Carlisle Paddles Taboo Stand Up 2-Piece Adjustable Kayak Paddle for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

first, this was recommended as a companion to my 11' Nalu hybrid kayak/SUP so taboo is a good name for it. why, well it moves way more water than the typical SUP paddle b/c it is a hybrid and therefore has to meet kayaking needs as well. the compromise here is weight. this thing is so heavy it is not at all fun switching hands side to side on the board. and it really bites as a kayak paddle since it is shaped more like a canoe blade. okay, now onto quality. it does not come apart. ever. once you find which combination works for your height (comes with short and longer length handles) plan to keep it that way forever. b/c it never ever comes apart, you cannot use it for a stand up then kayaking blade on the same craft. 2 of us tried pulling it apart and it WILL NOT RELEASE, ever. certainly not in water while navigating white caps on the Potomac River. i now bring along my carbon kayak paddle since this is useless as a hybrid. oh, the smaller handle aluminum sleeve on the inside somehow twisted to where the release button is not visible. so i am now stuck with a too short version of this. taboo is correct. taboo for anyone who might want to try it. for $80 and only maybe 8 uses, this is not acceptable quality in my opinion. UPDATE 3/10/15: I gave this paddle away with a Dagger kayak I sold on CL. Before selling, I decided to use WD40 on the twisted sleeve of the shorter handle, and the main release mechanism. It worked fine afterward, but I still think in time the sticking issue would return given the grade of aluminum they used and the fact that the push button to release seems too small, short, or thin to trigger a release when pushed in.