Hi Aussie, I store my QB carbon in my car on a regular basis and so far have had no issues.

I have put a strap on the handles above the front and back doors going across the car. I store my paddle in a bag and hang it on the straps.

It is great for cartage because you don't have it taking up space in the body of the car and it is out of the way.

This works for me.

ET.

Just don't put the sun inside the car ;)

westozwind said..
Just don't put the sun inside the car ;)

He has pretty clear that the sun was on the outside and the paddle was on the inside.
That's why it's tricky - there would be more options if it was the other way around.

The carbon isn't the issue, the epoxy holding it together generally is, as epoxy tends to soften as it heats up added to increased air pressure within the blade can cause delam of the carbon to the foam core or the pressure blowing out the join of the 2 faces of the blade. The shaft it generally fine. Some of the paddles with no volume within the blade other than a small rib down the spine may be ok (possibly). Aerospace engineering tends to use expensive heat resistant resins and very high pressure moulding resulting in much higher carbon to resin ratios. Paddle manufacturers generally don't, even the best.

I used to work in a kayak retailer and despite warnings regularly had customers returning with rather bulbous blades or split seams from some of the top paddle manufacturers in the world, all from leaving there paddles in the car.

There are some issues to be mindful of.

If it's a good quality paddle you shouldn't have too much trouble as they're likely to be cured at 80 deg C or more.

Where you may have trouble, is if you've used Araldite or hot glue to put your handle on or fit the shaft to the blade, a long day in a car could render these almost useless.

So if you can, put it in a cover or place a light coloured towel over it when in the car.

I leave my ECS and QB carbon in my car 24/7 and never had a problem