Aluminium paddle development

As I mentioned in my general message about paddles a few weeks ago, the shape and weight of a paddle both have a big influence on how it interacts with the water. Something else I have to take into account, is to what extent the material I’m aiming to use for the paddle is suitable for printing colors and designs on.

For the new aluminium paddle this proved to be especially challenging. In order to color the paddle’s shaft, our supplier makes use of a complicated technique called anodizing. In short, this process makes use of electric currents to apply colors to metals (in this case aluminium). An advantage of this technique compared to regular dyeing, is that it’s less sensitive to scratches and adheres better. However, getting the color right is difficult and will take some trial and error. When we do get it right though, it will definitely be worth the effort!

Ruben