AquaBound posi-lock ferrule

Help- my ferrule won’t re-engage. The buttons still spring in and out, but when both halves of paddle are put together, the buttons stay in and the shaft does not lock together.



I’ve sent an e-mail to AquaBound for help, but also am posting here in case anyone can suggest the repair.



The posi-lock ferrule seems pretty bullet-proof, so I am stumped as to what happened.



It’s my favorite paddle, so I would love to repair myself so I don’t have to use my backup paddle for the next several weeks.



Adrian

Salt water use?
Do you use it in salt water much?



All I can think of is to rinse it thoroughly with warm clean water and hope that dissolves/removes whatever is causing it to stick.



Let us know what Aquabound says as I’m sure quite a few people here use their paddles. My wife uses one and I have one as a backup.

Thanks
I paddle almost exclusively fresh water. I think the end shifted slightly, and now the clips aren’t aligning. Hopefully AquaBound can repair.

Must be catchy.
My Werner Cyprus has the same problem. Button won’t pop out to lock in the paddle. Noticed that the other night when I assembled the paddle.



Same thing happened during the summer but I managed to get it to re-engage. It was working fine when I last used it in early November so I wonder if the dry air in my house has anything to do with it. The paddle hangs on a den wall.



I think I’ll let Werner fix it this time.

Gunk inside the other half?

– Last Updated: Jan-17-16 7:01 PM EST –

If the buttons work OK then that half of the paddle is OK and the other half is the problem. Look inside the half with the buttons and you'll see the orange tangs that go up inside the other half of the paddle.

They get compressed as you're assemblying the halfs and once they go inside far enough they will spread out and your buttons should pop back out.

Either they aren't going in far enough or you have some gunk inside the half without the buttons that won't let them spread back out.

I'd shoot the garden hose up in the half without the buttons or fill it water and hold your palm over the opening while you shake it up.

Unlike the spring loaded buttons you're not supposed to push the posi-lok buttons while you're putting it together. They will depress on their own as you slide the halfs together.

Edit to add:

Is there debris in the mating teeth on the outside of either half which is preventing the two halves from coming together fully? Got an old toothbrush?

Replacement
Hi Adrian -



We received your email in our general inbox yesterday at 11:35am CST. Since we don’t work Sundays, we addressed it first thing this morning (1/18/16).



More than likely, the ferrule insert location has drifted since the paddle was originally built and assembled. This doesn’t happen very often, but it is possible.



As you saw in the email this morning, we are going to replace your paddle at absolutely no cost to you. Please know we stand behind our product 100% and will make sure you’re satisfied with the outcome. Our apologies for this inconvenience and our sincere thank you for using our products.



We hope you have a great day!



Aqua-Bound Customer Service

great service

– Last Updated: Jan-18-16 1:00 PM EST –

I want to call out Aqua-Bound for incredible service. Not only are they replacing my paddle at no charge (beyond my expectations), they were also good enough to also answer me on P'Net as their e-mail somehow ended up in my spam filter. Without their response here, I would have missed the news.

If anyone needs a testament to superior service, I want to note they responded to my e-mail in less than twenty-four hours and are replacing my paddle with a brand new one.

Finally, for any recreational kayakers that are still using the cheap paddles that came with your first package, Aqua-Bound paddles are an incredible improvement at an affordable price. I was developing tendonitis in my wrist using my original cheapo aluminum paddle. My kayak shop recommended going to CF since it has a little give that is easier on the paddler. The Sting Ray model is for low-angle paddling and is what my wife uses. I prefer the high angle Manta Ray for a more aggressive paddling position.

Thank you.

Adrian

Great service indeed!
It just can’t get any better than this. Well done Aquabound.



I have to say that I still prefer my Cyprus to my carbon Sting Ray, but for the price the Aquabound paddle is excellent.

kudos to you
It’s not often this happens. Well done.