In a recent post, I discussed the evolution of the past 3 generations of the Werner adjustable ferrule system. This piece focused heavily on the “stuck paddle” problem which seems to be an issue with the most recent (2012) version of the ferrule. A “stuck paddle” occurs when grime or other gunk gets into the ferrule, causes the two pieces of the paddle to become stuck together, and results in an epic tug-of-war to get them back apart.
The good news is that a colleague of mine from the kayak shop (Steve Alexander) has enlightened me to a little trick that will unstick your stuck Werner paddle:
“Re: Werner paddle…I discovered if you pour straight “Simple Green” into the shaft and let it sit for 3 or 4 minutes then flush w/garden hose it helps. Then pour in Simple Green again and repeatedly depress the button on the shaft with a screwdriver until you can feel it loosening up. Finally flush again and you are good to go.” -Steve
There you have it; a quick and easy way to get your two-piece Werner paddle back in working order. Just make sure that you don’t twist the paddle as you pull the two pieces apart as this could damage the cog on the adjustable ferrule. Good luck with that stuck paddle and let us know if you have any other special tricks up your sleeve!
-Kayak Dave with Steve Alexander