Paddle care – Hard Core Paddles

LENGTH AND FEATHER

WHY USE A 30 DEGREE FEATHER

The reason that the vast majority of Whitewater Kayakers use a 30 degree feather is that it facilitates and encourages vertical paddle strokes which is the key to good white water paddle technique. You may not be convinced so we suggest that you grab a paddle and follow the instructions below. You will need a 30 degree feather paddle for this to work!

  1. Stand up and hold your paddle with your right hand only. 
  2. Move the paddle into a vertical stroke position as if your going to take a forward stroke on your right hand side . (Right hand will be in the lower position)
  3. Close your eyes, and without putting your left hand on the paddle swing it over as if your going to take a vertical stroke on your left side. (Right hand will be in the high position and elbow will be raised)
  4. Keeping your body in this position, open your eyes and look at the lower blade. It will naturally be in, or close to the correct position to take a forward stroke.

We hope that this helps, and as always, please get in touch if you have any more questions

PADDLE CARE

If you decide to buy one of our paddles we want you to get the most out of it. We are really confident in the durability of our paddles but they are not indestructible, and their lifespan can be dramatically reduced if they are abused. We are continually surprised by the variations we see in the condition of paddles over similar time frames. In particular the wear and/or damage to the tips of the blade caused by hitting and dragging the blades over rocks or concrete if used in white water parks.

Our blades feature a Dynell edge which is much more wear resistant than carbon and fiberglass but it will wear! Wear can vary, from the Dynell edge being completely worn away after less than 6 months to showing only minor signs or wear after several years!
If you are new to kayaking or you find that you go through paddles faster than others then the following info should help you increase the life of your paddle.

-ON THE WATER-

Blade Edge Wear and cracking - Every contact that your blade has with a rock has potential to wear a little bit away, and high impact contact can cause the carbon and fiberglass that encases the Dynell to crack. While some contact with rock is inevitable its important that you have a strong awareness of where you place your paddle in the water. If your paddling regularly on shallow rivers then it can be unavoidable but you can still try to avoid putting high load on the paddle when it is contacting rock. Having a strong awareness of your paddle placement will also improve your kayaking! Just watch the pro's and you'll notice how they put in fewer but more effective strokes.
Blade Edge Maintenance - A hard hit on a sharp rock can deform the edge which may cause the outer carbon layer to splinter. Carefully sanding down these splinters will reduce the chance of any further degradation.
The outer carbon and fibreglass layer will inevitably wear away at a faster rate than the Dynell edge. Sanding down the Dynell to match the wear of the outer layers will help maintain the structural integrity of the blade edge.
Blade Cracking - Getting a blade jammed between two rocks and loading the shaft can cause a full structural failure of the spine (it will crack) Our blades are really strong but the leverage and subsequent point load placed on a blade in this situation is really high! Again its just really important that you have high awareness of your blade placement. Being aware will also mean you can usually feel what's happening to the blade so you can pull it out before it becomes wedged.
Solo Adventures - Every now and then your paddle will probably go on a little solo adventure. This can lead to damage or loss and can also be a safety hazard as other kayakers take risks to try and rescue it. Learning to hold on to your paddle when you decide to pull is an important skill. Its not something that you tend to be thinking about when your getting thrashed in a hole so it needs to be something you Don't  think about! and that means practice. You don't need to swim over and over but just practice tipping over and reaching for your grab loop while holding the paddle with one hand.

-OFF THE WATER-

General Handling - It may seem silly considering the abuse your gear is subjected to on the river but being gentle with your paddle can extend its life. Carbon fiber is susceptible to accumulated damage that is not visible. Every little impact or compression can cause tiny cracks in the fibers and over time will reduce its overall strength leading to failure under heavy loads.  We recommend that you transport your paddle in a padded paddle bag or sleeve when ever possible.

SUNLIGHT - The suns ultraviolet rays will cause epoxy resins to deteriorate and discolor. On really hot days, If left out in direct sunlight the heat from the sun can also cause blistering and delamination. Its really important that you keep your paddle in the shade when ever possible.

BLADE REPLACEMENT

We do offer a blade replacement service but we advise you to carefully consider the pro's and con's of going down this route.

The most logical situation in which you might decide to replace a blade is if the paddle is still quite new or in really good condition but one of the blades has been damaged in a one off event.

If one blade or both have significant wear to the Dynell edge there are several reasons why we wouldn't recommend replacing one or both blades.

  1. In most cases both blades will be worn to a similar extent so replacing one blade likely wouldn't make sense and at $150 per blade plus potential shipping costs both ways its probably only slightly more to buy a complete new paddle. 
  2. In most cases if the blades are badly worn or damaged there is a good chance that the shaft has also had a hard life. You could potentially spend a bunch of cash on getting new blades only to have the shaft fail soon after. 
  3. We don't offer a shaft replacement service because the process of removing the shaft from the blades is difficult and often results in damage to the blades. So really you should only consider replacing one or both blades if the shaft is relatively new and in good condition. 

So If you try and follow our advise on looking after your paddle it should serve you well for many years. And if you do happen to break or damage a blade and the rest of the paddle is in good condition then we will be happy to replace it for you.

-PRICING-

Single Blade Replacement - $150 usd + shipping


Double Blade Replacement - $300 + shipping



You will need to arrange shipping or drop off to our workshop in Gold Bar, Washington.
 
Shipping and drop off address
17006, 424th DR, SE, Gold Bar, WA, 98251.
To arrange drop off call/text Mike at 206799-8687 or email [email protected].