The other day I decided to try using my spare take-apart Werner paddle instead of my wooden Greenland paddle (from Superior Kayaks). The diameter of the grip is significantly smaller on the Werner than the Superior paddle. I made good time with my spare, but after about an hour I noticed that I was starting to develop some "hot spots" at the base of my ring and middle fingers and just below the first joint of the middle fingers. When I regularly paddled with the Werner I used to have small calluses at these points, but since using the Greenland paddle they have diminished and shifted position a little. I was thinking about trying to wrap something on the Werner to make the grip more similar to the Greenland paddle. I would appreciate any suggestions on what to use or reasons why I might not really want to try this. Mark J. Arnold *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Bicycle grip tape can work well. I taped my Bending Branches Tailwind with a high-end imitation cork synthetic tape (I don't know how well real cork Cinelli ribbon would hold up). I applied a strip along the front and back of the shaft before overwrapping the grip area, substantially increasing both the ovalization and circumference. In the short term, at least (see below), the result was VERY nice! Duh. There's a good reason bikies use cork! The grip was firm and warm, even compared to wood, but yielded enought to be more comfortable, the large contact area and non-slip surface give a very secure hold with relaxed fingers, even if slimed with a little sunscreen, so no tendency to death-grip in rough water or wind, and the extra oval made for faultless orientation, even when upside-down in surf while wearing gloves. (Sorry about that run-on!) However! There were some short- and long-term drawbacks. The grip was somewhat too grippy. In warm weather, sans gloves, the surface tore up wet skin pretty fast. Also, it is so tacky that the no-wrist-cock paddle rotation style advocated by Matt Broze doesn't work. The thing just wouldn't spin. I tried wrapping vinyl electrical tape over it just where the thumb and index finger lay, which partly solved both problems when bare-handed, but my gloves still clung to the surface, and I didn't want to vinylize the whole thing, 'cause then the superior grippiness would be lost. So, with a 60 degree feather I cocked my wrist back. (And foreward. I seem to need, or at least think I need, a slight downward flexion of my wrist when pulling control-hand-low with that paddle. Don't know why.) The first time I paddled over 15 miles in a day (on the first day of a one week trip out of Kyuquot Sound) I started to cook up a good case of tendinitis. By the last day (23 miles due to getting stuck for 3 days by a low gale) I was eating Ibuprofen like popcorn. Reasuringly, my doctor said it's Ok to take up to 3 grams a day! I now think that the excessive ovalizing was a double edged sword, at least with a high-angle feather. The extra action of the tendons required to open the hand farther to feather the thicker grip seems quite obvious. The very positive orientation of the paddle is worth it in whitewater, surf or storm paddling, when near-flawless bracing or rolling is a must, but for most cruising conditions I will be going back to a more conventional grip proportion. I peeled the tape off my primary paddle, and put on some Z-Spar Flagship varnish by way of consellation. Having 2 decent-quality breakdown paddles, with the "spare/storm" paddle highly ovalized so it is possible to swithc at will is my current plan. I am also exploring use of a low-angle feather (15-20 degrees) paddle, since unfeathered Euro blades never feel right to me, even though I am fairly comfortable with the Greenland stick I carved. Other than the headwind factor, this seems to work well. I also have a wooden whitewater paddle which I wrapped with cheaper cloth tape. This thinner tape changes the grip profile less, but gives an excellent grip with gloves. I can't recall paddling with it enough without gloves to say if the blister problem is any better. The rivers here are rarely that warm! Mike Wagenbach "I like to get to work early, so I can discard a pet hypothesis before breakfast." -Konrad Lorenz I'd settle for Happy Hour. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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