Okay , I got my first generation aquadapter on sale, cut off 5 inches from my gardinder SLX 30’ and that aquadapter does not want to slide on to my cut off pole.
I watch the videos where Alex is putting tape on to compensate for the slack. I cannot even get my aquadapter to slide on to my cut off pole.
I have tried prying open the aquadapter a bit, but something just doesn’t feel right.
Has anyone else put an aquadapter onto their SLX-30? Was it difficult?
I need my pole in the morning.
what about some wd40? i would call Tony or Alex up, they should have an answer…don’t know where you are from but they usually get in early over at wcr. I bet you can just fix it in the field.
How old is your Gardiner SL-X?
Hi Tony, I bought my SLX this year , maybe at the end of last year from WCR. I am pretty sure it was on sale. Is it possible it was an older model that was changed?
Do you have any thoughts? I mean I could maybe really pry open the aquadapter and get it to go on… but from what i have read it doen’t seem like it should be so difficult.
I have read that some older style SL-X poles have a larger diameter #1 section than the newer ones but it sounds like yours should be a newer style. I’d try to gently pry open the Aquadapter just enough to get it on. I think Tory had a good suggestion about the WD-40. I’d put a litttle on a rag and apply it to the inside of the Aquadapter before sliding it on. If that doesn’t work give me (or Alex) a call in the morning. 319-325-9475
I have a suspicion that my #1 pole has a larger diameter. I am going to go ahead and use a little more force in prying open the aquadapter. When I put my aquadapter next to my pole, they look like they have the same diameter, rather than the aquadapter being slightly larger which would seem necessary.
I have already cut the pole , so I might as well try and make it fit.
Thank you for the help so late on a sunday night. If it doesn’t work I will give someone a call tomorrow.
Hope it works out for you Christopher.
You must have a MK3 SLX25 (30ft reach), these poles along with the MK1 SLX25 had a larger diameter top section than the rest of the range making it the stiffest pole in the range. These poles have a top diameter of 25mm as opposed to 22mm for the rest of the range.
If you are unable to stretch the aquadapter to fit then there is only one way of fitting an aquadapter to your pole. What you will need to do is to glue in a short length of 22mm diameter tube inside the top of your top section. If you glue in a section that is 6 inches long, glue 4 inches inside the top of the pole and then you will have two inches sticking out to fix the aquadapter to.
Talk to the firm who sold you the aquadapter as they may well have a small second-hand section of pole lying around of the right size either in carbon fibre, fibre glass or even aluminium (the top section on the Xtel poles are the correct size). If not let Shawn Gavin of RHG know and he may have a spare section, if this fails we have plenty of tube of the right size in our workshops - but we are in the UK.
Thanks Alex!
Christopher you can give us a ring as soon as you see this, we are basically open now. 862 266 0677
I was wondering, since it is only a 2mm difference…what about putting the aquadapter in a pot of really warm water for about 10 minutes…with some wd40 on the outside of the pole? (the heat may make the aquadapter’s material stretch just a little, and since its so cold outside the pole will be cold anyway.
Does the heat/cold thing only work with liquids, or solids as well?
Tory, i would think that this would put too much stress on the pole once it cools, if it worked at all. Its great that Alex G was out thgere to give an answer.
Hmm, you may be right. Okay…disregard that advice.
Hey thanks for all the help guys . What an asset to have such support and help all the time. This forum really is like a community. And thanks to ALex at Gardeiner for that info. I really thought that I got an SL-X 30 (with the 35’ reach) either from WCR or RHG, can’t remember now. I will check on the length of the pole later to determine for sure.
Anyway, I got the Aquadapter on last night without too much trouble. I put on some PB Blaster like Tory suggested and pryed open the aquadapter.
I think it should be fine. It definitely did not just slip on like the posted videos. I am not disappointed at all and I look forward to using it today.
Thanks again. Hope you all have a prosperous day!
