Slippery Paddle Syndrome .. my cure.

[Wetstuff]

In an attempt to redeem myself from the 'above the knee' leash post..  I offer a minimalist solution to a problem I had.





I have a generic carbon paddle; both the shaft and handle are slippery. I kept blaming it on sunscreen that was on my hands.  I wash my hands in the sand, etc., but it was still slick.  I did not want to use a full handle pad; it did not seem necessary.. and it would not do anything for the handle.   

I have put about five hours on this combo and declare it a success.  There is just enough traction so my top hand does not roll off the handle and the lower bit  seems to carry its water.  I was pleasantly surprised how well the adhesive held such narrow strips.  I did clean the hell out of it - including alcohol just before application. 

Jim

[AJR]

Looks good - blisters?

Also, is that a new Xtrak pad?  The logo is different and there aren't any ridges...

[DavidJohn]

I like it.

DJ

[Area 10]

Ingenious, but I suspect it will give you blisters on a long hard paddle. I use self-adhesive spongy, tacky, hockey tape on the shaft. Nice and comfy, is cheap and easily applied and removed, and helps a lot with the power you can get in each stroke when choking down.

[WingSuit]

Sex wax.  It's not for sex.   It makes your paddle tacky.  Like sticky tacky, not trashy tacky.

[punasurf]

I second sex wax.  Best for your stick!

[PonoBill]

Hockey tape with wax over it to mitigate the stickiness. Perfection.

[Bean]

I like a sanded finish, say 220-221 grit (whatever it takes).

[Wetstuff]

My hands are pretty coarse so I do not notice anything - my longest stint is only an hour, so maybe I bail before I blister.

AJR -  I assume they are new. I got them from the distributor about a month ago. At first I thought they were too stiff, but cutting into strips and with the heat of the summer, it feels quite soft.

Wax makes sense. I'll try that on my second paddle... 

I thought about Bean's idea - hitting it with grit, but I was afraid of messing with the clear coat.  Cheers.

Jim

[supdiscobay]

I am with Bean.
I take 220 grit and and sand the handle only in a cross pattern. 
I borrowed my wifes KeNalu (shorter than mine) to see if I liked a shorter paddle for surfing and her grip was gloss finish.  Paddling for a wave my top hand slipped off and I took a good one to the head.  She tried my sanded grip and liked it.
For my race paddle I do the same, and for the shaft I put a piece of tape right at my sweet spot.  No added grip, but I don't have to search for the right spot.

[Cardiff Sweeper]

I wax my hands.   It seems to work better than waxing the paddle.

[southwesterly]

 I honestly didn't realize that a slippery paddle shaft was a problem.
 When I first started stand up, I used little strips of electrical tape,
 just to figure out how far down the shaft my bottom hand should go.

 Now I just tape the blade edge for nicks and such. I like that my hands
 can slide freely back and forth. Maybe I just have gnarly hands, but I don't notice any slip.

[AJR]

AJR -  I assume they are new. I got them from the distributor about a month ago. At first I thought they were too stiff, but cutting into strips and with the heat of the summer, it feels quite soft.

Can you post a pic of the entire top of the board so we can see the new Xtrak deck pad?  I'm just curious...

Thanks!

[Wetstuff]

I see AJR .. you thought this was 'deck' material. 




Jim

[Bean]

I wax my hands.   It seems to work better than waxing the paddle.

I used to wax my hands, now I just let the hair grow