Overview
From time to time during the lifetime of your paddle you will have situations in which the paddle gets beaten up or scraped. This creates character and will tell its own life story, however it is important to make sure you take good care of your paddle so that it continues to work at its best level. For day to day care it is recommended to re-oil your paddle every couple paddles you take it out. This will keep the paddle glossy and waterproof protected. The more coats you apply the more glossy the paddle will be. Taking care of a paddle I find to be like taking care of a pair of skis. The more care you put into taking care of the them the more fun it is.
Oiling your paddle/ Repair work
For day to day use when applying coats of oil first use a super fine steel wool (0 grade) and lightly sand the paddle. for knicks as seen to the right use a harsher 200 grit sandpaper.
Q: How much should I sand?
A: an “oiling your paddle” sand will take off a light layer and pick up some material but should not reach the wood. for knicks sand until smooth.
Afterwards apply a thin coat of Tung oil to the entire paddle. The thin coat of tung oil will dry and harden when exposed to air and over time with enough create a fully waterproof and glossy finish.
Q: What do I do if I over-oiled my paddle?
A: Wipe off as much of the excess oil as you can and let dry in a warm dry place.
Q: What kind of rag do you use?
A: A microfiber rag works best and wont leave lint, but if that does not bother you and old sock works as well.
let sit until dry
Q: do I have to use tung oil?
A: No! there are other alternative wood protectants you can purchase such as marine varnish.
Q: The tung oil is not drying, what do I do?
A: If you over apply the oil it can take longer to dry and wont be as even. Also the closer you get to a gloss finish the harder it will be for the oil to absorb into the wood and will take longer to dry.
