How to Care for your Sea Gods iSUP 3 Piece Paddle
Although you can always lay prone and use your arms to paddle like a surf board, the sport of SUP is definitely better with a proper paddle! Your iSUP comes with a 3 piece adjustable paddle for ease of packing. If you have a quality board like the Sea Gods iSUP, your paddle shaft and handle with be made of a high end Carbon Fiber material, with a durable nylon blade. The benefits of a performance material are that it is lighter, can bend slightly to add potential energy to your stroke, and feels nice in the grip. Like anything nice, you need to take care of it for it to last.
5 Easy Steps To Care For Your 3 -Piece Carbon Fiber Paddle
- Don’t use it as a walking stick
Although you may have a bit of a walk to the shore, your paddle is not meant to be a walking stick. Repeated striking on the ground can chip or dent your blade, loosen your blade from the shaft, chip the handle and generally damage the paddle. If you don’t want to carry it nicely in your hand, you can slip it securely under the tie downs on the board while you walk out to the water.
- Wash your paddle.
Mud, Sand, Salt and microorganisms can all break down your paddle by working their way into the nooks and crannies and jamming up any moving parts. If you put your paddle away wet and dirty, when it dries you may find the metal button has become stuck so you can’t take it apart. The sediment coating the adjustable handle will scratch the carbon fiber finish as it slides up and down, destroying your finish and the smooth glide. The adhesive attaching the blade to the shaft can become weakened by microorganisms finding their way into the nooks and crannies. It takes just a few seconds to take it apart and run some clean water over the paddle and use a soft cloth to wipe if needed.
- Store it away from the Sun
Apollo’s rays of sunshine are wonderful for sure, so enjoy your time out in them! But when you are done, put your paddle away in a nice cool, shady spot. The black carbon fiber is incredibly attractive to the sun’s rays and will heat up quickly. Sitting for long periods of time in the hot sun is a sure way to shorten the life of your paddle.
- Take care not to bang it in transport
There is little to no risk to damage your paddle while using it on the water, but sometimes a carbon fiber shaft will snap under the pressure of a big hard stroke. This is always because the shaft has received some trauma and now has a weak spot that needs the right amount of pressure to snap. If you take care not to let it roll around in the back of a truck while driving, nor slam it in a tailgate nor hit it on a corner or drop it on rocks, your high performance paddle will last you many years. Store and transport it inside the bag and treat with care.
- Keep it with your board and don’t leave it behind
The top reason that people buy a replacement paddle is because they have lost theirs in the water, or because they leave it behind on the shore when they wrap up their adventure. A Carbon Fiber Paddle will float, so you should have lots of time after a fall to recover it. Lay on the board on your belly and use your arms to move yourself through the water like a surfer to recover your paddle before it floats away, or ask your buddy for help. When packing your board up, always take a look over your shoulder to see if you left anything behind.
Having a beautiful, light weight, high performance paddle will make your Stand Up Paddleboard Adventures more enjoyable. Investing in good quality gear and then taking good care of your equipment is a great way to show love to the environment because you will use it for years to come and keep it out of landfill.
Much Love!