Hey, I've tried three different aluminum sticks, made my own twice from paint extensions with wood dowel insert, one from part of pool cleaning extension. Bottom line #1 - when aluminum bends, almost impossible to get kink out of inner/outer tube so it rarely slides. Bottom line #2 - wood dowel inside the alum works great but weighs a ton. Bottom line #3 just fork out the $$ now and get an fiberglass Hotstick from Hobie, Murray's or Fogh. When you drop your stick at max speed, aluminum sticks just can't stand the pressure and bend. In trying to save money I've undoubtedly spent enough for 2 sticks already. Just buy one now, save yourself months (years) of aggravation then forget about your stick bending. Make sure you get one that extends to at least 8' long so you can hold it under your arm when doing other odd jobs. Cheers, Ron