Re: [Paddlewise] PFD

----- Original Message -----
From: <skylakeboatworks_at_yahoo.com>

> Are there any tricks to good paddling form while wearing a PFD.  I find
that
> with a Farmer John, longsleeve fleece, paddling shirt, spray skirt, and
PFD
> on, there is quite a consierable amount of resistanct to a good torso
> rotation.

That is tough.  The culprit is not the PFD if it is the proper size and you
smartly use all the adjustment straps that most PFDs come with nowadays.  It
is mainly the Farmer John.  One faces a dilemma with a neoprene farmer john
wet suit.  The advice is to get it real tight in order for it to work and
let in only a minimal amount of water.  BUT that level of snug fit is hell
on body rotation and creates that enormous resistance you feel.  You may be
better off switching to one of the watersport fleece Polartecs which is
quite stretchy and has none of that resistance you get in neoprene.  The
material is so stretchy that you can actually wear a full sleeved wet suit
of the material...this is something almost impossible to do with neoprene
unless you have it custom-made with some panels made of a less thick
neoprene than the the rest.  The Polartec stuff isn't as good as neoprene
but it will work reasonably well if you use a paddle jacket etc.  Of course,
you can wear all the stuff you currently have and look at the paddling as
offering a high resistance fitness exercise! :-)

ralph diaz
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