Paddle head guard system

1 . A paddle head guard system comprising:

a paddle head guard sized to at least partially cover an outer edge portion of a paddle head, the guard comprising a moldable and hardenable band configured to be hardened after being wrapped over the outer edge portion of the paddle head; and

an airtight package containing and sealed about the paddle head guard to maintain the moldable and hardenable band in a non-hardened state prior to being removed from the airtight package and being applied to the paddle head,

wherein the paddle head guard has a chemical composition configured to automatically undergo a chemical reaction and initiate hardening to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale solely due to exposure to air in response to removal from the airtight package.

2 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the paddle head guard further comprises an adhesive layer supported by the moldable and hardenable band, the adhesive layer being configured to bond the guard to the outer edge portion of the paddle head.

3 . The paddle head guard system of claim 2 , wherein the adhesive layer and the moldable and hardenable band have a combined thickness of no greater than 1.5 mm.

4 . The paddle head guard system of claim 2 , wherein the paddle head guard further comprises a film manually peelable from the adhesive layer to expose adhesive layer.

5 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 further comprising a bonding strip comprising:

an adhesive layer having a first face for bonding to the moldable and hardenable band and a second face for bonding to the outer edge portion of the paddle head;

a first film adhered to and manually peelable from the first face of the adhesive layer; and

a second film adhered to and manually peelable from the second face of the adhesive layer.

6 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the paddle head guard has a thickness of no greater than 2.0 mm.

7 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the paddle head guard has a weight of no greater than 13 g.

8 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the moldable and hardenable band is:

flat;

has a weight of no greater than 13 g;

has a width of no greater than 45 mm; and

has a length of no greater than 350 mm.

9 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the moldable and hardenable band is imperforate.

10 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the moldable and hardenable band is perforate.

11 . A method comprising:

removing a paddle head guard from an airtight package to automatically initiate a chemical reaction to initiate hardening of the paddle head guard to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale solely due to exposure to air in response to removal from the airtight package;

bending and wrapping the paddle head guard about an edge portion of a paddle head prior to hardening of the paddle head guard to the at least 70 on the Shore A scale;

hardening the paddle head guard to the at least 70 on the Shore A scale while the paddle head guard is wrapped about the edge portion of the paddle head.

12 . A paddle comprising:

a handle;

a head having an outer peripheral edge;

a paddle head guard system secured to the outer peripheral edge, the paddle head guard system comprising:

an elongate guard at least partially covering the outer peripheral edge of the head, the guard formed from a material configured to harden to a hardness value of at least 70 on a Shore A scale solely in response to being removed from an airtight package and when exposed to ambient room temperature air after being wrapped over the outer peripheral edge, wherein the guard a thickness of no greater than 2.0 mm.

13 . The paddle of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the band is less than one quarter of the width of the band.

14 . The method of claim 11 further comprising wrapping opposite side edges of the guard inwardly along opposite faces of the head.

15 . The paddle of claim 12 , wherein the elongate guard has a longitudinal length and an outer surface tapering in opposite longitudinal directions along a majority of the longitudinal length such that the band has a greatest thickness at a longitudinal midpoint and has a reduced thickness at opposite longitudinal ends of the longitudinal length.

16 . The paddle of claim 12 , wherein the band has a rectangular cross-section, a thickness of the band being less than half of a width of the band.

17 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the band has a longitudinal length and an outer longitudinal tapering surface tapering in opposite longitudinal directions along a majority of the longitudinal length such that the band has a greatest thickness at a longitudinal midpoint and has a reduced thickness at opposite longitudinal ends of the longitudinal length.

18 . The paddle head guard system of claim 17 , wherein the band has a transverse width and an outer transverse tapering surface tapering in opposite transverse directions along a majority of the transverse width such that the band has a greatest thickness at a transverse midpoint and has a reduced thickness at opposite transverse edges of the transverse width.

19 . The paddle head guard system of claim 17 further comprising perforations extending through the outer longitudinal tapering surface.

20 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the band has a transverse width and an outer surface tapering in opposite transverse directions along a majority of the transverse width such that the band has a greatest thickness at a transverse midpoint and has a reduced thickness at opposite transverse edges of the transverse width.

21 . The paddle head guard system of claim 1 , wherein the band comprises a series of perforations transversely centered along its length, wherein particular perforations of the series of perforations near a midpoint are smaller than particular perforations at opposite longitudinal ends of the band.