I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with bent shaft paddles. I'm new to paddling and I have a wrist injury that I don't want to aggravate. In theory, they seem like a logical way to reduce strain on the wrists, but I wonder if they work in practice. Do they reduce the strain on your wrist? If so, does this paddle design have any problems that wouldn't be apparent to a neophyte like myself? Thanks in advance for any opinions. Brian *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Brian, I paddle with a crank (Lendal) and simply love the feel of it. BUT whether it is any better for my wrists than a straight shaft I cannot tell you. Best thing to do is find someone who has one and paddle with it for 30 minutes or more. That said, I believe that the best advice anyone can give you about your wrist is to cultivate an open-hand forward stroke. As you push forward with the offside (upper) hand, open your hand and let the shaft rest between your thumb and forefinger. With the pulling hand, open up your thumb and let the other four fingers, bent into a hook, pull the paddle. Holding the paddle shaft as loosely as conditions allow, and frequently opening your grip, will gradually alleviate wrist problems attributable to paddling. Best, Bob V ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Kelley" <briankelley25_at_hotmail.com> To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 12:17 AM Subject: [Paddlewise] (PaddleWise) Bent-shaft paddles? > I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with bent shaft paddles. > I'm new to paddling and I have a wrist injury that I don't want to aggravate. > In theory, they seem like a logical way to reduce strain on the wrists, but I > wonder if they work in practice. Do they reduce the strain on your wrist? If > so, does this paddle design have any problems that wouldn't be apparent to a > neophyte like myself? Thanks in advance for any opinions. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Brian wrote. >I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with bent shaft paddles. Good day, I've heard good reports of the bent shaft paddle in reducing wrist stress but believe it should be unnecessary. Another approach, if its possible where you live, is to find a really good kayak instructor/sports physiotherapist and learn and practice a technique that doesn't induce excessive wrist stress and exercises that balance the stresses in your musculature. Learn to balance your boat with your hips as well as your paddle and find a correctly sized paddle. A loose grip will help. The rotation of the 'control' hand which is so often described in text books ought to be unnecessary most of the time. I don't think it is possible to describe appropriate paddling technique by email as it would partly depend on your physique and conditions paddled. This is not intended to be a flip answer, such instructers can be hard to find but well worth it when you do. PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with bent shaft paddles. >I'm new to paddling and I have a wrist injury that I don't want to aggravate.> About six years ago I developed carpal tunnel in both wrists. I tried out a AT paddle (www.atpaddle.com) and liked the feel of it so I bought one. Both wrists gradually healed over a period of four months even though I continued working full time and paddling with the AT every weekend. I recovered 100 percent and have not had any problems since. Personally I think a bent shaft is the only way to go. The AT has a 45 degree blade feather angle which I believe is wrist friendly. Don't buy a paddle until you have been able to test it in the water. Years ago I bought a expensive ultra light made by a major paddle company. Based on company hype and testimony from other paddlers I thought I would really like it but no matter what technique I used this paddle always had a noisy entry. One thing I like about the AT is that it is so silent entering and exiting the water. Test before you buy. As Bob V stated in his response, even with a bent shaft you should learn a relaxed, open grip. Rex *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 12:54 PM 2/25/02 -0500, John Feriera wrote: >At 10:31 AM 2/25/02 -0500, Kirk Olsen wrote: >>A friend of mine has severe carpal tunnel in his wrists. He designed and >>built a paddle to alleviate the stress on his wrists. It's a more extreme >>solution than the crank shaft paddles. > >It's not the paddle that causes carpal tunnel syndrome or wrist >injuries. It's how one uses the paddle. The issue for my friend was that he had carpal tunnel when he started paddling. Using an unfeathered straight shafted paddle exacerbates his carpal tunnel. He felt the options were to get a different style of paddle or stop paddling. kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: "Kirk Olsen" <kolsen_at_imaginelan.com> > The issue for my friend was that he had carpal tunnel when he started paddling. > > Using an unfeathered straight shafted paddle exacerbates his carpal tunnel. > He felt the options were to get a different style of paddle or stop paddling. I switched to a bent shaft, variable feather paddle and it alleviated a lot of strain and soreness problems. The bent shaft helps straighten the wrist and adjusting the feather helps reduce the wrist flexure for whatever paddling technique (high, low, whatever) he uses. I think it would be worthwhile to at least try such a paddle for a while - borrowing would be better than renting, which would be cheaper than buying. If a rental fees can be applied to the purchase price, so much the better. If he can't find a variable feather paddle, just push in the button on the join and set the paddle angle as desired. Then use some duct tape to hold it in position; he might find that friction alone will suffice. Keep changing the angle till the wrist flexure is minimized (approx 25-30 degrees for low angle and 50-60 degrees for high angle is a likely starting point). Make sure that he's using torso rotation for power and not arm flex. Good luck to him! Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 09:17 PM 2/23/02 -0800, you wrote: > I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with bent shaft paddles. >I'm new to paddling and I have a wrist injury that I don't want to aggravate. >In theory, they seem like a logical way to reduce strain on the wrists, but I >wonder if they work in practice. Do they reduce the strain on your wrist? A friend of mine has severe carpal tunnel in his wrists. He designed and built a paddle to alleviate the stress on his wrists. It's a more extreme solution than the crank shaft paddles. Sitting at your desk hold you hands like you are holding a normal paddle. Now rotate your hands so your thumbs are upward, like you are holding the handlebars on a racing bicycle. I can feel the tendons in my forearm tighten when I rotate my hands to the normal paddling position. I've got a couple of pictures of his "bow" paddle at http://people.ne.mediaone.net/jkolsen/html/paddle.html The vertical posts are the hand holds. I don't seem to have a picture of the paddle in use. My canoeing partner has recurring tendonitis problems in his elbow, the only paddle he's willing to use when I've coaxed him into a kayak is my bow paddle. kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:31 AM 2/25/02 -0500, Kirk Olsen wrote: >At 09:17 PM 2/23/02 -0800, you wrote: > > I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with bent shaft > paddles. > >I'm new to paddling and I have a wrist injury that I don't want to > aggravate. > >In theory, they seem like a logical way to reduce strain on the wrists, > but I > >wonder if they work in practice. Do they reduce the strain on your wrist? > >A friend of mine has severe carpal tunnel in his wrists. He designed and >built a paddle to alleviate the stress on his wrists. It's a more extreme >solution than the crank shaft paddles. It's not the paddle that causes carpal tunnel syndrome or wrist injuries. I how one uses the paddle. I have been a keyboard jockey (aka software programmer) for about 20 years. I've never used special keyboards or mouse pads which are advertised for alleviating carpal tunnel problems, yet I've never had a problem with my wrists. I also use a standard Euro style feathered paddle and I've never had wrist problems from paddling either. If, however, I spent a couple of hours a day bending my wrist back as far as it would go, over and over again, I would almost definitively develop carpal tunnel syndrome. One *can* paddle without stressing the wrist if it's done using a technique with doesn't repeatedly bending the joint to it's maximum range. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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