Author Topic: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!  (Read 6278 times)

devon_sup_surf

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Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« on: April 15, 2018, 12:35:44 AM »
Ok guys this is getting silly!

In 2 years I have broken 4 paddles

Paddle 1- a cheap half carbon Loco paddle. Broke half way down on its first ever session.
Paddle 2- a plastic rental one broke after a couple of sessions
SIC 12k Carbon. Twice This has gone. Firstly This split near the bottom- goodness knows how but was repaired. And then recently it ended up stuck in the fins of my thruster setup and the wave torqued it- causing a total snap! Bit if a freak accident I supposed.
Naish 70% carbon- board flipped up in wind after a wipeout and the rail smashed into the paddle. Total destruction.

So- £50-350 paddles all seem to get mashed in my ownership. Is there anything I can do ? A fibreglass shaft appeals in some ways- but do they flex too much ? I love the stiff response of my SIC. What else can I do? Bring a couple of spares I suppose!!

In honesty I do seem to be quite hard on gear. Leashes break like nobodies business and I have had to repair a couple of boards.

exiled

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2018, 01:07:24 AM »
 I've snapped Quikblades, Kialoas, etc and eventually moved on the 27 North because their Kevlar Surf SUP paddles are warrantied for life. Break one and they replace it. I did manage to break one and they were great about honoring the warranty.

supthecreek

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2018, 04:18:15 AM »
Hi Devon
It sounds like you are letting go of your paddle durong a wipeout?
Or possibly not getting away from your board when you fall.

Get in the habit of falling  away from your board with you paddle held farther away.
Boards will snap paddles on a second. Keep them apart.
There’s an “art” to wiping out safely.

Good Leashes don’t “snap”, they generally cut on the fins.
Sanding all edges of your fins will help prevent that.
Inspect your fins, lots of times you get small micks on the edges from rock or just setting the board down.... those nicks will cut a fin easily.

devon_sup_surf

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2018, 04:19:54 AM »
I've snapped Quikblades, Kialoas, etc and eventually moved on the 27 North because their Kevlar Surf SUP paddles are warrantied for life. Break one and they replace it. I did manage to break one and they were great about honoring the warranty.

Thanks man will take a look!

devon_sup_surf

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2018, 04:26:44 AM »
Hi Devon
It sounds like you are letting go of your paddle durong a wipeout?
Or possibly not getting away from your board when you fall.

Get in the habit of falling  away from your board with you paddle held farther away.
Boards will snap paddles on a second. Keep them apart.
There’s an “art” to wiping out safely.

Good Leashes don’t “snap”, they generally cut on the fins.
Sanding all edges of your fins will help prevent that.
Inspect your fins, lots of times you get small micks on the edges from rock or just setting the board down.... those nicks will cut a fin easily.

No I never let go of my paddle during the qipeout. Been separated from it once and the chase to get it was not fun :D But it did get twisted out of my hand once although I think I got away with it that time:)

I remember a post of yljrs here ages ago where you often bail a little early and kick the board away. Good advice. But I probably need reminding of it- shall do it more in the future for sure.

The time my paddle snapped between the fins was when I was in the white water during a set and I was holding onto the base of the least with 1 hand and the paddle the other. I still find this a difficult time. Will start a new thread about it but a set of wh8te water and can really stuff me.

're leashes some may have nicked on fins others car doors and others just being not up to the job :S I only use 8mm now and would buy 9mm in a shot if I could find some! I'm more careful about checking the leash now- but you make a good point about fins I haven't checked them for ages!


APPST_Paddle

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2018, 04:54:34 AM »
I'm a paddle breaker as well - Kialoa, SIC, etc.

I've had good luck with Ke'Nalu and Hippostick, and paddled the 27 North paddles as well. I'd go with 27 North as you will never have to worry about breaking one again.

I'm thinking about grabbing one myself actually.
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clay

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2018, 07:21:21 AM »
I am hard on paddles also.  I look at the ultralight full carbon paddles and they break.

Kialoa makes a blended shaft, I have 2 of them and can't imagine breaking one.  They have a little flex, I would actually like more flex.  They said the blended shaft didn't sell well so might need to call and ask what they have available.
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PonoBill

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2018, 08:34:58 AM »
Actually, Devon, you've broken two paddles. You can't count the first two, they were complete crap.

I've always liked the idea of a lifetime warranty-it's good marketing. Back when I was involved with KeNalu I wanted to do a lifetime warranty just to drive the competition crazy. Lane was lukewarm about the idea, Diane thought I had slipped a gear. The warranty expense for simple products is a lot smaller than marketing expense. KeNalu seems to still do the "forever paddle" program, which means for out-of-warranty paddles you email a picture of the broken part and Lane sells you the same part very cheaply. Since Ke Nalu paddles are separate components it's a fairly painless warranty process, and the paddles are strong. The most expensive part of a paddle to replace is the blade, the most common part to break is the shaft. Manufacturers that glue them together permanently have a three-times higher warranty expense per incident than KeNalu. No wonder they don't want to support long warranties.

