Does anyone have a recommendation for a set of pogies that might fit on a Greenland paddle? Where my hands fall, my Snapdragons won’t velcro around anything that large, and using a Greenland stick with gloves felt very strange yesterday. The angle of the blade is everything, and I just couldn’t feel it as well with gloves…
Won’t pogies prevent being able to slide your hands along a GP? I do that pretty continuously while using one, can’t imagine having my hands locked in place. Maybe you need better gloves.
You’re right, they would. I don’t move my hands around quite as often as you apparently do, so it might be worth the hassle. My stick has shoulders where the blades begin, so I primarily station my hands there unless I’m employing a sweep stroke.
Do rowing pogies have a larger diameter opening? They make some with windproof nylon outers and microfleece lining. My husband got a pair. The Kokatat ones I have are lined inside the pogie tops only.
I use level 6 mittens.
https://www.levelsix.com/collections/canada-day-sale/products/mitts-neoprene-mitts
I’ve favored pogies since I got started kayaking. I also move my hands along the paddle shaft a fair amount. For me, pogies have always slid easily along the shaft without my noticing interference. But I’m not using a Greenland paddle where I want to get my hand around the shoulder of the blade. I imagine you just need an opening wide enough on the outside of each pogie to slip over the shoulder of the shaft. Wouldn’t be difficult to modify a pair to try it. But as far as sliding your hands along the shaft, that shouldn’t present an issue.
I took a piece of neoprene a couple inches wide and the length of the pogie’s velco. Then I put mating velco on both edges of the neoprene. Not sure if I’m explaining it well…basically used that intermediate piece to extend the pogie’s flap which in turn makes a larger hole for the paddle shaft. Cheap, no need to modify the pogies
I used Snapdragon pogies with my GP last winter. I can’t remember it causing any trouble. I usually have my thumb and index finger around the loom and the 3 other fingers on the blade.
I can’t remember if I have been sliding the GP while wearing the pogies. I normally would slide it quite a lot, but I may have given up on it because of the pogies and then forgot all about it.
If you winter paddle and do a lot of rolling, pogies aren’t going to cut it. Your hands will go numb. Use NRS 3 mm neo mitts. With a GP, there should be no problem with indexing for rolling with the mitts.
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I also use Level 6 mitts.
Get some decent gloves or mitts and forget about pogies. There are good reasons why very few GP users paddle with pogies; chief among them is that they’re way too confining. If there was a good reason to use pogies, Greenlanders would have been doing so for centuries. Instead, they use mitts.
I don;t do much with a GP, but have mitts that might meet your needs (assuming it isn’t so cold that you need those 3 mm gloves talked about above). Reed Chillcheater/Aquatherm makes a set of open palmed mitts that might work - https://www.chillcheater.com/gloves-and-footwear/aquatherm-open-palm-webbed-paddle-mitt. Not all that easy to find in the states, though.
I guess I fished too much in the ocean. Every time I see “pogies” i start to break out the cast net to catch pogies…(aka menhaden or fish bait). I can’t imagine using either with my greenland paddle.
Pogies and cold water are not a good mix as if you capsize, your hands are unprotected. Those 3 mm neo mitts look interesting. I have 2 mm Glacier gloves but if my hands get wet, they’re not very effective.
@Rookie said:
Pogies and cold water are not a good mix as if you capsize, your hands are unprotected.
I always wear open handed mitts together with the pogies. The mitts are “rolled back” behind the wrist. When I go into the water, I can easily roll the mitts into correct position.
Give both (pogies, gloves) a try, if you can.
I’ve never been a ‘glove’ fan, though I paddle in conditions that aren’t extremely cold.
When living in Minnesota years ago, when it got too cold, I would wear heavy duty gloves.
Typically though, I’ve found pogies quite comfortable in temps above mid 30’s.
I like nylon, but if they get wet, they’re uncomfortable, so I mostly use Snapdragon ‘Hyper Hands’ (hypalon rubber). (my hands are ‘alergic’ to neoprene, they’ll develop sores after a while)
btw, I have had a pair of the Snapdragons (still have) for a very long time. The velcro wore out, so I use duct tape to secure them. With you Snapdragons, this would also allow you to possibly fit a larger shaft (the greenland shoulder)