The good handling of a paddle

Transport

Paddles do not belong on the roof rack, the attacking wind loads them excessively and unnecessarily.
When transporting in a car, make sure that the paddle is not pinched or punctually loaded by objects such as kayaks lying above it.
Strong sunlight also and especially through car windows should be avoided, the bonding can react to very high temperatures and the materials age unnecessarily quickly.

Splittable paddles

After each trip you should disassemble the paddles and clean the division well with fresh water. Salt and sand rub off the sleeve and the shaft so that the parts no longer fit tightly after a short period of use. Or the paddle can no longer be divided because sand and salt jam the parts.

When connecting the two parts together, please ensure that they form a line, otherwise the receptacle might break easily.
The division of spare paddles in the boat can be protected against abrasions in the boat with a bicycle tube, for example.

paddle bridge

Weight optimized shafts are not suitable for paddle bridges.

white water paddle

After each load, the whole paddle should be checked for the effects of violence.

A paddle that you have lost on the water from your hands may have been affected by unexpected forces. Examine it carefully for damaged areas by force, even if it looks undamaged at first glance:

Shaft:
Check the shaft for abrasions and white cracks.
This may indicate an increased risk of shaft breakage. They can be caused by leverage, for example by clamping (and other forces) or by stone contact (under water during an eskinno roll, etc.).

blade:
Notches caused by blows on the outer edges of the paddle blade can and should be sanded with normal abrasive paper (with 80 grit and then with 120 grit). Several blows on the same spot considerably increase the risk of breakage. The high break resistance of a polyamide sheet can be maintained by surface grinding of the outer edges. In your own interest, this most important care should be carried out regularly.