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Paddle workshopStraightening the crooked handle

Stephan Gölnitz

 · 09.04.2020

Paddle workshop: straightening the crooked handlePhoto: Daniel Simon
Paddle workshop: straightening the crooked handle
Part 1: How to straighten the handle of your paddle - here's a quick guide for the workshop at home.

Re-glue the handle

Whether the handle is crooked, the glue has come loose (as here on one of our test paddles) or the paddle has been shortened, you can fix it with a hot air gun and hot glue.

First heat the old adhesive residue, then scrape it off easily or spread it smoothly. Be careful with the hair dryer: use the lowest setting and keep enough distance.Photo: Daniel SimonFirst heat the old adhesive residue, then scrape it off easily or spread it smoothly. Be careful with the hair dryer: use the lowest setting and keep enough distance.Then apply hot glue to the handle ...Photo: Daniel SimonThen apply hot glue to the handle ......and pour some into the shaft. The adhesive remains liquid for a long time on the preheated handle. Hot glue can liquefy again when heated very strongly in the sun. If you want a 100 per cent bond, use 2-component epoxy. However, this is correspondingly more difficult to remove.Photo: Daniel Simon...and pour some into the shaft. The adhesive remains liquid for a long time on the preheated handle. Hot glue can liquefy again when heated very strongly in the sun. If you want a 100 per cent bond, use 2-component epoxy. However, this is correspondingly more difficult to remove.This is often forgotten: Before (!) inserting, slide the heat-shrink tubing (if you have one) over the paddle tube. Make sure that it does not get hot yet.Photo: Daniel SimonThis is often forgotten: Before (!) inserting, slide the heat-shrink tubing (if you have one) over the paddle tube. Make sure that it does not get hot yet.
Insert handle.Photo: Daniel SimonInsert handle.Remove adhesive residues while still warm.Photo: Daniel SimonRemove adhesive residues while still warm.Align the handle, shrink the heat-shrink tubing over the joint and shrink the tubing. You can also do this with boiling water if you don't have a heat gun.Photo: Daniel SimonAlign the handle, shrink the heat-shrink tubing over the joint and shrink the tubing. You can also do this with boiling water if you don't have a heat gun.

Extra tip

Boiling water from a kettle or even tap water at 60 degrees is very often sufficient for removing hot glue and sometimes epoxy adhesives. This means that you often don't need a hot air gun. Even if the paddle handle is still crooked when it is inserted and is only halfway in and the glue is already hardening, it can easily be melted and realigned again with hot water.

You can read this article and the entire SUP 1/2019 issue in the SURF app (<a href="https://www.delius-klasing.de/digital" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">iTunes and Google Play</a>) - the print edition is available <a href="https://www.delius-klasing.de/sup-special-01-2019-sup-2019-01" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.Photo: Stephan GölnitzYou can read this article and the entire SUP 1/2019 issue in the SURF app (iTunes and Google Play) - the print edition is available here.
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Stephan Gölnitz

Stephan Gölnitz

Deputy Editor in Chief surf

Stephan Gölnitz comes from Bochum and had Holland as his home windsurfing territory for many years before moving to Munich in 1996 for the job of test editor at surf magazine. The materials engineering graduate worked as a surf instructor on the Ijsselmeer during his studies and competed for several seasons for the Essen sailing team in the Surfbundesliga and the Funboard Cup. He completed a traineeship at surf-Magazin in the test department and since then has actively accompanied almost all tests on the boom and for more than 10 years also as a photographer. Stephan has covered many thousands of test kilometers, mainly on Lake Garda and in Langebaan, but also in Egypt and Tobago. He gets his hands on over 100 new sails and boards every year as his company car. Privately, he prefers to surf with a foil on Lake Walchensee or “unfortunately far too rarely” in the waves. SUP is Stephan's second passion, which he pursued for several years at numerous SUP races. Today, he prefers to paddle on river tours with family or friends - even for several days.

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