- We all love the way a Werner paddle connects us to the water, we also have seen the other side of that love when we cannot get our $400 paddle to stay together. The good news is that this is usually the result of paddling in a sandy location, bad news is that your paddle shaft has invariably saved some of that sand to frustrate you on your next time out.
Over the years I have pounded that shaft on logs, rocks and boats and jammed sticks, screwdrivers and even an old car antenna up in there just to get out on the water with my favorite paddle. Those abusive methods work sometimes but are not addressing the cause. What usually happens is that very fine sand particles are getting embedded in the plastic of the ferrule assembly. Generally this isn’t the sand ON the beach but the sand IN the water AT the beach. Sometimes this suspended sand and water mixture will include salt (lucky you) or some sort of microscopic plant material. Once this dries and cures up in there it is much harder to remove.
So here are a few solutions and preventatives to the stuck button:
Button is already stuck
– Blast it with compressed air from the inside AND outside
– Vigorously soak it in a bucket of water spiked with a splash of 303 (why not, we use it for everything else)
– Using a long small headed standard screwdriver or awl, gently activate button from inside AND out
– Be patient and repeat 10-20 times or until the button starts to regain it’s rebound
– Be patient and repeat another 10 times
– See preventatives below
Prevention
– Put your paddle together at the truck and take it apart at the truck
– Thoroughly rinse ASAP after paddling with FRESH water back at the house or campground
– While rinsing continue to activate the ferrule
– Do NOT use any type of lubricant, it will only make it worse
Hope this helps, it has definitely worked for me. And by the way…..Werner has never heard of this being an issue. Ha, ha….we love our Werner Paddles.
Trey Rouss
THE POWER OF WATER
share. play. protect.
