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At KIALOA we are committed to excellence in product, customer service and environmental stewardship. It is from this perspective that we want each and every paddle we build to bring you years of paddling enjoyment. We use both composite and wood materials, sometimes in combination, which require different levels of care and maintenance.
Here are a few tips to help prolong the life of your paddle and give you many years of enjoyment on the water.
Paddles are Built for PADDLING. This sounds obvious but....do not use your paddle to push off from shore, slow yourself down by using the paddle as a brake on the dock, or brace yourself using the paddle as you are falling into the water. While we design and test all of our paddles for durability, our paddles are designed to paddle, not to shovel.
SUN. Do your best to keep all of your paddling equipment out of direct sunlight when not in use. It is best to protect your paddle investment with a blade cover or paddle bag.
TRANSPORTING your Paddle. The number one way paddles are broken is during transport. Avoid placing a heavy load on top of your paddle. An innovative solution is the paddle hammock which allows the paddle to be suspended on the interior of the vehicle, getting it up and out of the loading zone.
Keep your Paddle CLEAN. Simply rinsing your paddle with fresh water will prolong the life of your paddle. If there are moving parts, like our adjustable length inserts, take it apart, rinse with fresh water, let it dry and replace the insert into the shaft. Leave the lever open when storing your adjustable length paddle.
BAND-AIDS to Get you Home. If you dent, ding or puncture your paddle blade, dry the paddle and use some duct tape to cover the area to keep water out until a permanent repair can be made. If you are particularly hard on your paddles consider one of our paddles featuring a Fibrlite™ blade. Fibrlite™ is incredibly durable and extremely hydrophobic.
REPAIRS. Dents, dings or punctures to your paddle blade may require a more permanent fix. With wood, you can sand down the area and apply a polyurethane varnish to create a water tight protection. The foam core of a Carbon/Epoxy blade needs to be protected as well. Sand and epoxy the area to make sure you have protected the core from sun, sand and water.
BROKEN Paddles. Sometimes bad things happen and your paddle breaks beyond your (or our) ability to repair it. We offer a one-year limited warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship. You can contact us directly if you would like to have your paddle considered for a warranty. If a break occurs outside of our warranty, we recommend having a ceremony with your paddling friends where you remember all of the great places your paddle has taken you.
HOW TO TOP SUP INSTRUCTIONS (PDF)
HOW TO ADJUST TENSION (PDF)
Replace the Cable in a KIALOA Adjustment Insert
How To Top an Oha Wood Outrigger Paddle
How to Top Oha Instructions (PDF)
Size an Outrigger Paddle Video
