Paddling (kayak or canoe) appears to be less common as an intercollegiate sport that one can play on a college team for. However, it seems to be a lot more common otherwise, probably because (a) a solo paddler can watch for other water traffic better than a solo rower can, (b) a fast kayak or (outrigger) canoe can handle a greater range of water conditions than a fast row boat, and (c) other kinds of paddling are available, like stand up paddle board and prone paddle board. Non-college-based competitions are common.
Paddling also uses many of the same muscles as swimming.