This is what's left of my favorite paddle. It snapped mid-pull on me while paddling tandem on Mountain Lake! I was lucky to have a spare. I've always taken a spare, but we really considered leaving it behind this time because we'd never had to use it. It's a good thing we packed it because it was windy everyday.

Always bring a spare!!!

+1 Benn there, done that, just once like you.

I haven't had one broken in my boat, but saw two in our group break in about two minutes while we were paddling up the Horse River a few years back. I had one spare & with some duck tape, one was usable to get out. We were fortune we were headed out & we always have at least two spares for the group ever since that day.

Glad you had a spare, NIck! I once broke a paddle blade by carelessly tossing a Nalgene into the canoe at the start of a trip and had no backup. I duct taped the blade and it worked for the trip, and ever since I have always carried an extra.

that doesn't look like a paddle that i would have trusted on a trip. a spare is a good idea.

It had been a great paddle for a couple of years. It was easily my favorite. It was a nice long ottertail, and I was really able to dig in and get the boat heading in the right direction. I guess I just dug in a little too hard this time.

I'll miss it!

Always have a spare. I used mine once when I dropped my paddle in the water and the wind immediately drifted it away from me. Without a spare I don't know what I would have done. ~JOE~

Always have a spare with me.

Never broke a paddle, but had the blade (Werner paddle) detach
from the shaft when I hit a hard brace, at the bottom of a decent sized drop.

I will add this; the paddle in question was more than 15 years old, and had taken terrible abuse, whitewater paddling for those 15 years.
Didn't even make an effort to fix it; bought a new one just like it, based on the 15 years it served me well.

Never had anything else go wrong with a Werner canoe paddle, and I have 2 others. My wife has a Werner kayak paddle too.

BOB

My first BW trip was in 1973 and it did not occur to us to bring a spare. It was not a problem but I always bring a spare paddle now.

It would take a loooooong time paddling across sag with what's left of that paddle.:)

I'll never forget going through a tricky run on the Eleven Point River one time with my wife. I stuck my paddle out on the right with a firm draw and "Snap!" The canoe dipped, I went to my knees and we bounced off a strainer and went backwards a bit before I finally got my "Spare" out. I had it tied in and secured so as not to lose it in a "Dump." Learned my lesson about having the "Spare" more readily accessible!

How many of you bring spare paddles? I never have brought one.

I always bring a spare but have never had to use it.

quote mc2mens: "How many of you bring spare paddles? I never have brought one."

I bring one as a spare and for navigating shallow or rocky runs instead of using my ultralight, bent shaft.

quote mc2mens: "How many of you bring spare paddles? I never have brought one."

Paddling since the '70's and I've only broke one on the water 3 times. All would have been a major PIA without a spare. About 5 years ago on a winter overnight I had a paddle that looked perfectly fine break about a mile into the trip. Certainly glad I didn't have to pull a "Macgiver!" Even so, my "Spare" wasn't a very good one. Now I usually take 3 on the river.

Always a spare

I guess you could call having 2 paddles in a solo canoe having a spare but I don't. I use each depending on the situation.

I bring 2. One for each of us. I can't imagine how much a 20 mile paddle with a mcgyver'd paddle would suck.. Not much of a difference portaging one more...

This thread is like the subaru commercials "they lived" . " I had a spare" if I had a broken paddle I would post a pic.

I'm in the I take 2 paddles and use them both but could survive with just either if one broke camp. Mine are a wood straight for rocky shallows and creeks and a Zaveral bent shaft for getting across lakes.

My wife dies the same and the two Zavs weigh less than our previous metal and plastic spare.

Many years ago the three of us in a tandem had TWO paddles break within 2 days!!! Now I don't vouch for their pristine condition before we put in! So we landed on a Quetico lake shore; I cut down a tree that had a paddle wide girth and proceeded to axe carve a replacement paddle!!! It brought us home! I kept it for years with the inscription on it: "In Case of Emergency!"