Less than three, never? On a pond???? Come off it. The hell with a supposedly risk-free environment. That's not what life is for.
I go out by myself, to challenge myself, using appropriate safety gear and an understanding of where I am and the current conditions. Or I go with my son, for the fun of watching him paddle and the pleasure we both get from being out there.
I use a Nimbus Seawater paddle--laminated western cedar strips, big cupped blades--which is very sweet and powerful. Recently young Keith and I were out together and he was lagging behind (again) so I switched paddles with him--he has a knockdown Grey Owl paddle with about 2/3 the blade area of the Nimbus, and a shorter, slower boat. All of a sudden he was keeping right up with me, in fact I was trying to keep up with HIM.
I still remember what a big change it made in my paddling experience when I got the Nimbus instead of the shaky old flat-bladed knockdown that came with my $70 auction-special kayak (1984). Cost more than the boat, and well worth it!