My Solution
I broke the wrist in my control hand many years ago in a mountain bike crash. Fast forward to my kayaking era, and I began to experience some wrist pain after 4 or 5 hours of paddling while using my carbon fiber shafted paddles. I switched to a wooden shaft(Saltwood), and the pain ceased.
I also can use my Greenland Paddle with the same pain free results. For me, switching to wooden shafted paddles made all the difference. The carbon shafted ones are now reserved as spares or used for shorter paddles.
Slushpaddler
Thanks for the kind words. Appreciate your comments. Rest is best, no doubt. Too bad it has taken me 59 years to figure out I need to take care of myself. Think I’ll break out the boat in the Jan. Thanks again.
67
Thanks for your input. Wonder why the wooden paddle helps yet the carbon hurts, Paddling style? Others had recommended the Greenland also.
Flexible
– Last Updated: Nov-07-14 6:49 PM EST –
Actually, I think the flexibility of wood versus carbon is what does it for me as it provides some cushioning from the forces. We repeat these strokes thousands of times so anything that can aggravate gets multiplied.
I can actually feel the difference upon blade catch with wood versus carbon. I do prefer carbon shafts for short sprint work as my problem only manifests itself on longer touring paddles.
empathy
I am 69 with 30 years of stretching exercise behind me.
That is older but the retarded often mistake me for 40+ seen from a distance with poor eyesight. I move quickly. Ex carpenter.
My knee skin when scrapped takes 2 months to completely heal over. Back when, 2 weeks, right ?
The twin 25 milers paddled for the reported Flamingo to Long Key Boomerang stretched upper shoulder tendons and ligaments into a 360 degree creak creak during rotations, for 4 months just now completely uncreaking.
training takes considerable care and awareness to not overtrain and setback several months.
If you want to experience hand pain go next door n punch your nabs head a coupla times.
Second the Arnica. Most health food
stores will carry it in stock. Asked one day at a local name brand ‘everything’ grocery store and they’d never heard of it.
67
Good info. Something I need to look into. Thank you for your input.
A friend with similar pain just switched
to a Greenland Paddle with great results. One of the things I believe helps is the indexing (oval shape) on the loom near the blade shoulder. Keeps paddle from twisting in the grip. Also believe the dihedral on both faces of the GP blade helps a lot to steady the draw through the water. I use GP for all my flatwater paddlecraft for past 8 years - no joint strain at 70+. Not as fast as a euro but much more comfortable. Would borrow one to try. R
My Mitchell is my most flexible
slalom/ww paddle. I ordered it that way.
Carbon shafts and blades can be flexible, if they are designed and fabricated to be flexible.
And my stiffest slalom style paddle has a wooden shaft, which is “stiff as a board”. Having made a few paddles, it is harder to achieve flexibility in a wooden shaft than it is by ordering a flexible carbon shaft. My most flexible shaft is selected solid ash, carefully tapered.
RnR
May have to do some research on the wooden paddle when I’m up and about. Seems to be a common thought. Thank you for your input.
Rookie
Will have to check it out. Thank you again. It’s been 4 days since I went to the DR and feeling a little better.
EZ Water
Good info EZ.