I have just successfully lengthened my Carbon Paddle.

Like many of us I was using a carbon paddle for surfing and when I bought a 17' race board was using a paddle too short for the purpose.

I decided to rather than buy a new paddle to lengthen the shaft. Luckily being a horder I remembered that I had kept the piece of carbon tube that I had cut off originally when the paddle was new. This was about 8 inches long.

Here's how I did it:

- I tried to heat the end of the shaft to soften the epoxy to remove the handle. I really done way too good of a job 1st time and this would not work after being bonded for 3 1/2 or so years.

- I ended up cutting the end of the shaft with the handle attached to the cut off bit.

- Cut a line through shaft surrounding handle and split the shaft off.

- Make sure both ends are square/flat so that when joined shaft can be straight.

- I used pieces of shaft broken off the handle and hot glued them inside of the shaft to form a splint to hold the two pieces together straight.

- Get some scrap carbon fibre strand fully wetted out with Epoxy resin and wrap this around the top of the shaft using the splints as a barrier. Build this up about 1/8" in a continuous strand around the shaft. This acts as a soft bed that will fill the gap between the 2 ends of shaft. Being carbon fibre it is super strong also.

- Take the piece of shaft that you originally cut off when new and join onto the other piece squeezing down onto the carbon fibre bed. The splints will hold it in place.

- Take a metal ruler or straight edge and make sure it is straight, sides, front and back. Tape down from top across the joins on all sides to hold it straight and clamp down on the carbon and epoxy join.

Leave overnight to harden.

- Sand flat careful not to remove too much carbon shaft other than your join, change the shape of the shaft and roughen up for the carbon bandage that you will apply.

- Neatly cut out a strip of carbon fibre that matches the radius of your shaft, allow 2 inches minimum from the join either side.

- Apply Carbon with a paint brush careful with the edges so as to not remove the last strands from the weave.

- Let Harden over 5 or 6 hours.

- Sand flat smoothing the edges to meet the shaft and remove some of the carbon cloth to fare in the carbon bandage to the shaft. Use 80 grit 1st, 120, 240.

- Mix more Epoxy to use as a final / filler coat, allow to harden.

- Sand 120, 240 and then 400 wet and dry.

- Glue your handle back on or tape until settled on a final length with testing.


Done.......

If you read this thread, forget it.

I took my new longer paddle for a spin this morning on my 17'er, the length felt amazing warming up so I started to add the power. Started to add a bit of top hand drive, or the gentle punch as it sometimes called.

SNAP...... Jagged top of snapped paddle stuck into my ribs and scraped across them.

So I kneel down and paddle OC style back down the creek to get my other paddle. Interestingly being closer to the water with the shorter shaft and triple cadence I travelled much much faster but anyway.

So I get my other paddle and do a few K's. On the way back i ride a few runners through the Alley. I lean on my other paddle on a wave and CRACK.. I fracture the shaft in that one as well.

So today I will just do what I should have in the 1st place, buy a decent new carbon race paddle!

CMC said...

If you read this thread, forget it.

I took my new longer paddle for a spin this morning on my 17'er, the length felt amazing warming up so I started to add the power. Started to add a bit of top hand drive, or the gentle punch as it sometimes called.

SNAP...... Jagged top of snapped paddle stuck into my ribs and scraped across them.

So I kneel down and paddle OC style back down the creek to get my other paddle. Interestingly being closer to the water with the shorter shaft and triple cadence I travelled much much faster but anyway.

So I get my other paddle and do a few K's. On the way back i ride a few runners through the Alley. I lean on my other paddle on a wave and CRACK.. I fracture the shaft in that one as well.

So today I will just do what I should have in the 1st place, buy a decent new carbon race paddle!

Where did they break?

PonoBill said...

CMC said...

If you read this thread, forget it.

I took my new longer paddle for a spin this morning on my 17'er, the length felt amazing warming up so I started to add the power. Started to add a bit of top hand drive, or the gentle punch as it sometimes called.

SNAP...... Jagged top of snapped paddle stuck into my ribs and scraped across them.

So I kneel down and paddle OC style back down the creek to get my other paddle. Interestingly being closer to the water with the shorter shaft and triple cadence I travelled much much faster but anyway.

So I get my other paddle and do a few K's. On the way back i ride a few runners through the Alley. I lean on my other paddle on a wave and CRACK.. I fracture the shaft in that one as well.

So today I will just do what I should have in the 1st place, buy a decent new carbon race paddle!

Where did they break?

Hey Bill, funnily enough your site was what inspired me to do it.

I think the issue was I was trying to add about 6 inches to the shaft, I also wanted to keep it light so I only added 1 x 6oz layer of carbon as a wrap and strand in the middle.

Your site said to use a fibreglass or carbon insert to join them, I didnt have this and it probably would have worked out better if so. It is still an option, the break was clean and could be another chance.

I was not disputing the fact that you can extend them, just do not use my method. It does not work especially at 6 inches below the handle.

I am just glad it didnt snap 2 k's into a 10k ocean paddle.

bad luck, i was wonder if you were going to fess up
cheers
ps still looks alright for tomorrow if you have a paddle