Maintenance You Can Do!

First– I’d like to mention that there is such a thing as too much maintenance.  This is because finish is adding non-structural weight– so you can do it too much.   The blades are covered with 2.5 layers of fiberglass– so they can take a lot of insults.  Even if they look nicked up– they are probably OK.  The way you can tell how things are wearing and when you should activate some maintenance is if you ever see the actual wood of the paddle taking on water.  You can see this because it will darken the wood in place that are taking on water.  Then you should do a touch up as soon as possible.   The way to do this is to buy the smallest can possible of exterior gloss polyurethane.  A brand I really like is Minwax Helmsman spar polyurethane.  The– it’s best to only use the tip of your finger to dip and apply a tiny bit of finish to any deep scars.  You can wipe your fingertip off with a paper towel when you are finished.  It’s OK to do this for any deep scratches that offend you.  But refrain from painting the entire paddle– it takes a certain amount of prep to do it right.   The WORST thing you can do is to paint the blade faces with epoxy– no matter how thin.  It builds quickly and makes the blades heavy.

IF you have deep nicks  in the tips or edgings– you can apply some cheap epoxy putty/glue that you can buy at any hardware store.  Look for kinds that are meant for exterior use.  Then—again– you just apply it to the worst hurt spots-  but this time maybe use a gloved finger as epoxy is harder to clean off your fingertips.  It’s just rock food– but it can extend the amount of time you can go before it needs real re-finishing or repairs.  I recommend sending it back in to get a full re-finish ($35) or more serious fixes like new tips, veneers, or glass.  A paddle can last for decades this way!