Cobra paddle carbon fiber shafts are available in three versions:
The Shafts are built using Pre-preg technology, the best ever for the construction of high performance tubular elements, the same we use to build our Windsurf masts. The cure cycle takes place in an Autoclave at 125 ° for a time of three hours. In this way every small air bubble is removed, and the compaction of the fibers is free of defects.
Inner tube diameter: 26.5 mm
Tube external diameter: 29 mm
The Cobra 100 Adjustable 3-piece paddle has a variable length from 175 to 225 cm. The adjustment varies according to your height and its use.
- WAVE. For a wave use, therefore, to surf the waves, the paddle must be equal to your height. This is because in surf conditions, the rider's position is very low, bent over the legs, with one foot in front of the other.
- CRUISING. For a relaxed all-round cruising use, the paddle must normally be higher than 15/20 cm. relative to your height, so that you do not need to lean forward to have a great performance, but to paddle in a more relaxed way.
- RACING. For racing use and intense training, the paddle is usually 10 cm higher than your height. This is to lean forward well and use all the muscles you have, paddling efficiently for many kilometers.
The Cobra 100 paddle is very resistant but it is not indestructible. To try to make it last as long as possible and, in the first place, to make your outings safe, it needs a minimum of care and attention.
- Avoid adjusting it beyond the maximum allowed. Leave at least 20 cm of tubing inserted inside its housing. This way you won't risk damaging it.
- Wash the paddle well after using it. Sand and salt can deteriorate the material.
- The paddle is not a golf shaft, its element is water.
What damage does the warranty cover?
Each Reptile Sports product is subjected to rigorous quality controls during every single production phase. Each windsurf mast is weighed and measured in the IMCS machine to ensure that the technical characteristics conform to specifications. Non-compliant masts are NOT placed on the market but destroyed.
The warranty covers manufacturing defects and / or material defects with a duration of twenty-four months (24) from the date of purchase, in the case of sale to the direct user.
This date must be proven by a delivery document issued by the seller (e.g., receipt), in which the following appear: the delivery date, the name of the seller, the identification details of the product (type, model).
Main defects in materials and workmanship
The defects of the materials, and in particular of the carbon composites, are normally highlighted in the initial use phase. If a mast is faulty (and this can happen), it breaks after a few sessions. Breakages occurred after months of use, are hardly attributable to defects in material or production, but rather to shocks or stress following poorly executed maneuvers, impact with the seabed, whirled in the waves. This does not mean that the warranty is not recognized, but that it may be necessary for us to carry out a greater analysis of the broken parts to understand if the nature of the break occurred by delamination or by impact.
Every component of a Reptile product is carefully designed and constructed by a highly skilled multidisciplinary team of designers and engineers; they successfully take on daily challenges – combine a technical solution with an attractive, modern and state-of-the-art design.
The best quality 100% certified Pre-Preg Carbon fibers are selected and laid on the most advanced CUTTING PLOTTER for composite materials. At this stage the layers of pre-preg are cut followed by a perfect digitized pattern.
The Pre-preg Carbon plies are applied to a male mold in different angles to get strength, flexibility and perfect bend curve. The orientation of the UD fibers is automatically controlled. Less expensive manufacturing methods like filament winding are unable to lay enough fibers at zero degrees and may have more variation on resin content.
A special super strength release film is used to get the first compression to the lay-up of our Reptile Mast to remove part of the air. This solid film does not allow any resins to escape.
Now we need more pressure to consolidate the laminate, and heat to initiate and maintain the curing reaction. The perfect tool for Reptile Masts is one of the most updated Autoclave with integrated vacuum chamber, totally automatic programmable control of temperature, vacuum and pressure with a separate unit of data recording. The pressure exerted on the layup is up to 7 Bar at 125°C. The autoclave molding process produces laminates of high quality with minimum void content, and control of laminate thickness is much better than the other construction methods.
After the cure time, the male mold is removed and the Reptile mast is refined and cleaned. The connection Joint is perfectly sanded with the maximum accuracy to prevent the masts from getting stuck while and after using.
One of the most advanced techniques used for the production of composite components requires the use of carbon fibers pre-impregnated with epoxy resin, treated in the presence of heat and pressure and in the absence of air. Through this production process, products of the highest quality are obtained, with excellent surface finish, reduced resin content and therefore weight, and excellent structural performance.
• All blades of the Cobra 100 and Cobra 60 paddles are produced using an autoclave that reaches 125 ° C and 6 BAR pressure
• PrePreg Twill carbon 200 gr / m2 with 45 ° / 45 ° fibers for torsion and compression resistance
• Unidirectional carbon 150 gr / m2 with 0 ° oriented fibers for bending performance
• Biaxial carbon fiber reinforced edges, much more impact resistant than normal ABS
• Carbon tube reinforcement between shaft and blade to eliminate any possibility of extra flex in the joint area and increase resistance.
• Internal core in high density PVC.
Unidirectional carbon fiber, biaxial, epoxy resin… The choice of materials is an essential link in the production chain which, step by step, leads to the creation of exceptional products. It is therefore not surprising that the selection of the best materials made by Reptile Sports follows extremely strict criteria. Each paddle is made with materials chosen with care and constantly examined to ensure unsurpassed performance and flawless aesthetics.
A Reptile paddle must work perfectly and withstand even the most extreme conditions. This is why Reptile Sports uses T700 carbon fiber for the Cobra 20 and Cobra 60 models, which has high tensile strength values (greater than 4000 MPa) and standard values of Young's modulus (around 240 GPa). To put this into perspective, the value of the steel is 21GPa.
The Reptile Cobra 100 paddles stand out for their lightness and performance, the result of years of refinement in the use of this precious material. Only by controlling the entire production process, Reptile Sports is able to guarantee the unrivaled lightness of its masts and paddles.
For the Cobra 100, Reptile Sports uses only the T800 Intermediate Modulus, an extraordinary fiber created for the aerospace market, which has even higher values of tensile strength, (greater than 5000 MPa) and high values of the Young's modulus (around 290 GPa).
The exclusive CBX is the meeting and union of two Unidirectional Fibers through a precise sewing process, which ensures an increase in mechanical properties of over 20%. Unlike the twisted fibers of the TWILL and PLAIN materials, the non-curled parallel fibers of the CBX bear much better strain immediately after undergoing a load. Furthermore, the stress points detected at the intersection of commonly intertwined fibers are eliminated.
Reptile Sports uses this special Carbon Fiber on Cobra 100 shafts.
Woven Fabrics are produced by the interlacing of warp (0°) fibres and welt (90°) fibres in a regular pattern or weave style. The fabric’s integrity is maintained by the mechanical interlocking of the fibres.
On the Plain developed by Reptile, each warp fibre passes alternately under and over each welt fibre. The fabric is symmetrical, with good stability and reasonable porosity. It’s used as external, carbon look and durable finishing.
One or more warp fibers are intertwined alternately on and under two or more intertwined fibers in a repeated and regular manner. This produces the visual effect of a diagonal to the fabric. Thanks to the reduced wrinkling, the fabric also has a smoother surface and higher mechanical properties than PLAIN.
The selected supply chain of Reptile Sports raw material suppliers has developed a special Epoxy Resin Matrix for its Paddles and Windsurf masts, in order to guarantee beauty, resistance and functionality over time even in the most adverse conditions. The strength of the bond between the resin and the Carbon Fiber is the secret and the success of all the pre-impregnated materials used by Reptile Sports.
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