I have a Werner paddle, not sure exactly what it is but it has a low angle touring style blade, it is two piece adustable for feather, zero or what looks to be about 75 degrees. It has a metal “button” that fits into a hole for disassembly/assembly/feather. The shaft is round or almost round and blue composite of some sort. The blade color is cream/buff. It weighs about 36 ounces/1,020 g. It is 230 cm long.
My question is: Can Werner shorten this paddle to about 215 cm? Is it worth the trouble and expense?
Sounds like a FG Camano…
That was a high end paddle before the carbons came out and still not cheap. I have one I keep as a spare. I’d say it’s worth having Werner shorten it if it’s in good condition.
That said you can cut about 8cmm out of the center by trimming the female side and redrilling the button hole. The shaft starts to form into an oval so you have to be careful not to cut off two much. Make several small cuts.
Option 2: Cut off one blade off where the shaft meet the blade. Dremmel out the old shaft from the blade, trim shaft to desired length and epoxy blade back on the shaft. Take your time to line up the new button holes and blade angles…
Shortning camano
Option 3
I took the 8cm off the female end of my camano and it was still too long. So I took another 7 cm or so off the male end. I cut off the male end just beyond where the insert ends. I was able to quite easily peel off the piece of male end left on around the insert with a chisel. I then put the insert into the female end and epoxied the male end onto the rest of the insert, being careful to line the blades up. It worked quite well.
Peter
Before you shorten it
try to borrow some shorter paddles with a similar blade shape. Camano blade is kind of an intermediate width. With its width you probably need it a little longer for a lower angle stroke than you might with one of the wider blades like an Epic. The wider Epic works well with a high angle stroke and a shorter length.
From what I saw the other day on our paddle you could easily go down to a 220 cm. I did not pay enough attention to really judge if 215 or 220 would be better. That’s a difference you will probably have to decide based on personal feel.
Mark
I like option 3…
I hadn’t thought of it but it sounds a better way than cutting the blade off…
My 230 is now 218 and much better.
Option 4
If you don’t feel confident or don’t want to mess with it yourself, call Werner. They’ve been very accommodating with paddle work I’ve wanted done and reasonably priced too.
Good idea!
I found an 800 number and gave 'em a call. Fifty bucks plus shipping.
Yup
Epic shortened my Full Carbon Active Tour Length-Lock. Eddyline shortened my Mid-Swift.
I’ve found paddle makers are usually willing to shorten paddles. Epic did it from the ferrel and retooled it. Eddyline removed the blades and shortened the paddle fron that end.