Does my SUP paddle sink or float?

We sometimes get contacted by worried customers who wonder “What happens if my paddle accidentally falls into the water. Will the paddle sink or float”? It is relevant question because you do not want to lose your paddle in the middle of the wilderness. If this would happen, plan B is to position yourself flat on your belly, as prone paddlers do, and use your hands as paddles blade. If it is freezing cold, well, then you are in trouble after a while.

It is quite common to see adjustable paddles with holes in the shaft. If you drop one of these in the water they will sink as water will enter through the holes, and, we all know too well what happened to Titanic. The comparatively high density of aluminium will make the journey to the bottom ever faster.

All Yster paddles float. The shaft length is fixed by a clap so there are no holes in the shaft. Although carbon fiber or fiberglass itself sink, the watertight air pocket inside the hollow shaft will keep the paddle floating.