C-Forum

Just wondering if any of you carry a spare paddle along ? I have never needed one, but you just never know. I was thinking about maybe getting one? Maybe a breakdown paddle for an emergency or what do you carry?.

In a bigger boat, I keep a paddle ready for emergency use. I jam the paddle blade under the bow deck plate and the shaft attached to the thwart with a figure-eight shaped velcro strip (two interlocking loops, one for the thwart, one for the paddle shaft). In the Taureau I bought, the previous owner had created a cool foam block case for the two shaft pieces of an aqua bound 3-piece break-down, and glued in a block with a loop of bungie to secure the blade piece under the rear airbag. Not accessible in an emergency, but as close as I can get with that boat.

Shep

I always carry an extra but it is also a pain in the neck and it always seems to be in the way. I stick the blade under the front air bag lacing and the grip under my onside gunnel. If the bag has too much air it will cause the grip to pop out from under the gunnel if the boat is getting hammered in rough water. I'm thinking about a much shorter length and jamming it under the front bag and having the shaft and grip flat on the bottom of the boat. I know a lot of people put a bungie cord on the blade and a velcro strip on the shaft to secure it to the boat but to me that is still in the way and hard to get out if you need it in a hurry.

I carry a spare in my boats. I have used a spare once myself. I have loaned my spare to kayakers twice. Its an important peice of safety gear.
Rand

if you only do park and play or roadside runs don't bother.

If you do runs that get away from the road, and you enjoy long difficult hikes, don't carry one.

I always carry one and have used it many times.

I always take one along. And it kinda bugs me if my partners don't have one on a long, remote run. I consider it a piece of safety gear, like a rescue rope and pin kit. In my 12' OC it's no problem for a full-size spare (you can see it my avatar).

If you don't like storing a full-size spare, buy or make a breakdown, or just have a really short spare.

I jimmy-rigged a homemade breakdown for C-1. I don't plan on using it, so didn't want to spend big bucks.

Pat.

p.s. Those push-button things were easy to find at any decent place that sells paddling or skiing gear (they use them in avalanche shovels). I got mine from Mountain Equipment Co-op. If they don't just give 'em too you, they cost $1-2.

Ditto pat and larry. I had a 3 piece aquabound. Lost the dang thing and really need to get another one. Had to borrow a breakdown from a yakker to finish that run. Even with the 2 blade paddle, still found myself taking cross strokes in the rapids.

I keep a full size on my open boat. Attatched a bungee to the deck plate that the blade sits under . The tee grip is off to the side under a thwart with a liitle two sided Velcro wrapped around. I keep a homemade break down in my decked boats. It's an old Norse cu down with a raft paddle tee grip shoved up inside. Finished off with a spring clip button thingy stolen from a kayak break down.

(speaking of which, anybody know where I can order just this spring button thingys????)

I also consider the spare as standard WW equipment.

After emirates broke my Turbine on the way back from entebbe (it's not like it had "fragile, top-load only" on its bag in massive letters or anything) I had the blade cut off the shaft and fitted one half of a 4piece kayak paddles shaft to the blade and fitted the other with a t-grip rather than a second spigot. It's one of the lendal 'Padalok' shafts, so I have a small key larks footed into my BA pocket which allows me to tighten the spigot once they're assembled removing any wobble.

These go under the airbags in the stern of my C1, or on top of the airbags and under the deck lines on my OC1.

tonyB,
they are called snap buttons. i used them to make a river table that breaks in half and stores on my raft as side boards. i can't think of the manufacturer off hand but google it. the one i ended up using gave me free samples of whatever kind i wanted. most of the ones i looked at were bulk orders but i can dig up the company that gave me samples if you can't find some.
jim

DON'T BUT SHOULD. Thank God Chris had one on Conasauga for me. So many road side trip and run don't even think about it on Waldens Ridge type of runs. Hate break downs.

I always carry my breakdown Bandit as a spare...Primary is usually the Mitchell but do use the bandit occasionally as a primary. I have had to use the bandit twice in emergencys when breaking paddles (it wasn't the mitchell ether time that broke). Once when I folded a foam core racing paddle, and next when a t-grip come off another...

Yes I carry a two piece split in the boat at all times, it's like permanently in there so I dont have to remember to include it, used to be a cheap heavy one but had to use it on a trickie paddle out (it's not nice switching to an inferior blade in a stress situation) so now I have the same split that I use for for my one piece, the bonus is that it is nice and light for the walk-ins

C boaters will tend to carry a spare paddle. Kayakers will tend not to. I don't mean us good them bad, just seems that way. Perhaps they are less likely to need one?
Rand

An OB has more room for spare gear and C1s are culturally linked to them?

I tend to carry more gear than the K1s I boat with.
Rand