Buoyant safety paddle and method of manufacture thereof

Abstract

A buoyant safety paddle ( 11 ) for a kayak, a canoe or other small boat facilitates kayak deep-water self-rescue reentries and facilitates the movement of small boats over aqueous surfaces. Such buoyant paddle displaces significant volume while minimizing weight eliminating the need for post-capsize attached flotation. Each such buoyant paddle's volume is predetermined and distributed to retain paddling efficiency. Each such buoyant paddle has a handle ( 19 ) which extends from one blade ( 12 ) or between two blades, and is water tight, with a continuous strong rigid skin ( 41 ) and low density core ( 42 ). This construction provides a buoyant, minimal weight, stiff, high strength paddle which is economical to manufacture.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . A buoyant paddle formed by (a) a rigid continuous seamless skin over (b) a low density or hollow core shape with (c) thick paddle blade(s) and (d) a handle to attain (e) a weight to volume ratio which provides a minimum 15.5 pounds of inherent buoyancy, whereby a human can do a deep-water self-rescue reentry and efficiently propel a small boat. 
   
   
       18 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein said seamless skin is formed at least in part of plastic reinforced with fiber such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or Kevlar. 
   
   
       19 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein said seamless skin is formed at least in part of un-reinforced plastic such as polypropylene or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). 
   
   
       20 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein thickness of said seamless skin is varied in proportion to stress loads, thick in the loom where strength is needed most and thin in the blade where loads are less and cross section is greater, whereby improving strength/weight ratio over uniformly thick skin. 
   
   
       21 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein said core is hollow. 
   
   
       22 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein said core is low density closed-cell foam. 
   
   
       23 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein the paddle's two blade shape is (a) symmetric, similar to a Greenland paddle, and (b) has wide blades a minimum of 1.5 inches thick. 
   
   
       24 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein the paddle's two blade shape is (a) asymmetric, similar to a European or modern paddle, and (b) has blades a minimum of 1.5 inches thick. 
   
   
       25 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein the single blade shape is (a) similar to a canoe paddle shape and (b) has blades a minimum of 1.5 inches thick. 
   
   
       26 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein the paddle is manufactured as a single continuous seamless rigid skin over a low density core as means to eliminate joints between blade faces and between handle and blade. 
   
   
       27 . In a paddle for propelling and maneuvering a small boat, the combination comprising: (a) one or two paddle blades and handle (b) a continuous seamless rigid skin and a low density core (c) a volume to weight ratio which provides the buoyancy of a Class III PFD, whereby the safer paddle facilitates self-rescue, rolling and bracing without compromising paddling efficiency. 
   
   
       28 . In a method of manufacturing a paddle for use with a small boat, the steps comprising: forming a closedcell foam blank, wrapping said blank completely with a seamless reinforcing fabric sleeve, wetting out the fabric with resin, curing, then finishing.