Yup. That relaxing behind the hips, horizontal-bladed J stroke is slow but does evolve. Now, I have at least three steering strokes I use and in two of them, for calm water, I can paddle at 45-50 strokes per minute, do very minor corrections and stay in sync with my bow. Neither of my wrists twist much and my hands stay very loose, both of which alleviate blisters and carpal tunnel. Ray Goodwin (video above) demos this beautifully.
Here’s my video showing one of my modified J strokes. Notice,I do pry the paddle off the gunwale to help.
What to do if you are developing shaft thumb friction inflammation? I’ve never had this problem, but I see no reason not to use tape, band-aids or gloves to prevent the inflammation from getting worse or blistering.
How to prevent friction inflammation? There has been lots of good advice on this point. Pull the shaft with four fingers and only very loosely and lightly with the thumb, while rotating the shaft into the J with the grip hand. Sand and perhaps oil the shaft area. Thin and oval the shaft. Learn and practice the pitch stroke, Canadian stroke and the palm roll.
Gloves are definitely the answer. I always seem to wind up paddling a heavily loaded canoe on a windy lake, so I have a custom-made bent-shaft paddle that is wider than most. I call it “the power paddle” and I really put some effort into it, which is a sure recipe for blisters. I use cheap nylon garden gloves, which are hard to find because most are not nylon. Nylon dries quickly so you are not putting on wet gloves the next day. I think changing strokes or sanding off the varnish would be a complicated solution for a simple problem.
I find that, at the beginning of the season, applying rubbing alcohol on friction spots on the hands and fingers hardens them up and alleviates these problems.
I used to think the finish had something to do with inflammation and/or blisters, but when I started making my own paddles, fitted to my hands (which are a little on the larger side), it then didn’t matter what finish I put on them. Also, loosen your grip… hold it like you would hold a bird, just enough so it doesn’t get away, but you don’t want to crush it.
I like the bird holding analogy of gently holding a paddle. Never wrap your fingers to a death grip tight hold. With only curled fingers on the shaft, the paddle is not going anywhere as you pull a power stroke. The thumb is there only as a safety hook, and does not normally take part in the power pull. If a correctional J is necessary, the paddle should be able to easily roll in the open space between index finger and thumb without friction regardless of the finish on the paddle. Wearing gloves (fingerless preferred) at first may get you into the right practiced configuration with your loosened hold on the shaft.
If you plan to be canoeing very much, considering the amount of time a paddle is in in your hand and the importance of it as a necessary well fitting component, you should not be afraid to spend whatever it takes to get a paddle that is functionally correct and properly fits your needs. With that in mind, excellent paddles are not all that expensive, not even the custom made ones.
All good advice, for a short term fix I find wearing paddling gloves helps and I also loop some waterproof first aid tape around the base of my thumb. That solves the problem for me when I am kayak paddling.
However the others are right that with canoe paddling you shouldn’t have this kind of friction burn and changing technique will help. Taking some of the gloss off the varnish will also help, my favorite canoe paddles have an oiled, not a varnished grip and shaft. You just need a bit more maintenance on them. Of course now that winter is coming you shouldn’t feel bad about wearing gloves.
In the spring I am going to start using a substance called Tuff-Foot to toughen up my skin where the carbon fiber from my kayak paddles rub, so I hope to paddle gloveless this summer. Seems to have helped this fall so far, put on twice a day for a week, then once a day for a week, then as needed.
I’m still unsure of which hand is the problem. Top (handle’grip) or bottom (shaft)? If it’s the bottom hand, then you’re likely holding the paddle too tightly, as others have said. If it’s the top hand, then it could be a variety of factors. Help us help you.
As I said, thick paddle and small hands here. The people in your videos wear large golf gloves. I wear a cadet small. Go to the store and examine that. There is no paddle with a shaft thicker than electrical conduit that can be hooked in my short fingers. The issue has been identified and resolved.
Thank you, that’s the right idea. However, I think you may have forgotten a zero on those grits. I addressed it with steel wool and it went from tack to slick in five minutes of work.
I think you and TW are right in that a much finer grit is just fine (finer ) if all you want to do is knock off the gloss. I’m a big fan of an oil finish on wood paddles so whenever I’ve modified a varnished paddle shaft I’ve removed the varnish entirely which can be quite a bit of work.
Took it out this morning before the gale warning and it’s an improvement. I also had to put gloves on for a few minutes because it’s 32 out. I experimented with all of the strokes and my thumb is just integral to using this paddle, especially with my preferred Canadian stroke. A lot of my paddling is wildlife or fish watching. I can see that the pitch is faster and more efficient, but it’s more for covering ground.
As for videos, I put on Bill Mason and saw how he was holding his paddles. He has his wrist cocked on his bottom hand to help cradle his paddle in what looks like small hands. I would guess my hands are even smaller than his and these paddles, although lightweight and local, are just huge in cross section.
) if all you want to do is knock off the gloss. I’m a big fan of an oil finish on wood paddles so whenever I’ve modified a varnished paddle shaft I’ve removed the varnish entirely which can be quite a bit of work.