You mean humid, hot, dark, and full of mold?
It is something experienced people do at home. Likely since it wasn’t needed in years. So when at home when you go “light” , no spare, no day pack, no cooler, no lunch, no dry bag of dry clothes, no tow rope, no paddle buddy, etc then things can be simplified. Like a cyclist that peddles around the neighborhood wearing shorts and tee shirt. I understand it. I sometimes go out with or without even a water bottle.
Of course a mile from the house, tie up to the marina and walk over to the burger joint. Bring money.
I also go light nearer home or for short paddles. After near 20 years of paddling I don’t need to be told that.
I just question excluding the spare paddle as part of going light. Kind of tires on the car, the cheap ones aren’t a problem until one blows. Then you go from being OK to being in a world of hurt instantly. There are things I leave off, just spare paddle is never one of them.
(Slight edit, spares did come off a couple of times at the Narrows doing surf. Since the result of any failures was going to be rolled into shore anyway. But I hated it - went out and got Paddle Pants and put on fresh bungie so I didn’t have to leave the spare behind.)
Home to me would be the water I see out the window. Rookie has some like that too. If I have to load a trailer that’s different. If I’m paddling from home to Exchange Island and back, 20 miles, that’s different.
Overstreet, you are quibbling and it would be a better plan to respond to the question of relative risk than lecture me about experienced paddlers and what close means.
My always-a-spare paddles include going out from where I rent in Maine. And yes, for five weeks or so a I TOO can see water from my porch. 25 feet away. Granted it isn’t Russia but it is still lovely to see.
Water being nearby, or visible, has zero to do with the situation you are in if a paddle breaks further than 30 or so feet from shore. Especially on a windy day. Or if it happens upstream of a dam on an otherwise quiet river.
The only exception I can think of is if someone is very holy and can walk on water. Then you could leave the boat to get blown away as it will and still make it safely to shore.
You asked a question.
Overstreet -
Which you did not answer - when not why. So I am going forward figuring why is that you go out on trips from a nearby launch with the assumption that there is zero risk you might have a paddle failure. No need to reply further.
I do not go on the water with that assumption regardless of its proximity or trip details. It might be interesting to hear where others live on that spectrum.
That was funny! Nope - it’s climate controlled and only time lights are off is at night. This is what my boat looked like after I got it off the rack and brushed off some of the snow before wheeling it through the entrance and into the storage area. I was the first boat in, so had my pick of location. Hope I’m as lucky when the next one goes in.
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Like Overstreet, I like to travel light when at home. Only things I take are my Forerunner (because I’m a nerd about tracking speed and distance), phone (for taking photos), and a small water bag. If I’m doing a workout paddle, my earbuds and iPod come along so I can listen to music. Even if I had a paddle failure, I’d still have half a paddle. If I’m in a kayak, I’m wearing a PFD, so that doesn’t count as gear.
If I’m practicing strokes I’ll bring along the GP, but that’s only so I can practice with both paddles.
I like the simplicity and don’t want to have to haul unneeded gear up and down 52 steps.
The conditions here at home are quite benign compared to the Great Lakes or huge inland lakes with lots of traffic, wind and long fetch. Spare paddle, dry bags, tool kit, first aid kit, food, tow belt, etc, etc. always carried when I leave home.
Personally, I always paddle with a partner; 99% of the time it’s my wife. I almost never take a spare paddle with me, but I do have a short tow rope on the fore deck and a tow belt in the rear hatch.
Like @Rookie, if I’m using my GP (which I’m still not quite 100% comfortable with it yet) I will take a spare, especially if the weather is looking a bit iffy.
just a note on carrying a spare:
- a broken paddle is not necessarily a catastrophic failure, as you probably could use the ‘better broken half’ to paddle a distance
I often go on very long paddles w/out a spare, whereas, often on very short paddles WITH a spare (surf sessions)
To above thoughts - Yeah, my response is largely about paddling solo. I was less fussy about always carrying one when it was Jim and me.
I consider a tow belt standard equipment too, but again that is about paddling solo. I have used my tow line maybe once to tow someone, outside of training. It comes out of the bag a lot to secure the boat against a dock, or a beach at a lunch break. Or to drag some debris out of a channel or off of something.
Thanks Rookie, Raisins etc. So the why comes down being able to get back with half a paddle… that would work on ponds around me that are mostly about floating and enjoying the spring growth or fall leaves. Might not be all that kind to my joints but it’d eventually get me back to the launch.
In my case the most local paddles often involve rivers with boat traffic, one with commercial stuff like barges and all with locks and dams. Trying to use half a paddle to cross those channels is another matter.
I often forget that October/November can be snowy and a non-boating time. things are just now getting better. Fish are biting. Rendezvous are being held and the weather is just right. That must be why the seasonal migration is in full swing. They are leaving snowy parking lots up north.
Those Hulivators are great aren’t they? Those carts can handle a number of boats well.
Didn’t need the ‘mosquito netting’ on the windows for this overnight stop on the way to an Apostles weekend trip.
(Nord. HM = 1st kayak = long ago)
getting off topic, are we?
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Raisins, what part of summer was that?
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I see why you live where you do.
yes, we still have leaves on our trees (note: not in picture), and if water DOES get in my Werner Cyprus, it won’t freeze.
(see what I did there, back on topic)
I actually did carry a spare paddle once, or twice, but most of the time I go very light. Where I paddle, there is always a substitute somewhere on shore. A board, tree branch–a lot of things will work as a paddle if needed. The beaches are loaded with stuff. On more than one occasion I have found perfectly good paddles. One still had the price tag on it. In a pinch my hands would eventually get me to shore.
I do have a four piece paddle that fits nicely in the rear compartment on two of my boats, but even that paddle is just extra stuff to drag along.
Beyond all of that, I have never been out paddling when there weren’t plenty of other boats on the water. I do carry my phone in case of disaster.
That didn’t last long.
Update. Although Werner gave me an RA#, I’ve held off sending in my paddle. Got the box down from the attic and planned to send it in next week but first wanted to try Capt. Tolley’s. Cleaned the edges with alcohol then using a small brush I applied three coats on the edges of the leaky blade, waiting 30 minutes between each coat. Then let it dry for 24 hours.
This afternoon I filled a pickle bucket with water and submerged the blade completely for 30 minutes. Dried the blade then shook it. No sound of water. It’s been sitting at angle for about an hour and not a sign of any droplets as shown in my October 2019 photo.
Werner knew I was going to try this, so I guess I’ll let them know it worked and the paddle won’t be traveling cross country.
Capt. Tolley’s is good stuff.
Wait until you had some trips with this solution.
I don’t know this Capt. Tolley’s stuff, but I am pretty sure that the durability of the repair will depend on whether it has succeeded in entering the crack and forming a sufficiently strong bond between the two surfaces in the crack. If it hasn’t, the crack will just propagate through the applied sealant when you start using the paddle again.