much time or opportunity to straighten things out before crap starts to go sideways. Sideways is not good, and liable to be followed by upside down.