The Ultimate DIY: Land Paddle Board Stick
For some people, buying a land paddle board stick doesn’t make sense. It’s easy to understand where they’re coming from. The idea behind paying for something that most people can make in their garage can seem like a waste of money. We’ll take you through a step by step process for how to build your own.
The basic concept of using a land paddleboard is simply to push off with a stick. In essence, that is all you will need. If you are looking to get something that will work a little better, you are probably going to have to spend some money.
Estimated Completion Time: 90 minutes
Estimated Total Cost: $7.00 – $120.00
What you’ll need:
- A large stick of your choosing
- A ground grip of your choosing
- Grip tape(optional)
- Screwdriver
- Drill
- Screws
- Saw
Choosing Your Land Paddle Stick Materials
The stick:
- This is probably the most important part about building your paddle from scratch. There are many different options for this part.
- Broomstick ($2) – You can pick this up at most dollar stores. If you’re lucky, it will last you for a couple of sessions. You can just pick up two or three and keep changing them out once they break.
- Wooden dowel ($10) – You can buy one of these from any hardware store. They come in many different types of thickness. You may want to find which feels most comfortable. Usually sold in lengths of 4′ or 8′.
- Aluminum pole ($50) – Also available at most hardware stores. This material will give you more flexibility than a wooden dowel. It is also a lot lighter.
- Telescopic window cleaning pole ($80) – This will usually be made out of aluminum, and will allow you to skip the process of cutting the stick to suit your height.
The Ground Grip:
- There are a few interesting options for this part. You can use any object that you could screw to the end of a stick.
- For best results, use something made out of a very durable rubber.
- Lacrosse ball ($5) – Many people who have built their own land paddle board stick have sworn that using a lacrosse ball has worked fantastically.
- Hockey pucks ($5) – You can use one or two hockey pucks, depending on the design you choose. Most people use two because it makes more sense and it is a lot simpler to create.
- Bike tire ($10) – The material that is used for bike tires is literally made for making good contact with pavement. Not to mention, it has tread that will get even more grip. You can use only a small part of the tire for the grip. Once it wears out, you can remove it and use the next section of tire.
- Brand name grips ($25) – Every land paddle that you can buy outright has an option to buy replacement ground grips. They are designed for land paddling and can be used in custom paddles.
Other Materials:
- Handle grip tape ($5) – This isn’t entirely necessary. However, it will make your experience that much more enjoyable. It will reduce blistering as well as improve the performance of your creation.
- Screwdriver ($5) – Any screwdriver will do. You will just need to be able to do some tightening to keep up with proper maintenance.
- Drill ($40) – This is going to be an important part of the process. There is going to be some parts that need to be screwed together. Doing this by hand is possible, but it would be very difficult.
- Screws ($5) – You can get a pack of screws that will get the job done from any hardware store. You will want to choose a size and length based on the main parts that you have chosen to build your paddle out of. Use best judgement.
- Saw ($10) – You’ll need to use a saw to cut your stick to size. The type of saw you’ll need depends on the materials you chose. A wooden stick will require a wood saw, an aluminum stick requires a metal saw.
Building The Land Paddle Board Stick
Preparing the stick is straightforward. It simply involves the process of sizing the stick to be appropriate to your height.
- Stand on your land paddle board (or any skateboard)
- Hold the stick in front of you
- Make sure the stick is upright and resting on the ground
- Hold the stick close to your nose
- On the stick, mark the height for where your nose touches
- Use your saw to cut the stick along the marking
Attaching The Ground Grip
- You’ll need to attach the grip to the bottom of the stick.
- This can be as simple as drilling a screw through your grip and onto the stick.
- Lacrosse Ball – Drill a long screw through the entirety of the ball. As soon as it breaks through to the other side, put it up against the bottom of the stick. Continue drilling, and it will start to attach into the stick.
- Hockey Pucks – Place the 2 pucks around the stick like a sandwich. Screw the pucks directly onto the stick. You can also screw the pucks together, creating a firm grip. Or do both.
- Bike Tire – Wrap the piece of bike tire along the sides and around the bottom of the stick. Screw the two sides and once on the bottom.
Extra Credit
At this point, you should have a stick with a grip. This is the bare minimum to get a good land paddleboard session. There are some special touches you can do to improve the performance of your land paddle. Here are just a few we could name:
- Add grip tape
- Create a handle to improve comfort and grip
- Add custom decals to personalize your land paddle