[Paddlewise] Puffy hands

 Sorry if this is an old topic, but I've been paddling for maybe 8 years,
 and consistently find that my hands always get 'puffy' on trips of more
 than a day or two.  From those I've spoken with, this happens fairly often
 with others as well.  I suspect the primary cause is (a) the strain of
 carrying the boats to and from the water, using muscles that don't get
used
 like that very often.  I assume the other possibilities are (b) just
 holding and using paddle for hours at a time (I don't grip the shaft
 particularly hard, so I doubt that's the cause) or (c) exposure to cold
 water and air for hours at a time.

 Does anyone else on the list experience this much and have ideas what the
 culprit is?  Can it be minimized by doing some kind of hand exercises?

 Evan


***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/
***************************************************************************