Werner Paddles Rounds Up Rio 4 Piece Break-Down Paddles

Werner Paddles is halting shipping and production of the Werner Rio 4-Piece paddle. In field conditions where the paddle is exposed to extreme heat and humidity it may swell, causing an imperfect fit between the blades and the shaft. Although such incidents are extremely rare, the Rio 4 piece is intended to be used as a back-up paddle which functions perfectly every time.

“We are requesting that dealers immediately discontinue selling the Rio 4-Piece and pull the stock from their shelves. We will accept their entire inventory of Rio 4-Piece paddles, including any demos, for a full refund credit,” says Jim Miller, Marketing Manger for Werner.

Consumers who have purchased the Rio 4-Piece should contact Werner Paddles directly for replacement and shipping information. Werner will be replacing consumer’s Rio 4-piece paddle blades with Premium Sherpa blades and covering all freight costs.

The Rio 4-Piece Roundup does not impact any Werner Premium 4-Piece paddles since the production process and material are completely different. Additionally, this does not impact the Rio Straight Shaft paddle.

“We are sorry for any inconvenience that this causes our dealers or end customers and want to make sure that we continue to have the best performing paddles on the market. Please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service team at repairs@wernerpaddles.com or 1.800.275.3311 if you have any questions,” says Jim Miller.

Werner Paddles is the leading manufacturer of high quality kayak, canoe, and stand up paddles, operating near the banks of the Skykomish River in Sultan, WA. For more information call 800.275.3311 or visit us at www.wernerpaddles.com.