Snapped my paddle

[Fanman]

I was surfing yesterday 2-3' sand bar peaks and had a little snafu. Late drop wipe out and snap. I jumped back aboard and my paddle blade was in two pieces. Not quite sure hat did it?
Any other guys had similar issues? I was bummed, but did have a back up for the next session. Same paddle blade re-glued and back in action.

[exiled]

If I get 18 months on a paddle I'm pretty happy. Never had a Ke Nalu, but I've snapped quickblades, kialoas and assorted other brands. It happens 

[southwesterly]

Maybe I'm a whimp, but I've never snapped a paddle.

I have had the same Kialoa Pipes for the last five years that I use 4 or 5 times a week.

[exiled]

Could be the smaller blade results in less stress on the paddle, could be that you aren't a cement fisted oaf. maybe both. hard to say 

[Night Wing]

Maybe it developed a hair line crack  on a previous session which was hard to see and that was the weak spot on the blade.

[eDUBz]

How much shipped to 93030?

[Area 10]

Some people regularly snap paddles. Other people who use the same paddles, never do. Draw your own conclusions.

Hard luck. At least you weren't 2 miles out to sea in 35 knots in a downwinder, with no back-up paddle. That's my constant worry...

[SUPcheat]

I think I remember seeing something about paddles getting "pre-stressed" by falling on them or dropping or stepping on them on shore, creating a weak spot which breaks during paddling on the water.

The paddle may appear fine until the "last straw" stroke.

[Fanman]

I guess I am just a little surprised. I was thinking the shaft would break before the blade, but I was obviously wrong. Yup scary if you a waze out and then paddle-less etc. That paddle was in the water maybe a dozen times or less. I always try and have an extra in the truck just in case. I have had the blade and handle loosen and have gotten water inside before but no breakage! I just got a new of the same paddles for back up, but was not ready and waiting for me yet.

Thanks for your comments!

[stoneaxe]

I've snapped a couple but I'm pretty sure both came after impacts to the blade. I snapped a Werner at almost the same place on the blade but realized it happened because it had taken a whack from the fin in a wipeout  that would have hit me in the head otherwise so I was OK with a broken blade. I snapped a Ke Nalu at the frog when I fell on it in shallow water.

It doesn't take much....a whack on a rock weeks ago that you didn't even think about could cause a minor stress crack that you can't even see. Then the blade just folds under normal use and it seems like a defect.

I always carry at least two paddles in my truck because I know that they can break anytime and I don't want to ruin a good session. A lesson learned after the 1st break when I had to go home early while epic surf was going off.

[PonoBill]

Thats an unusual break, not likely from just hard paddling. Could be either a hit or a defect. Send a picture to Lane via pm (hes on the zone). He'll either replace it or give you a deep discount on a new blade.

[digger71]

Hard luck. At least you weren't 2 miles out to sea in 35 knots in a downwinder, with no back-up paddle. That's my constant worry...

Happened to Mo Freitas during the Maui to Molokai race this year.  No escort boat so no spare.  Eventually another paddler's boat came by and loaned him a paddle, but he sat there quite a while.

[stoneaxe]

and watch out for plastic handles....I had one break off in my hand during the 1st CCBC...fortunately we had a spare paddle in the boat. Not as critical a break as the blade....but still a pain in the ass (or hand actually). I'm pretty sure it was just caused by fatigue in the plastic from the many 1,000's of strokes it had seen.

[Area 10]

Hard luck. At least you weren't 2 miles out to sea in 35 knots in a downwinder, with no back-up paddle. That's my constant worry...

Happened to Mo Freitas during the Maui to Molokai race this year.  No escort boat so no spare.  Eventually another paddler's boat came by and loaned him a paddle, but he sat there quite a while.

Oh dear. That's not good. If he didn't have a support boat then you'd have thought that he'd have considered some kind of contingency plan for that. Or maybe the other boat *was* the contingency?

[mrbig]

I knew there was a reason I don't like being too far from land!