Makana Ali`i paddle shaft worn down-how to fix?

I have a 50" Makan Ali`i paddle that I have had for about 6 months. The blade is slightly dinged on the edges and so they are getting rough. The shaft is worn down and I can see water getting into the shaft. It is my only paddle, so I can't let it dry out and fix it till after Molokai. Any ideas on how to repair? I see some forums on the "Man O War" spray, but, idk...
Think I can afford to wait?

Mahalo

Submitted by mahinaokekai on Tue, 07/27/2010 - 10:15pm



Are you out there Leslie?


#1 Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:40am


Is the glass split on the edge or only the perimeter edge bead chipped ?

I just fixed one that was split last week. Shaft needed to be sanded and sealed back up too but they needed the paddle back.

aloha,
pog


#2 Wed, 07/28/2010 - 8:24am


Borrow a paddle from someone else so that you can fix yours. You need to take care of it, so it can take care of you.


#3 Wed, 07/28/2010 - 1:17pm


edges dented and shaft worn down after 6 months ? Are you some kind of beast ?


#4 Wed, 07/28/2010 - 8:00pm


hope you get your paddle fixed but you gotta take better care of that makana alii!!! lot of mana in that paddle, lotta paddlers would give their left nut for a makana. take care of that baby!


#5 Wed, 07/28/2010 - 9:49pm


I really don't like the headline "Makana Ali'i Already Breaking Down."
Les makes an awesome paddle that will last for years if you take care of it properly.
It sounds like this paddle makes a lot of contact with the canoe.
Whether it's a Makana Ali"i or a $60 Grey Owl,
if you bang the canoe with your paddle, it's not going to last very long.


#6 Thu, 07/29/2010 - 7:33am


...if you bang the canoe with your paddle...

Mmmmm, I like to bang something else with my paddle ;-)


#7 Thu, 07/29/2010 - 8:19am


bang the empty space where your left nut used to be?


#8 Thu, 07/29/2010 - 9:10am


get a Pure paddle and bang away...or better yet, get tahiti rames, oh wait then you have to repair the canoe, never mind...


#9 Thu, 07/29/2010 - 2:09pm


how are the Pure paddles?


#10 Thu, 07/29/2010 - 8:06pm


pure paddles are nice, odie's got a good thing going


#11 Fri, 07/30/2010 - 5:03am


mahinaokekai:

As some others have written, you are the fortunate owner of a hand made, local made, made with pride, family made product. If you take care of it, it will take care of you. From the sounds of the damage, you need to use a less expensive, solid wood paddle that can be more easily fixed (varnish as you mention) until you learn how to paddle properly without destroying the paddle. Until then you might want to edit the title of this discussion. And get your MA paddle repaired by someone who knows what he or she is doing.


#12 Sun, 08/08/2010 - 6:50pm


wood is wood. refinishing steps are the same. dry out, prep and sand, varnish or epoxy.... I dont think any editing is needed on this topic, people know the reputation of les' paddles With any paddle you take care of it and it will take care of you for many years.


#13 Sun, 08/08/2010 - 8:45pm


OK, thanks guys.
I let the stroker I changed out with for Napali Challenge use the paddle and now it is even worse. I will never let anyone else use my blade, sucks.


#14 Sun, 08/22/2010 - 6:57pm


I edited the title, happy now?


#15 Sun, 08/22/2010 - 6:58pm


Yeah!! I just bought my first Makana Alii paddle. I went to the house and it was handed to me by Les him self. But, While I was there I was browsing around. I picked up a paddle and saw some damage on it, nothing serious, and Les said that the owner of that paddle left it on the top of his car and drove off. The paddle fell off the car and was ran over by two cars!!! It was there to get re-varnished. U would think it would have been snapped into couple pieces but, it never.

Which means the Makana Alii paddles' are solid!!! as well as awesome!!


#16 Sun, 08/22/2010 - 8:30pm


Hey All,

Does anyone know where I can get a Makana Alii Paddle? Im a paddler from Vancouver Canada who is coming over for 3 days of racing for the Queen Lillio weekend. Would love to pick up a Makana Alii for OC1 as they are so hard to find.
I understand this topic is not about buying a Makana Alii...so my apologies. If some one would be kind enough to point me in the right direction I would be most gracious.

Paddles up!

