Broke my plastic Kialoa paddle and want to put a new paddle on the shaft and adjustable handle.

Started by making a spine core with the sweep and scooped end. Shape is cut in 3/4" foam and glassed.

Select to expand quote

Drew the shape if the blade on the glass on one half of the core




Cut out the shape with a utility knife. Glass cuts easy with epoxy still not fully cured.



Trimmed away some foam.



Put the 2 halves together and transfer the shape to the other core halh



Other shape cut



Both halves ready to temporarily join together to shape the rest of the foam

Hard to see, but a few drops of 5 min epoxy on 1 half



Two halves clamped together


Starting to shape the spine. End will insert into shaft.


More Shaping


You can see the sweep and scooped end





Final shape of the core

The two cores split apart


Some carbon fiber braid samples I had. The finer weave will go on each core with the coarser weave braid going over the both cores



All the materials, also some uni carbon for top and bottom of spine


Bagging materials, time to mix epoxy.

One coat of epoxy on cores, braid over each core. The braid pulls out and tightens to the contour of the foam. Carbon tow wrapped around both cores to make it easy to insert into outer braid. Uni carbon will go on cores at shaft end, top and bottom.




One coat of epoxy on core assembly and inserted into outer braid. Again pulled out ti fit contour and wrapped in carbon tow. This was coated in epoxy and vacuum bagged.



Spine in vacuum bag with peel ply and bleeder.



Bag sucked down.



Center section of spine is flat, weighed it down to keep spine straight

Great home cooking

Spine out of vacuum bag






Blade cores cut slightly large


Power face of core is nearly flush with spine


Backside of blade.


Shaped power face. Back side will get shaped later


Power face ready for skin

middle: 5.7 oz biax carbon
Left: thick mylar film. Will be used to create gloss surface, removed after bagging

Carbon is laidup with epoxy on waxed mylar sheet


Core and carbon/mylar aligned


In vacuum bag, power face up. Back face is not shaped yet and is still flat.



I put this flat face on blocking and weigh down the blade for cure.

Out of the bag. Bag leaked a bit, not good vacuum. A few dry spots but nice glossy surface.


Back side


Paddle outline cut into foam


Excess foam removed


Remaining foam feathered down to edges


Carbon reinforcement to thicken the edges.


Upper ply of carbon with mylar on flatter section of blade


Final bagging

Out of bag, nice surface


Back side, epoxy from the front laminate squeezed around to the other side. Will need to sand.


Paddle outlined onto new blade

Paddle outline


Edges cut away with a coping saw


Back side fully sanded


Front side fully sanded


Test fit into shaft


Epoxy and heavy filler


Applied to inside of shaft and blade stub end


Squeeze out


Cleaned up. Blade and shaft aligned and left to set

I was afraid I damaged the inside of the shaft when I drilled out the old plastic paddle so I wrapped it in carbon



Finished paddle








Went out surfing last night with the new blade. Blade is stiffer than the old one. Paddle works fine.

Not perfect but made with stuff I had lying around. Strength is probably overkill, but it works. Could be made with glass.

Saved myself $150-$200 for a new paddle

great article with all the pictures!
very usefull for do-it-yourself

You do this kind of thing before? Damn! That's clever ****!