# Has anyone ever snapped a paddle?



## Davey G

During my paddle yesterday I was trialling a few different paddling/trolling speeds when I went up over a slight swell and didn't quite catch my blade in the water on one stroke.

The result was that it FELT like I'd snapped the blade on my paddle. :shock: For about 2 seconds I thought "oops I'm in a bit of strife here"  

It turned out that it wasn't broken but it did get me to thinking. :roll:

Here I am, offshore, close to the rocks, with a swell hammering the coastline.. Theres no safe spot to land for a few kilometres. What would happen if I really had snapped my blade and was left with a snapped paddle in this situation??

I figured that I could paddle OK with the one remaining blade (canoe style) but if there was a significant current running out to sea (which there was) then would I make any headway?

I'm sure they are pretty tough things, but I just wanted to know if anyone has snapped or broken a paddle during 'normal' paddling. If so what did you do?


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## DGax65

Just yesterday, one of the La Jolla regulars broke a paddle
http://forum.kayak4fish.com/viewtopic.php?t=8386
I don't know what type he was using. 
I've heard of one kayak fisherman paddling back in using a hatch lid from his Malibu eXtreme. Another guy that I know let his paddle drift away and had to paddle back in surfboard style. To add insult to injury, a sea lion grabbed a yellow tail (king fish) that was on a stringer attached to his yak. He got flipped twice before the furbag managed to wrestle the fish off the game clip.


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## Dodge

Dave if I was an offshore angler regularly I think I would carry a simple backup.

In Whitworths I've seen simple kayak paddles under $20 that break down to 4 threaded sections and easy to go below deck, had alloy shaft and plastic blades and should be good enough to get you home


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## rawprawn

I have one that breaks down into two. I could store it in the front of my yak if I wanted to. Never thought about it doing because I have never come close to snapping my paddle and it cops some rough treatment let me tell you.


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## Milt

I have a 2 piece but figured why bother when i don't yak fish alone very often, if ever.

I'd rather yell out across the bay to Poddy to slowly troll me in, it may take him all day but thats ok! 8)

Milt,


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## RedPhoenix

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## slider65

not on a kayak but have broken a few while riding my wave ski. normal sort of thing push a wave to far or try for that barrel and slam, that is why i always carry 2 paddles in car when surfing


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## justcrusin

Gday Dave,
Haven't even come close to snapping one yet. But for saftey below is out of the hobie accessories catalogue that OTE gaves us at barlings

Cheers Dave


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## Bart70

Slight change of topic....but I noticed on my new Outback the Hobie paddles have changes slightly.....

A 'stainless steel' button to lock the two halves together instead of plastic, and the 2 halves look as tho they have been 'machined' as a pair - with a numbered sticker saying that you must have 2 halves with matching 'numbers' as they are a pair and need to go together.

I cannot substitute one of the halves from my other Outback...won't fit....given there is only a couple of months difference in the yaks it must be a new change.

Maybe they had an issue with the fit and went to 'matching individually machined' halves?....or perhaps just product improvement.....Nonetheless having a paddle that comes apart for storage means carrying a spare is never an issue if you have 2 of them....but I think they are pricey to buy individually!!

Bart70


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## Pauly

G'day Bart, the paddle with the stainless steel button is the old style, the new style is the one with the plastic insert....
Good and bad points.... the reason for the change is alot of the peddlers left thier old style paddle together and being a machined fit fibreglass insert meant if the salt water dried up inside the joint it was very hard to get the paddle apart,(not a problem if you pull the paddle apart after use) the good point however is the paddle was stiffer. 
The new plastic insert style paddle requires little or no maintainence.
Hope this clears up afew things.
Pauly.


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## rawprawn

Yeh but what if you sprain an ankle then your stuffed in a Hobbie? If God had meant us to peddle he wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t have invented the paddle.


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## Dodge

rawprawn said:


> If God had meant us to peddle he wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t have invented the paddle.


Greg think he meant us to pedal onshore :wink:

On a related issue: all the mirage drive boats carry a paddle on the deck, but have yet to see a paddle yak carrying a mirage drive on it's deck...hmmm a puzzle that :lol:


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## Bart70

On The Edge said:


> G'day Bart, the paddle with the stainless steel button is the old style, the new style is the one with the plastic insert....
> Good and bad points.... the reason for the change is alot of the peddlers left thier old style paddle together and being a machined fit fibreglass insert meant if the salt water dried up inside the joint it was very hard to get the paddle apart,(not a problem if you pull the paddle apart after use) the good point however is the paddle was stiffer.
> The new plastic insert style paddle requires little or no maintainence.
> Hope this clears up afew things.
> Pauly.


Hi Paul,

Thanks for that.......I guess Hobie must have some old stock still floating around...I have bought 3 Hobie yaks since Christmas and the latest one came with the old style paddle....and I know it came with it cos I unpacked the yak at the dealer and helped them prep it.....not that it worries me too much....was not a huge fan of the plastic buttons anyway...the one on my first Outback is a bit sticky...works ok but does not pop into place very well.

