I put a piece of PVC over mine and used gorilla tape... been 4 yrs. now, no problem!!!!

Mine pulled apart. I don't think I lost anything though. Problem is the outer (wider) tube also has cracks on the end where it used to be bent slightly inwards to prevent the end falling off.

I've used West Marine's telecoping boat hooks for tiller extensions. Pretty durable, not real light, but often under $20 on sale.

Dave