I'm a clumsy moose and I haven't broken a KeNalu paddle in years. I managed to break two long ago, but that was from sitting on them when falling from a cutback with the paddle jammed behind me. I suspect I'll be smashing some blades on my foil soon. I fixed a blade for Rod Parmenter after he cracked it across his foil. It's easy to do--you put the huge resistance of a paddle blade across the wing of the foil with all the wave energy and your weight driving it forward. The unsupported lower half of the blade folds across the wing like cardboard, no matter what it's made of except perhaps fiber-reinforced molded plastic.
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stoneaxe

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2018, 12:19:31 PM »
Yeah you can't count the 1st two. I've broken handles and blades but never shafts (wood doesn't count...broke 3 of those). I think most of mine came from dings in the carbon. At my size I crank hard on paddle shafts and I've never broken one, unless there is a defect or ding I think any major manufacturers shaft is pretty much bulletproof on the water.
Bob

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devon_sup_surf

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2018, 02:33:11 PM »
Great advice thanks guys :)

So I'm going 27 North or ke nalu depending on which has the best support in the UK it seems :)

Based on the response here they do almost seem a consumable. But the reassurance a good paddle gives in big conditions really is immense. The number of times a paddle can get you out of a bad situation or into a good situation- it's a really vital bit of kit.

Is it the most stressed component during sup surfing I wonder ??

Area 10

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2018, 04:31:04 PM »
I’ve never broken a paddle. Some friends I paddle with in the same conditions break them frequently. The implication is clear: you are doing something to break them that other people don’t. So the question for you to consider is what this is.

For instance, do you keep your paddle in a padded paddle bag when you aren’t using it? Or do you just throw it into the back of a van with a load of other equipment shifting around?

I think you have to make a decision. Your current way of doing things is costing you a lot of money. So you need to decide whether you think that this cost is worth it, or whether you wish to change you practices. For instance, having the blade planted in the water on the inshore side of the board when surfing always risks the rail clattering the shaft in the heat of the moment and over time causing weakness.

But quite a lot of paddle breaks start off as small knocks occurring out of the water. There have even been discussions over the last 10 yrs or so that wearing a ring when paddling might cause in time a shaft weakness. Similarly, some people are happy to drop their paddles down on rocky shores, and are then surprised when the paddle breaks later under strain. This video explains the issue:

https://youtu.be/fFK4DS-eXvE

So, overall, I think you might want to look at every interaction you have with your paddle. Paddles are quite strong, but not very durable. You have to treat them with kid gloves. Try to ensure that everything they come into in contact with is as soft as water. That’s the medium they were designed to interact with.

Good luck!

devon_sup_surf

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2018, 10:00:22 AM »
very interesting thanks Area10.

I have a paddle bag. But I can't eliminate the chance of it taking a knock somewhere :s

surfafrica

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2018, 12:27:51 PM »
...eventually moved on the 27 North because their Kevlar Surf SUP paddles are warrantied for life. Break one and they replace it. I did manage to break one and they were great about honoring the warranty.

+1 ... I have a few buddies who are bigger and have broken paddles in the past.  One bought the kevlar 27 North due to the warranty.  So far so good.  My other "paddle breaking" buddies will likely go that way with their next.

Personally, I don't like the palm grip on that paddle, but I have small hands.  The ergo-T on the KeNalus or Black Projects I've used fit my hands better.  But my buddy likes the palm grip on the 27 North.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2018, 12:32:53 PM by surfafrica »
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stoneaxe

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2018, 12:30:54 PM »
What A10 said...I'm rough on gear for the most part. I'm a big guy and have pictures that look like the paddle should be snapping but I've never broken one. The handle I snapped was one of the ABS ones that Werner was using for awhile....simple repetitive stress on plastic. Happened in the middle of the 1st CCBC. I'd paddled with it for about 500 miles...whatever that is in strokes.
I've broken a number of blades...fin impact on one...me being stupid on a couple of others. Some damage along blade edges from rail whacks or whatever. But my paddles go from a rack in my garage directly to a bag and bag to water. I'm particularly careful of the shafts when putting them down at the beach. Blades are going to take some abuse and I'm fortunate that I had a few. I will need to get a new one soon. Make sure what you get is put together with hot glue. Epoxy just doesn't make sense anymore.
Bob

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PonoBill

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Re: Why do I keep breaking paddles SUP surfing?!
« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2018, 10:04:57 AM »
I beat the living snot out of mine and I haven't broken one in years. They get tossed into the back of trucks on shuttle rides and generally ignored. I know better, but I don't bother. The only time mine are in bags is when they're luggage. And even then I generally stuff three or four per bag. I'm probably not pulling hard enough to break them.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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