Has this happened to anyone?
I felt it weaken (had a check as it felt like blade had broken off), then a few strokes later it snapped clean in two.
To me a clean break like this indicates a manufacturing fault?

Not always!!
How old was the paddle?

Rare for them to just break, they usually go after a decent knock weakens a spot and the ones I've seen have been pretty clean breaks....

What brand and model is that paddle?

Carbon paddles are super strong....until they get a weak point. Loz79 is correct in saying that a decent knock can cause the weak point (can be dropped onto a sharp surface, step or rock, or even a decent wack in your rail or constant bumping in your car on a long trip)
In 8 years of SUP surfing I have only broken 1 paddle (I got it caught behind my board going backhand as I went over the falls and it clean snapped in 2) but I have seen many break. I have witnessed paddles break just cruising on flat water but this was due to previous damage that had happened.

There is a vid I saw a while back from Jim Terrell showing how a small knock on the shaft can weaken the paddle causing it to snap.

Like any product, proper care is required to increase the longevity. But as always, **** happens from time to time

I am a surfer, I only paddle board when no waves, I just paddle around on the flat water. It's had an easy life used maybe 10 or 15 times in 2 years.
There is NO way my paddle had any impacts like in that video, in fact pretty sure there was not a scratch on it.

You can fix it .
you need a insert and some carbon cloth .
i broke one .but fixed it .
surfing .

Yes, but only when I have crashed it into my board. My engineering mate has fixed four of mine and my mates with carbon - good as new and stronger with no real weight addition.

My question is what did you do different when it broke to the other 15 times you have used it and if nothing and this was a factory fault then why did it not break on the first time used?

Over 2 years old is a pretty long time for it to get a knock of some sort maybe you did not even see it been done as it can happen many ways. I'm no factory and this is just MO, over two years old i doubt you will have much luck with warranties.

wow, even a great brand QB illustrate on that vid a paddle can break.

Possibly an odd question, and it may be too low-down to be viable, but do you wear a ring/wedding ring? I recall reading about a racer whose paddle shaft snapped right at the point his wedding consistently contacted the shaft on the lower hand - a gradual depression formed from the contact, causing the weak point. Just a thought to consider

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808-Obsession said..
Possibly an odd question, and it may be too low-down to be viable, but do you wear a ring/wedding ring? I recall reading about a racer whose paddle shaft snapped right at the point his wedding consistently contacted the shaft on the lower hand - a gradual depression formed from the contact, causing the weak point. Just a thought to consider

I 100% believe in this. I havent had an issue since taking my wedding ring off to paddle... except from the missus.

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808-Obsession said..
Possibly an odd question, and it may be too low-down to be viable, but do you wear a ring/wedding ring? I recall reading about a racer whose paddle shaft snapped right at the point his wedding consistently contacted the shaft on the lower hand - a gradual depression formed from the contact, causing the weak point. Just a thought to consider

This - absolutely. I have fallen victim to it. The handles of most of my paddles have chips out of the top of them where my wedding ring strikes. Top-name paddle shaft had been used hard for a couple of years in all conditions and I thought it was going to last me forever. Then on a cruisy cruise in cruisy glass one day it snapped clean, right where my lower-hand goes. I'm convinced the failure was due to a stress riser in the carbon, caused by my wedding ring.

I was doing nothing different.
As I said, it's had an easy life, only used fairly rarely. What causes anything to break? A weakness that gradually loses its strength?

Regarding the (wedding) ring scenario, I am still on marriage #1 but wedding ring #3, one being at the bottom of a lake- losing another, especially while in water would necessitate marriage #2 most likely! Lol
So I never wear a ring in the ocean...

The paddle (as previously asked) is a no name, free with board, one. It seemed to be quite well made, but I'm sure it would have originated in Asia.

My opinion, is that it was looked after, not extensively used, and if it has broken during the use it was designed for, it needs to be replaced by the supplier. I'll see if I have any luck- lol

to wise to get married....

did ask her once 15 years ago.

just couldn't remember what she said

maybe that why I broke my paddle across my head in stead of my ring .

fix it ...it looks like a nice paddle .if you scratch glass you can break it .same story.