Thanks again,

Bart70


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## Cuda

I snapped my Hobie paddle in the shore break last weekend unfortunately  
Somehow the paddle got caught against the side of the yak I think and the pressure on it was too much and one side busted off at the joint where the two halves connect :twisted: 
Would our Hobie dealer members know if this type of "accident" would be covered under warranty, or is it tough luck in such a situation?
Luckily I have a fibreglass paddle from my Dart wave ski that I can use. Doesn't break down into two halves, but should be much sturdier that the cheap Hobie 'accessory' that let me down on the weekend :x


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## bitten_off

while mucking around in my yak, i discovered that by using your hands only you can actually, after a little while, get a little bit of speed up!:shock: (2.7m yak) note - LITTLE bit 8) 
in flat water, it would be easy enough to do. however, i reckon swimming while towing your yak would probably be quicker. but, if its cold, i dont think youd want to do that.
i think dodge is on the money, buy a cheap paddle that can be stored in the hull of your yak.
cheers
nick


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## rawprawn

Yes. Does anybody know somebody who repairs shafts?


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## splodge

I regularly paddle 8-10k off shore and although I`ve never broken a paddle I have allways carried my two piece paddle strapped to the deck of my yak, just in case. Essential safety gear in my opinion.


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## Davey G

splodge said:


> I regularly paddle 8-10k off shore and although I`ve never broken a paddle I have allways carried my two piece paddle strapped to the deck of my yak, just in case. Essential safety gear in my opinion.


Yep I was only thinking about this again last week. Must get me a back up..just in case.


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## rawprawn

When mine broke it didn't just snap in two. The out covering on the glass kept it together so you could still paddle with it just fine. It was just a bit bendy and wobbly in the middle.


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## justcrusin

I did paddle the outback with a outrigger canoe paddle into a really strong runout tide at the patonga bar and the canoe style still got me some decent speed, well enough anyway. Don't now how long i could keep it up for if I was a long way from home, i was buggered after a couple of hundred meters getting back into deep water.

Cheers Dave


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## Baldy

Gday Davey,

Ive taken the spare paddle from my canoe on every trip, apart from a set of wet weather gear its the only thing I keep in the front hatch. Its a 2 piece and about 212cm, once its in half if you poke the handles in first they just fit in snug and the blades stop them sliding down past the footwell. My single blade canoe paddle is too long or the blade is to big because it wont quite fit, Im sure there are different sizes so you might find one. If the 2 piece is much bigger than 212-215cm its going to be a tight fit. Of course you could just store it on one of the paddle keepers but for me thats just another thing to catch lines on, so I compromise a bit of safety for comfort.

Hope the sizes give ya somewhere to start looking, I dont actually have a full size 2 piece paddle to test it but I reckon you will struggle to get one in there, worth a try though...

Cheers
Baldy


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## Scouse

> During my paddle yesterday I was trialling a few different paddling/trolling speeds when I went up over a slight swell and didn't quite catch my blade in the water on one stroke.


Do paddles ever just bend under pressure?


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## yankatthebay

Dodge said:


> have yet to see a paddle yak carrying a mirage drive on it's deck...hmmm a puzzle that :lol:


that is because anyone who has a mirage drive knows it is the best thing since sliced bread, and uses it whenever they can. We all have a backup paddle in case something breaks, and we don't have to think about whether we need to take a "spare" paddle or not. There is just no need. :mrgreen:


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## wopfish

I'm thinking of getting an emergency mirage drive for my    swing just in case my paddle ever snaps and I need a way of getting home - this could also be used in case of sunburnt arms or kingfish arms !!!!


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## sbd

I snapped my paddle this morning in an argument over right of way with a wave. The wave won convincingly.


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## Eberbachl

> Here I am, offshore, close to the rocks, with a swell hammering the coastline.. Theres no safe spot to land for a few kilometres. What would happen if I really had snapped my blade and was left with a snapped paddle in this situation??


Carry a spare two piece paddle with you at all times in case your paddle gets lost or broken.

Any conventional paddle can be made into a two piece paddle which is easy to store onboard with a $20 ferrule kit


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## fishydude

I saw two paddles get snapped in a hobie tug of war. Not exactly normal use though. Interesting to see there seem to be a few hobie paddles breaking. :shock:


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## Davey G

Eberbachl said:


> Any conventional paddle can be made into a two piece paddle which is easy to store onboard with a $20 ferrule kit


Details? Where would I get a ferrule kit?

Also, does anybody use a 2 piece paddle/brand that they could recommend? remember -this is only for emergency backup and will hopefully hardly ever/ never be used so I don't want to spend a fortune.


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## Yakfisho

I snapped or shattered a paddle fallin off my ute at 100kms an hour on the highway LOL.....lucky it was early morning and no other cars around to cause an accident......


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## Daveyak

Davey G said:


> Also, does anybody use a 2 piece paddle/brand that they could recommend?


Davey, my good paddle is a two piece and after using it wouldn't want a one piece again. Easier to carry & store and can vary the amount of feather without any noticeable loss of strength or rigidity. Any one piece paddle can be converted by decent kayak shops.


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## pcsolutionman

Well I havent broke a paddle but I guess you would be up sh!t creek hey, luckily there is some help out there for that very occasion










Lee


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## ausbass

me snapped paddle once. me got into some trouble as it was a single paddle.
:? :? :?


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## Ado

I've snapped the blade off a paddle while white water kayaking. I was being a silly bugger, and trying to paddle UP a set rapids at the time, and clipped a rock. It is one of those moments though, where your mind races rapidly to the conclusion that you really are screwed. :lol:    :shock:


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