Cheers all

jj


#17 Mon, 08/30/2010 - 3:36am


@ joeyjames- fact of the matter is you have a better chance of winning this weekends race than getting a Makana Alii paddle. If you can find someone who knows Les to put in a order, than you'll have to wait maybe a year to get it. Anyway, try talking to local paddlers this weekend. Maybe you'll get lucky. And while you're in Kona check out the broadreach paddles. They seem to be the flavor of the month paddles.


#18 Mon, 08/30/2010 - 7:30am


Hi Easy,

NOT trying to a a dick here but as a little guy paddle builder I feel compelled to comment on your post.

I do NOT know Les or have ever spoken with him ... You may know him and his work log so please correct me.

"fact of the matter is you have a better chance of winning this weekends race than getting a Makana Alii paddle. If you can find someone who knows Les to put in a order, than you'll have to wait maybe a year to get it. "

Do you know this for a fact ?

Would Les appreciate a comment like that ? I don't think he would as it is in a sense hurting his future business
only to rub the bellies of the folks who have them.,

A guy can have all the business he wants and can handle but it still does not mean other people should be speaking directly for him IMHO as this carrys downstream in time and remains out there as HIS reptutation, right or wrong, presently or not.

aloha,
pog


#19 Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:21am


A


#20 Thu, 11/20/2014 - 3:25pm


HO... Flavor of the month?!


#21 Mon, 08/30/2010 - 6:04pm


More like flavor of the last 20 years or so. When my shaft wears down I just go easy for awhile and let 'em heal up.


#22 Tue, 08/31/2010 - 2:59am


In defense of Les......the reason it takes so long to get a Makana Alii paddle is for one they are awesome paddles. Everyone knows that. The other is that Les has made a concious decision to keep his business small so that he can maintain the quality of his paddles. Les is a perfectionist and won't outsource the production of his paddles. A number of years ago he looked into a more 'mass production' direction and realized that he didn't want to entrust the integrity and quality of his paddles to someone else. It is as simple as that.....the guy has a lot of integrity.
I had a similar situation happen with a Makana Alii paddle a few years back....I left it on the roof of my car, pulled out onto Kapiolani Blvd, heard it fall off and pulled over. As I jumped out I looked back to see a car headed right for it. It had landed with the bend up. The car ran it over where the shaft and the blade meet which made it bounce into the air. When I retrieved it had a couple of minor scratches on it and was no worse for wear. I continued to use that paddle for years.


#23 Tue, 08/31/2010 - 6:07am


VLT,

The image I get here is car door open, you running towards it in a slow motion / time warp with your hand outstretched yelling nooooooooo. Then as you get to it normal time returns and you catch it on the first bounce ... : )

aloha,
pog


#24 Tue, 08/31/2010 - 9:55am


matrix time...


#25 Tue, 08/31/2010 - 10:59am


@ pog, my comment was not meant as a backstab @ Les. Just offering advice in how difficult it would be for a visiting paddler to acquire a makana alii on such short notice. And believe me, theres nothing I could say to take away Les's reputation on his excellent craftmanship ( and would never do that btw ).

@ verylowtide. I'm well aware of Les's attempt at mass production because the company I work for was involved with that process. And as far as i'm concerned, quality was NOT compromised with our end of the deal. I think it was a $ issue.


#26 Tue, 08/31/2010 - 12:03pm


Hi Easypaddler,

No no, never read that into your post ... apologies if you thought I was implying that.

I've got my own waiting list, but its constantly in flux ... People call and I tell them 'X' time and I hear it all the time ..."Oh ! I thought is was gonna take 'this' long ". Which might be something it never was or may have been 10 years ago. Got other builder buddies who hear this as well.

aloha,
pog


#27 Tue, 08/31/2010 - 1:55pm


I have found that using a good clear Epoxy resin to coat the shaft of the paddle works a lot better than any varnish etc. The Varnishes seem to last about 3-4 months before they rub from the gunnels wears through.

To apply you basically need to rub the shaft back to wood and apply one coat of Epoxy, allow to go hard which will depend on type for time. Good quality surfboard epoxies are now sandable within 1-2hrs and very very clear.

Sand back 1st coat thoroughly to rub flat any wood grains that lift and bubbles or runs. This first coat basically soaks into the wood rather than sitting on top. Second coat put on and allow to dry. Rub with say 180 grit, 350, 600, 1200 and you have a very nice finish that will look after your paddle for years to come.


#28 Tue, 08/31/2010 - 2:59pm


:(


#29 Wed, 09/01/2010 - 9:07am


Thanks for all of your inputs, especially the specific directions!


#30 Wed, 10/13/2010 - 9:03pm


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