C-Forum

I don't have any room in my boats for a full length or even short paddle, so my only option is a breakdown.

I'd like to make my trusty old aquabound into a breakdown. Anyone use a break down kit like this:

http://www.lochsaconnection.com/lp_breakdown.htm

What do you use for a breakdown paddle? I just paid 250 bucks for my new Mitchell, so i'd rather not pay another 200 for a breakdown.



Thanks,

Adam Trunnell

some friends just picked up a bunch of Aquabound breakdowns... three or four I think... about $90 if I remember.

If you can get away with a 2-piece only breakdown then this should work, it looks similar to the breakdown kit in the factory Acquabound paddles.
If you need a 3-piece the problem will be to get the blade out of the shaft, as the one of the break-down points is the blade-shaft connection.
In this case you might be better off selling the AB padle you currently have and buying a factory AB 3-piece breakapart paddle.
They are reasonably priced, about 30 to 40 bucks above a 1piece paddle, if I remember correctly.

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!

I jsut began carrying a Stearns 54" breakdown (available for <$40 online).

It ain't much, but it's a far cry better than nothing. The T-grip and blade are each a little small, but I had no problem rolling with it this winter.

SOAR inflatables has a glass-over-wood breakdown that weighs less than 2 lbs. for ~$90. It looks pretty light for whitewater use, which made me shy away.

I have a 3piece Aquabound breakdown. It seems to work pretty well, but I don't know about long term durability. Not as good as my Echo, Rought Stuff or Mitchell, but it fits in the boat....

from memory they were pretty cheap

Another budget option is (was?) to get the smallest Mohawk take-down kayak paddle and the kit with two t-grips to convert it to two canoe paddles. What you get is :

1. a kid sized kayak paddle - albeit not the lightest around
2. 2 kids sized canoe paddles - again, not the lightest, but not bad
2. 2 passable spares

With the grip detached, you can fit the paddle, shaft first, into medium and large C-1s, though not the smallest.

Unfortunately, the new Mohawk is not making paddles...

https://www.mohawkcanoes.com/paddles.htm

I put a paddle blade on my snow shovel shaft. See the "Build your own break-a-part paddle" article (PDF) at
http://www.lssd.ca/~bjohnston/Articles