I recently bought a Hobie Pursuit as my first foray into kayaking, but the paddle is “frozen” and doesn’t allow for rotation of the blades. Any ideas?
you don’t need it feathered…
leave it as is. you can paddle just as easily with it this way.
Just in
case you might want to take it apart for some reason other than feather check out these threads: http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=562032
or
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=353875
or
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=701353
Good luck.
paddle
Is it a two piece paddle? If it is one piece, you stuck in that position. Two piece, have a strong friend hold the other end, pour ice water over the joint slowly to allow the temp of the water to shrink the paddle shaft(on the smaller side), then depress the clip and twist while you pull it apart. May be able to use the blade for better torque but be careful the blade does not twist off from over aggressive turning. Good luck, John
another way…
Pop a wet washrag in the microwave and heat it. Wrap it around the outside shaft. It should expand enough to get some play and work loose. A cold rag around the inside shaft can help too. A squirt of WD-40 or some soapy water to disolve grime helps as well. IF the thing is supposed to come apart at all.
patrick onno’s advice
in one of the archived threads offered above worked for me. I had a two piece Werner carbon shaft that got sand in it after a lively paddling session in shallow water w. two of my friends grandsons, aged 7 and 11 
Soaked the paddled in cool water, shook it frequently, and rotated its position while it soaked. Soaked it most of the day. Then put an ice pack on it.
Dried off the shaft, found a strong neighbor, and we pulled - straight back, no twisting.
He is former 101st Airborne and daily lifts weights and martial arts Just lucky I held my ground and did not plant my ass on the grass LOL.
The paddle came apart.
I’d not put WD40 or really any lubricant in there… but WD40 is comparatively very heavy and will attract grime - plus you will never get rid of it and it may make the paddle splits fit too loosely.
Learn from my mistake: I put a very lightweight silicone lube in my newly separated paddle to clean it. Turned out to be unnecessary and counterproductive as it jammed again… the button stayed down, there was sand or something in the spring underneath it, and the lubricant helped it stick there.
If your paddle has a stuck button I found a gentle levering motion w. a flat blade screwdriver INSIDE the shaft and under the button would release it. But it would stick again after each use.
When I met up w. Danny Mongno of Werner at a symposium he graciously took it apart and cleaned it. he specifically told me never to put lubricant in a paddle shaft. And gave me these tips on paddle storage:
Take apart and briskly swish ends in clean water after every paddle.
Store paddle splits apart, not joined.
Store splits w.paddle blades UP
NEVER lubricate.
IMO a paddle bag, (homemade or otherwise) protects both shaft, esp. the ends, from getting out of round from incidental knocks in your vehicle etc.
Hope this helps.
Boeshield
I know the prevailing advice is to never lubricate, but since I have a folding kayak I always have a little dropper bottle of Boeshield (for the boat frame) and have used it on my paddle joints successfully. Boeshield is a wax-based liquid lubricant developed by Boeing for aircraft – dries to a film that resists moisture but doesn’t attract dirt or degrade plastics, fiberglass or rubber. Some bikeshops and marine supply stores carry it (have seen it at REI)or you can get it on line. A 2oz dropper bottle lasts a long time or you can get a larger spray can (not great to leave sitting in a hot car).
I do agree on dissembling the paddle after each use and storing blade up. An excellent storage and transport container for paddles is the tall, perforated fexible plastic, handle-top “hampers” you can buy at places like Target. They have a solid bottom so drained water stays off the floor of the car, they fit standing up in the back of a wagon or behind the seat of a sedan and you can fit one or two split paddles, a PFD, pump and deckbag in each. Really helps keep gear organized and easy to swap from car to house. And using them keeps you in the habit of separating the paddle halves after each run instead of just tossing them in the back and saying “I’ll do it later”.