Many Years Ago…
my buddy shows up at the launch with the ‘male’ half of his paddle and the ‘male’ half of his wife’s paddle… and no kinda spare. It was a long way back to the house. Do you think we learned a lesson that day?
Yeah
– Last Updated: Mar-03-11 5:48 PM EST –
even paddles can have too much testosterone...
:-)
Seriously, I spent an entire day using my spare because a critical part of the adjustable length etc ferrule came up missing moments before launch. It wasn't a bad paddle, but it was heavier than my regular one and I was painfully struggling to stay up with the others by the end of the day.
I resolved to start looking for a good price on a spare that was as nice as my main paddle after that day. (even though I did spot the missing ring under the car as we pulled into the launch)
warner camano
I can’t imagine the horror of paddling a $300 paddle that was 2 inches too long. I guess I should throw away my aluminum bb spare paddle.
Ryan L.
Pull over?
Yeah, and when you do, don’t forget your turn signal!!
Yep. But again, he is paddling a…
River. Not the arctic cirlcle.
paddle easy,
Coffee
Think it through -Coffee II
We have a zillion wilderness rivers right here in the US that you don’t walk your way out of unless you enjoy repelling cliffs, or slogging through ten miles of swamp, etc
jack L
river gorges
Well, kayak paddles certainly can and do get lost on whitewater river trips.
Some whitewater rivers have a road or train tracks running alongside, but plenty do not. As Jack points out, some of these runs are through rather remote mountain gorges. In some cases, it is debatable whether walking out wouldn’t pose a greater risk than attempting to complete the run sans paddle.
On a group trip, it probably isn’t necessary for everyone to have a spare, but it is sure nice if someone does. For modern, short whitewater play kayaks, storage of even a TAP in the hull can be problematical. This is when a friendly open boater can become an asset.
Some good whitewater kayakers I know stow a pair of hand paddles as a spare. That might be a reasonable option for some non-whitewater river kayakers as well, although you might not want to paddle many miles of slack water with hand paddles.
this is why you need to carry a spare
"The great white became tangled in Coca’s paddle leash and was distracted by the flailing paddle, toward which it turned and bit, severing the leash, leaving Coca wishing he had brought a spare." Well okay, I made up that last line, but the rest is true, the paddle was gone:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_15801580
Done that before…
LOVED IT!!! Probably one of the funnest times I’ve had kayaking.
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Yep, need one, have one, carry one.
I consider my a spare paddle as part of my rescue equipment. I like Bending Branches because it has a little “krik” that allows it to bend when you put too much weight on it.