Despite ongoing TLC on my paddle covers, the zip heads are slowly corroding with salt and sticking to the zip teeth.

I've tried lubricants of various kinds to keep the zip free, and had to resort to acetone the other night to dissolve the corrosion and get the zip moving again.

Anyone got any better solutions?

As above but if storing in the bag i leave my zip open to let in air and stand vertically.

Before you bin it, try soaking the crusty bits in hot water to dissolve the salt and gunk. I've had mixed success with this but worth a try.

Believe it or not use Full Fat Coke, this dissolves the salt and frees up the zip. God knows what it does to your stomach lining !!!!

Easy solved, you will have to unpick the end of the zip and remove the car and replace with a new one, pref a plastic one, if not you will have to replace every couple of years. No lubricants etc will ever work.

Nozza said..
As you know, I lovingly pack my paddles in their bag wet with salt water.
I don't let it go from getting off the water until in the bag, for fear of appearing Western Australian.
They then stay in the Kombi until next use - usually daily.
And are never removed.
No corrosion issues with Naish bags - these have been going 2 - 3 years now.
You can see salt staining around the zip to the left, but no corrosion on the zip.
Whole zip appears to be plastic but is unbranded.
I think the Flying Objects board bags have plastic YKK zips, also seem unaffected by corrosion.
New SIC paddle bag looks to be metal (upper right), so will watch and advise.
Lack of TLC may be the key.

And as you know, I still have the smell in my nostrils from when you zipped up your sailing bag with wet gear in tropical Cairns in June (1991?) and didn't unzip it until late August in Melbourne the next time we went sailing...
Your approach to zips is obviously the key, because I do remember the zip still working as you ceremoniously unzipped the bag like it was an IS bomb about to explode!
Perhaps the interior fermentation and gas acted like a lubricant for the zip car...

Hey, we could do that again if we repeat the weekend-road-trip-to-Cairns for their downwind marathon in June 2017.
I'm sure that after 26 years time lapse we'll be infinitely more capable of downwind paddling that distance instead of downwind sailing it!!!

mickyj said...
Just wondering , does everyone have a bag for there paddle ? What is the main advantage in them ? Are they just for travelling on planes ?
All of a sudden i feel like i have been neglecting my paddle . My paddle lays in the back of my van usually covered in sand but have never had a problem with the zip .

Here's a good reason for having a paddle bag..

Once you take the paddle out of your bag place the empty bag on your drivers seat or on the dash in front of the driver..

Doing this should prevent you ever driving off and forgetting your paddle that may be laying on the grass or leaning against a tree etc..

Someone should tell the WA guys about this..

Regular household vinegar in a squirt bottle and a toothpick works well for me in getting corroded zips going again. Clears the sinuses too.

i had problems with both my naish blade bags and tried soap etc. i now use the tiny tubes of fishing reel greese with great success

never had a paddle damaged when not surfing--and damgae when surfing has always been minimal--couple of pokes at rocks when should have kicked oput sooner--sam **** i do to my fins--bag wont help--i put electrical tape on the blade perimeter which helps a bit and adds to the protection of the board--rsp, of course

Pour boiling water directly from the kettle on the corroded bit.

Gandalf said...

Slyman said..
Regular household vinegar in a squirt bottle and a toothpick works well for me in getting corroded zips going again. Clears the sinuses too.

You use vinegar and a toothpick on your sinuses?

Sure. Earbud for the nostrils, toothbrush for the sphincter.

Rossall said..
Believe it or not use Full Fat Coke, this dissolves the salt and frees up the zip. God knows what it does to your stomach lining !!!!

It dissolves all the salt in your stomach. Good for you.