4-Piece Paddle FAQ

How to Assemble Your 4-Piece Paddle

So, you’re dusting off your paddling gear, and getting ready for the next adventure on the water. You’ve got your PFD. Your boat’s looking ready for action. Ah, but your 4-piece paddle? It’s in a jumble of shafts and blades on the floor. You could’ve sworn last season these pieces all went together to form your trusty Aqua Bound companion. But now, no matter which way you twist, flip and turn the pieces, they just don’t seem to want to go together.

What’s a paddler to do?

Well, before you call it quits, give the rest of this article a read. Let us quickly break down (See what we did there?) how to determine which piece of your paddle goes where, and how to avoid a paddle puzzle in the future.

First, gather all of your paddle parts and pieces and take an inventory. Each of Aqua Bound’s 4-piece paddles are quite simple: two blades (left and right) and two shaft pieces (left and right).

Whether you own a Shred, Sting Ray, Manta Ray, Whiskey or Tango, all of the above information remains true. Each blade will detach from the shaft pieces using a metal snap button. Each half of the shaft will connect in the middle with one of our three ferrules: the metal snap button, the Posi-Lok™ or the Versa-Lok™. No matter your variation, each model will consist of 4 parts.

Next, view the image below to see what your Aqua Bound paddle should look like when disassembled. Regardless of model, you should have two blades, each with their Aqua Bound logos upright, and easily read. Likewise, the Aqua Bound logo stamped onto the shaft should also be upright, easily read and located near the middle of the shaft.

Now, replicating the above image, begin assembling your pieces. From left to right, snap each segment into place. Left blade into left shaft - remembering that the Aqua Bound logo on the shaft will be located in the middle of the paddle. If your shaft’s logo is near one of the blades, take a closer look at the above diagram and give it another shot.

When you’re finished snapping your paddle together, all of the branded material on the paddle should be easily read and upright, facing you. Incidentally, this is also a great way to ensure you’re paddling with your paddle right-side up!

Congrats! You are now a master paddle assembler. Now get out there and see where Aqua Bound can take you!

Frequently Asked Questions

My paddle connections just seem so tight. How can I get them to come apart easier?

We engineer all of our paddles to feel like they could be a one-piece unit. They are built to fit snugly. But, in rare instances, blade pegs and connection points can swell under extreme temperatures and water conditions. If you find that your once easy-to-assemble paddle is getting stuck together, or won’t go together, we suspect you may be experiencing this issue.

To fix a swollen connection point, simply use very fine grit sandpaper to incrementally sand away your blade peg until the connection point works smoothly again. Once you’ve sanded, you should never have to do this again. Remember - it’s better to take away too little at a time than to take too much and cause a
wobbly connection. Sand cautiously.

My blades/ferrule are stuck! What should I do?

Similar to the above issue, paddles that are exposed to extreme temperatures, gritty water, or lack of rinsing and
disassembly, can become stuck together. In order to get these connections unstuck, we recommend using ice and chilling the connection point(s) for 10-15 minutes before attempting to twist the pieces apart. Additionally, a rubber
mallet and towel over the shaft can be used to knock out some of the grit that could be jamming up the connection, as well. Remember - one of the best ways to prevent this issue from occurring is to always rinse, fully dry and store your paddles disassembled and out of heat.

I lost one of my paddle's pieces. Do you sell replacement parts?

As a made-to-order manufacturer, each paddle is built by hand, and therefore can vary slightly in their construction. This means that we do not typically have the ability to send out parts that we can guarantee will fit with your exact paddle. For more information and alternatives, please contact our Service Team using the
Warranty/Repair form, or by calling our Wisconsin-based factory.

Do you have questions for our Wisconsin-based Customer Service team? Get in touch with them today: 715-755-3405 • [email protected]