I have an older Werner fiberglass paddle, and I can hear water sloshing around in the shaft. What’s the best way to get it out, and then prevent it from getting in again?
Try calling or emailing Werner.
I would either knock the handle off (are we talking about a canoe paddle here, or a kayak paddle?) or drill a small drain hole in a place where stress may not be great. Draining and drying will take a while. Then you can try to figure out where the leak occurred. Leaks can occur due to cracking where the blade meets the shaft. That might mean assessing the structural soundness of the blade connection, and possibly removing and re-attaching it. (Talk to Werner.) A minor crack might be sealed with epoxy, SeamGrip, or Aquaseal. A similar approach might apply if this is a kayak paddle leaking at the ferrule, but the ferrule isn’t in water enough to lead to sloshing, in most cases.
kayak paddle
– Last Updated: Feb-10-09 11:51 AM EST –
It's a kayak paddle. The joints at the blades seem tight, and the resin covering that joint is still perfectly intact, so I doubt that's where it's leaking.
I noticed it after a pool session this weekend, so the ferule was under water a fair amount. This was the first time I used the paddle, and I don't know if the water was in there before this session or if it all got in just now.
my experience similar
with a Cyprus. It was leaking via seal at ferrule end. Werner responded to my email within microseconds and repaired for free. I paid for shipping. Until I could part with it, I drilled small hole in plastic plug inside shaft and flung as much water out as possible, dried in sun for a few days and then tried some marine goop to seal out future intrusion. Werner never blinked at my futile attempts, they just fixed it and replaced drip ring I had pulled off. They also sent me email to confirm receipt and when they passed it off to UPS. Great service from them.