separating a kayak paddle

i am having some problems, separating a kayak paddle into the two

sections for auto travel. it is a standard, fiberglass one, and has been

used in salt water, but not separated for a few years. would a kind

of lubricant do the trick w/o compromising the future tightness?

thanks for any advice that works!

de-salt and soak
might be hard, but pick up some salt dissolver from a marine supply store and try let it sink into any crevice. Then I would thoroughly soak the paddle in water for a while and while still wet later have a friend help pull it apart.

Have you tried
putting one blade between your feet and twisting the top half off with both hands? This works better than it seems it should.

Peter

not always possible
Some werners have ratcheting type of receiver. In order to twist a paddle, you need to have a bit of separation between paddle halves.


Soak it first in regular water.
Water is the best salt dissolver you will find.



Then I would gently heat it with the hair dryer, especially on the outside half and not the internal part of the ferrule. Would also try cooling it like surrounding it with a bag of ice. Also, tapping it with something like a wooden dowel, go all the way around the joint. It might help to support the opposite side while you tap. You DO NOT want to crush anything here.



I wouldn’t really use the blades for leverage. I don’t know how your paddle is constructed, but you could twist a blade off the shaft and still not succeed. Also, you and friend should probabaly wear some rubber coated gloves to increase your grip on the shaft while twisting and pulling.

Its a Finessse Thing! Stay Calm!
It is a finesse thing, not a brute force thing.



Take a few deep breaths, sit down, calm down, and twist back and forth, firmly, but gently.

What kind of paddle?
If the paddle’s been used in saltwater and stored in one piece, do soak it for several days before trying to get it apart. Salt is corrosive and can literally weld the two halves together in a bond stronger than the blades or the paddleshaft materials, so the force needed to get the two halves apart could crack the blades or splinter the shaft before breaking the bond.



Also, does it have a standard ferrule, i.e. the ends that fit together are smooth and are held together by a springy button that pops up through a hole when the halves are joined?



If so, the button may also be frozen and you’ll have to work on that too, to get it to depress. And it helps to have a third person there to push in the button while the two people on the ends twist the paddle. A pointy little rock is the best tool I’ve found for this!



Good luck!


Its a Finessse Thing! Stay Calm!
It is a finesse thing, not a brute force thing.



Take a few deep breaths, sit down, calm down, and twist back and forth, firmly, but gently.

Look on the Onno site
This is discussed there and in the archives here. After you get it apart, which you will with patience, always rinse it thoroughly and never store it in one piece again.

After you get it apart.
Clean and silicon spray the two halves. Let dry before assembling.

let me guess…
it’s an Aqua-Bound? those seem notorious for living up to their name :slight_smile:

shaft material?

– Last Updated: Oct-30-09 8:25 AM EST –

Does your paddle have a composite shaft or an Aluminum shaft?

edit - Nevermind. I see it's composite.

A new dichotomy
OK, we have skeg vs rudder; are bow/stern tiedowns necessary; wetsuit vs drysuit; Euro vs stick; now we have…drumroll…the envelope please…should you lubricate or sand your paddle ferrules???

YES… nm

Only some of the older ones,
The newer ones are improved.

Try
Sanding down the male ferule with some emery cloth till it is easy to separate from the other section (female). This should resolve your problem.