Blog

I've wanted a Carbon Paddle for some time now but couldn't afford the £200-£300 price tag.

Luckily, and I didn't feel this way when it happened a couple of years ago, I snapped one of my carbon windsurf masts. Hey Presto! A bit of wood work, varnish and resin later. A carbon / Wood SUP Paddle!

The Paddle has a 55% carbon shaft. I've chosen 'Light Wood' which is a relatively light wood for the paddle blade together with some pine for strength to attach it to the shaft. The shaft and the paddle are resined together with Aradite. The blade has been made from clamped and glued strips of wood, planed to shape and then varnished with five coats of varnish.

 

I've tried to go for lightness for this paddle. It weighs 1.2 kg which is alot lighter than my first paddle and I believe lighter than an Alloy paddle. It's about 300-400 grams more than the lightest Carbons available but when considering the build cost was £3.00  vs £300 it's a good trade off.

The blade is swept back and thinned out a good 40% more than my first all wood effort. I've copied the Starboard power blade outline because I wanted quick acceleration for catching waves.

 

The main thing is that it's really satisfying making your own gear. The next project is a Custom  wave SUP board in the region of 6'6"-7'6". Lee gave me the idea of using building foam insulation. The man's a genuis! I'm going to cut a slab in half insert a stringer and then fibreglass for strength.

 

 

 

 

a ball..........

went out yesterday hangin on a 5.0 saw a few purple jelly fish mmm mabey a few in half sorry anyway a total 360 caterpult later and had to break into my van(locked keys inside numpty)had a arm wrenching time bring it on why o why wind god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a shocking lack of wind on my last venture with Lee earlier this week I loaded the car hopfeul that there'd be some sailable wind about today given the forecasts...but no - it was rubbish, so I came home

 

 

 

 

I've got the SUP fever at the moment with three SUP / Surf sessions in the last week to one windsurf. The bays got some great spots for low high tide surf sessions after easterlies. Low wind morning and evening sessions are best. I feel like I'm cheeting on the windsurf kit!

had good sesh at preston today nice to see a good 10 out hangin on in the gusts 6m well powerd up check out the next gen on his home made simulator getting ready for this season see ya

 

got to work this morning hammering it down decided to load out a lorry load of blocks then knock it on the head just finished it dried up so had to start laying them . when its windy like that its suprizeing how fast you can work to knock off early . finished at 3 staight down to bigbury kit already in the car pretty full on rigged a 4.7 well over powerd at times (most)  them gusts were vicious should of had a 4m and the waves were over head got some good jumps in . got home in the dark its good now we are in bst now i am ready for bed . looking windy tomorrow as well thinking maybe brixham swimming pool tomorrow evening   

JT and Rob got out today.... I got a few picks of JT who did his best with the light winds to do a few transitions by the shore. A nice carve upwind into a helitack.

Nice session at Combe Cellars. We measured the wind at 25-30 mph as we rigged up and had second thoughts about going in. I was over powered on 5.5m. Easterlies were raw!!!!! Temperature measured at around 4 degrees when we finished at 1230. Felt like zero. Lee pulled off a nice Duck Gybe and heli tacks. Here's a few pics which I took from some film I shot from the water. I got to say Lee... nailed every hmmm Heli Tack.