Breakdown paddle options

[Atucky]

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

[Craig Smerda]

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

[the great gonzo]

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!

[Walsh]

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.

[NZMatt]

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

[sbroam]

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

[Paddle Power]

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