Lets just say… I’m poor and can’t afford a new paddle. I have a 218 and wish it was a bit shorter.
Is there a method to shorten a Lendel one piece Carbon shaft?
JUST A QUESTION…please no abuse.
Sleeve
I shortened an aluminum paddle by adding a sleeve. I don’t see why you couldn’t do the same with a carbon shaft as long as you don’t mind a slightly raised seam at the center. Ideally, the sleeve wall thickness should taper towards the ends to minimize the stress concentrations.
Lendal sold me a conversion kit
so…
I shrunk mine.
I had a 218 carbon wing, cut it in the middle, glued in a 7" carbon insert & had a 216. If I didn’t already have an adjustable, I would have made up a two piece. My Epic length lock made it possible for me to drive to a race in a small Saturn when my Jeep broke down.
How much shorter first please.
If it’s an ovalized shaft
and you wanted to shorten it without adding a ferrule or making it into a two peice, you’d have to take off both blades and shorten both ends of the shaft. Reason being that your “ovalized zones” would be off center if you just shortened one end. PITA. The easiest route is to cut the section out of the middle and epoxy in a ferrule. But that, of course, adds weight. If a few extra ounces doesn’t bother you, no problem.
10 cm
It’s a 218 Kinetic and I’m 5’8" in a pintail.
Probably needed too.
Mine was a one piece 218 and my wife dimpled the shaft by putting it between the seat and the car door. Unless you look very close, you can’t tell its been shortened. I had wanted to go shorter & it has proven a good move for my elbows.