How To Make A Sea Kayak Paddle

Are you wondering how to make a sea kayak paddle? Many kayakers choose to make their own equipment and paddles are much easier to construct than the kayak itself. This guide will show you how to hand-make your own sea kayak paddle.

To make a sea kayak paddle, you will need:

• A length of wood measuring two to three inches in diameter
• A board of marine plywood, two to three millimeters thick and 18-24 inches in length and width
• Woodworking equipment
• Waterproof epoxy

1. Select your building materials. To begin with, you must select a length of wood that is appropriate for use as a kayak paddle. The shaft must be free of any knots and warps in the grain. Ensure that the wood is long enough to suit your personal needs. Finding wood for the paddles is much simpler, nearly every marine or sporting goods store will have the appropriate marine plywood.
2. Prepare the shaft. To prepare the shaft, you must use a tool capable of shaving wood to carve out the structure of a kayak paddle shaft. Carve the uppermost to mid regions of the paddle in a rounded fashion and taper the bottom so that it is four to five millimeters thick and slotted for the insertion of the blade.
3. Prepare the blades. Decide on the size of the blade that you want for your sea kayak paddle. Typical kayak blades are twenty to 24 inches and ovular in shape. Use the saw to cut the marine plywood into the appropriate size and shape. Follow this with sanding until the blades are as smooth as possible.
4. Attach the blade to the shaft. Temporarily place the blade inside the shaft, take note of the region of the blade covered by the shaft, as this is where the epoxy will be applied. Coat the area of the blade that was covered by the shaft in waterproof epoxy, then attach the blade and allow the epoxy to dry.