Converting solid paddle to 2 Piece Adjustable?

I have a Bratcha II one piece with a nearly 90 degree feather and a length of around 215Cm. I would like to take around 8Cm out of it, and make it 2 piece, with a lock of some sort. It would be a plus if I could also have it extendable by 6 - 10 Cm, for different boats and conditions. If it's still able to be feathered I'd be fine with that, but only would get used 3 or 4 times a year for tougher races with a lot of wind, so feather is my lowest priority. Are there any companies in the US that would do that, or even better, anyone anywhere selling a Kit with the inside tube and the lock, and possibly requisite glues and small essentials, as I'd probably prefer to do it myself. I've worked with carbon in repairing and customizing bicycles, so have the safety gear and tools already.

Thanks for any inputs provided.

I converted a one-piece Fenn 4 wing paddle into a two-piece, adjustable and it worked out quite well.
1. Cut the shaft with a fine tooth hack saw. A wrap of masking or painter's tape where you'll make the cut will help prevent any fraying of the carbon fibers. Use a sanding block to square up the cut ends of the shaft.
2. Measure the inside diameter of the shaft and see if you can find a carbon tube ferrule of the correct size by googeling suppliers of carbon tubing. I couldn't find one that fit so I made my own.
3. I made the core out of 1" thick green foam I bought at a fiberglass shop by cutting out a 1" x 1" x 12" piece. I then sanded it round by hand, using a coarse (40 grit) sheet of sandpaper on a flat work bench. I tried to make it as round as possible and a diameter that would allow me to get two full wraps of prepreg carbon cloth around it so I would end up with a carbon tube of close to the correct size for a very sung fit into the shaft. I wrapped the prepreg around the foam very tightly and then wrapped tinfoil tape around the outside of the carbon as tightly as I could to press the carbon cloth together. I then put it in my barbecue and let it "cook" for about 4 hours at about 250*. After it cooled I pushed the foam core out. You may have to sand the carbon tube down a little or paint a coat or two of resin on it to get the size just right. I made mine a very, very snug fit inside the handle. Mine was such a tight fit that I never did cement it in either half of the handle and I never made a clamp for it. I have since sold the paddle and the new owner is very happy with it. If I would have kept it, and wish I had kept it, I would have epoxied the tube in 1/2 of the shaft with about 8" sticking out for length adjustability. For a clamp I would have used a stainless steel hose clamp just like Think does on their Power Wing paddle.
I still have some of that prepreg and foam laying around in my shop so if you'll send me your address I'll send you enough of both to make a tube if you can't find the correct size online.
It took a little trial and error. I could even send you a couple of the tubes I made that didn't quite work out for the diameter I needed.

Super response, good sir, and I appreciate it. I'll be in work on it tomorrow evening.

To you, how does sculling compare to kayaking? I got into kayaks barely over a year ago to help recover from rotator surgery, both shoulders, and now have six kayaks and a dozen paddles, trying to learn what I like most. (Speed . . .) I tried hanging with a sculler on a local lake, and ended up losing ground though at peak I was doing 8.8mph on a 23 foot long surf ski, so now I'm curious if I need to try sculls, and wondering what it costs to get in on a "try and see" level.

I'm 69 years old and am in my 8th year of sculling; 7th year of competing. I started kayaking last Fall in a S1-X but have sold it to buy a V12 which I have been out in just for about three days now. I only sculled for most of the winter because I, too, had rotator cuff problems when I paddled. I had no tears and my shoulders seem pretty good now. I am throwing surfski kayaking into my sculling and other cardio programs mainly to tighten up my core to try to prevent a recurring lower back injury I got while sculling.
I find paddling my surfski much more challenging than sculling but I do remember struggling with sculling for my first three months too so maybe the learning curve is not very different. I'll know in a couple more months.
You can buy a used racing shell for between $1000 and $10,000 and a good pair of sculling oars will set you back $200 to $600. This is in the States and row2k, classifieds, is about the only market place for used racing shells here.
Good luck with your paddle project. I was reluctant to cut my paddle in half and shorten it but it worked out very well so I'd say, "Go for it." If you need some prepreg or foam let me know.

Hi River Boater,
About twelve years ago I did exactly the same as you and changed my Knysna Bratcha II into a two-piece.
I contacted Albert at Knysna and bought the taper lock and insert from him. Because they made the lock to fit their paddles, you know the fit will be perfect.
To cut my shaft I used a pipe-cutter. Just take it gently, preferably with a new and sharp one, and you`ll get a perfectly square cut.
I used epoxy glue to put things in place, but you could use hot-glue if you are worried about if you make a mistake.
It was an easy job and very worthwhile.
One other point though, the Bratcha II is quite a big blade, great for kayak sprinting. Albert at Knysna once told me that "it`s great if you`re 90kg and solid muscle!". Saying that, I did use mine for lots of distance paddling on the ocean and rivers for years. I also found that the large surface area made me feel less tippy in rough water on a narrow ski.

I was lucky to find an aluminium tube that was the exact inside diameter of the shaft.
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