I have several take-apart paddles and they all eventually take on water at the joints. I have used regular 3M duct tape around the joints and the buttons but it loosens and leaks after a while. Does anybody know any particular brand (and on-line source) of tape that lasts especially well for this? I also tried some 3M vinyl tape that seemed good for water-tightness but its adhesive is weak and it loosened pretty quickly.
I’m at a loss for the reason for
the question. You need to take apart those two piece paddles ideally after every trip and make sure no sand and gunk is building up, and prevent the ferrule from locking up.
Maybe that is the reason for your query to keep sand and guk from accumulating. But in the long run tape makes inspection more difficult.
I’m not asking if I should, but how
As usual, someone asks a question here and gets more replies about why it is a stupid thing to do instead of actual helpful suggestions. First, if possible I’d like to avoid taking on water into the paddle during the day. Second, I often like to leave my paddles assembled for a week or so. One of the paddles is a 3-piece greenland paddle with screws at the joints. I take it apart for traveling but otherwise leave it together.
Plastic electrical tape might be okay
Plastic electrical take is not officially waterproof, but if applied carefully, is quite waterproof and should stay that way several days (I’ve seen it work as a repair method on automotive radiator hoses). If it fails too soon to suit you, it would take only a few seconds to remove (unlike duct tape), and a few more seconds to re-apply.
I’ll do my part to tick you off too,as far as your reasoning goes. The take-apart paddles I’ve seen are sealed just behind each end, as seen when the joint is apart. That means that the only place water can accumulate is within that four- or five-inch section where the joint is. Since that part is seldom submerged, it normally stays dry, though the amount of water it could hold would probably never be noticed. I’m guessing that if your paddles take on enough water to notice, they must not be constructed with sealed ends, which I always figured was the “normal” way.
We used to take duct tape
with us for emergency repairs, and then in one race where several light weight kevlar boats got holes punched in them, the duct tape came right off in the water.
Some one in the know suggested using packing tape, (the clear stuff with the string embedded in it).
It is amazing how well it works in the water.
I don’t know if it will work in your case, but it might be worth a try.
You can get it at Wally World.
Jack L
Best duct tape I’ve found
Nashua 398N. It’s made for the nuclear industry, which makes me kinda worried that the nuclear industry uses duct tape! But, that’s ok, this is good stuff. http://www.grainger.com/product/NASHUA-Duct-Tape-15R443?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP
TUCK, Not Duct!
Tuck-Tape - the ugly red stuff you use for sealing Tyvek seams - works wonders. Sticks far better than duct tape - I’ve used it for attaching kayak cockpit padding for years. It has a lot better resistance to water than duct tape and for emergency purposes in camping - tent tears and the like. Drawbacks? It’s hard to get off, leaves a red stain and looks ugly as sin…
Gorilla tape
I use this on my kayak to cover a drain hole. Been on there about 6 months now and still tight.
http://www.gorillaglue.com/tapes.aspx
I didn’t say the idea was
necessarily stupid but just why the pieces needed to come apart.
If you had explained the need better at the start you would have gotten better information.
zip tape
Sold in home improvement stores for sealing joints of Zip board house sheathing.
Plumbers Tape
Should be able to purchase in a hardware store , plumbing dept.
thanks!
Lots of great suggestions. And I apologize for my earlier annoyance, because the helpful suggestions outnumbered the “what would you want to do that for” by 10:1.
3M vinyl color
3M’s colored vinyl electrical tape, number on the red roll here is ‘35’ feels and applies with more flex contact to surface than black ‘33’ thus more waterproof but slightly more tearable.
Clean surfaces with Maguire’s red bottle car wash then isopropyl. STRETCH vinyl on pressing vinyl into vinyl on the wrap around as this is where the stuff sticks…to itself.
I use 3M on Garmin GPS seams, VHF also.
There’s a roll of black duck tape from Home Depot in the bus. Great tape but the adhesive remaining on removal or attempted removal is just too much…and the premium black may not be ‘waterproof’ only water resistant.
The colored vinyl is a best buy.
If paddle joints are polyolefin as are Aqua Bounds, CRC spray silicone applied with an art paint brush…see Wal’s craft dept for a bag…eases the leaving. Don’t get it on the to be taped surfaces. Use a wee bit, like one narrow drag away from the joint proper. The CRC will wick around.
Werner sez no lube on carbon.