together. Know I saw it before but could not find in archives. I have a fiberglass shaft paddle and sometimes experience the sections sticking together. Any help is appreciated
Cleanliness Is Next To
Impossible.
Rinsing the area where the sections attach made my problem go away. I think it is really crucial after paddling in salt water. A little WD40 on the metal might unstick things also.
Sticking
Clean and apply a small amount of water resistant grease such as for fishing reels. I do mean small amount. You just need a light film.
Curious as to why people disassemble
paddles. I can carry my sea kayak paddles in the Accord without having to take the paddles apart. I pass them in through the rear door, between the front seats. Also the Accord has a pass-through between the trunk and the rear seat, though I seldom use it.
My Werner is hard to twist apart, but I almost never bother doing it.
A little spray silicon lubricant…
works pretty good, and it also works on the rudder slides as good as anything I have ever tried.
Cheers,
JackL
Why not?
Why drive around with paddle blades in your face if you don’t have to?
On trips involving crowding into shuttle vehicles, take-apart paddles are much more convenient.
Those of us who live in small homes can more easily store take-aparts.
No grease
Dirt and grit will stick to the grease, creating an abrasive paste that will wear and loosen the joint. Just keep it as clean as possible.
Like a flute head joint, right?
Actually, Les, I’ve found that a very small dab of Selmer Tuning Slide and Cork Grease (the red goop) helps keep my Camano from seizing up. You’re right about the grit - you gotta get that rinsed off or the grease can make things worse.
And one time…at band camp…
Just kidding! I was with Northman on a “winter river run” when this happened. The whole shaft is fiberglass, the only metal at the union is the release button. It was winter & about 12 degrees out, so likely alittle to do was frozen & the rest may be expansion & contraction of the material. I do agree about the grease thing, or even the “old fly fisherman technique”. Rub some of the “facial grease” from the corner of your nose to the male end of the paddle union…
Paddle easy,
Coffee
thanks for
advice will try and see. Frequently take paddles apart to store and transport em. Usually keep em inthe back window of the truck during frequent paddle trips.
Second the light coat of grease.
Somebody a while back actually recommended “nose grease”. Find a very thin oil and reapply it regularly as you should be rinsing the ferruls out after every use. You don’t have to stick a paddle in the mud to get grit in there; it’s suspended in the water. If they are sticking together now, you probably need to give them some extra attention. You may need to use some very fine grained wet sand paper to get a burr out. Be careful because any time you do this, you’re removing material and evetually the ferrul will get sloppy.
Epic Paddles sells a wax
– Last Updated: Jan-11-04 9:25 PM EST –
based lubricant. Wax based lubricants lightly applied will attract much less dirt that grease. Yes I know it's more money but $5 plus shipping should last for years. You can always keep it at home and put it on three times a season if you are concerned about $ and do not want to share with friends. You gotta believe that Greg and Oscar take their paddles seriously.
Epic lengthlock and other similar systems work well for me. Strong, good from 29 inch beam rec tandems to surfing a 21 inch boat, no slop in the joint! Still, a one piece has even better feel and weighs less if you need that. I still paddle a 29 inch beamed rec boat with my daughter for more hours/year than I am on the ocean so versatility is key for me.
Hey Jimmy? That was me…
I also said it about 10 minutes before you posted…lol.
I was with Northman on a “winter river run” when this happened. The whole shaft is fiberglass, the only metal at the union is the release button. It was winter & about 12 degrees out, so likely alittle to do was frozen & the rest may be expansion & contraction of the material. I do agree about the grease thing, or even the “old fly fisherman technique”. Rub some of the “facial grease” from the corner of your nose to the male end of the paddle union…
Paddle easy,
Coffee
OK, but I’m not sure how you end up with
a paddle in anyone’s face. One blade is by the passenger’s feet. The other blade is up behind someone’s shoulder in the rear window area.
Kinda crowded, eh?..
Wouldn’t it be more compfortable for your passengers if you used alittle “common curtosy” and took your paddle apart & put it in your boat or trunk?
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Check out today’s Accord. Roomy.
In my car…
…stowing whole paddles requires putting the blades either against the front side windows (bad for vision) or in between the front seats at head level (not conducive to conversation).
i had the same problem
with an aluminum shaft and lightly buffed it with emmery cloth. While i know you cant sand fiberglass, you may be able to buff/polish it lightly with something. Or maybe not. It’s just a wild guess.
Agree with ya on this one
I have yet to find the need to pull them apart.Touring shuttles are rarely crowded to the point that someone is going to be highly inconvienenced. Hell, WW shuttles usually have us sitting on laps and crammed into a P.O.S. car and WW sticks don’t break down anyway.
I would not hesitate to sand fiberglass.
Technique… It’s all in the wrist.
Seriously, though, if sensible use of lubricant does not correct the problem, very slow adjustment with fine grade sandpaper is a reasonable thing to do. You just have to make sure you are working on the high spots, by attempting to put the ferrule together repeatedly, at the right angle. My Werner is tight at the ferrule, so it is obvious that even one of the best companies may ship a paddle which is not consumer-ready.