Gloves | SouthernPaddler.com

Gloves

tx river rat

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2007
3,043
2
Waco Tx
Do any of you guys use gloves when your paddling and what kind do you recommend for warm weather just to protect hand and cold weather gloves. the new paddle I have has a glass shaft and is a little rough after 20 something miles in last couple days and half that in swift water going upstream my hands were starting to get sore.
Help
Ron
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Heya Ron,

Pig skin riggers gloves work pretty well but shrink when drying.

Failing that, you could allways try wrapping ya hands round an icy cold beer can about every 20 minutes or so. :p
 

john the pom

Well-Known Member
Jul 30, 2007
345
1
Queensland
Just a thought, and no I haven't personally tried it so it might turn out to be a real bad idea, but I'd be tempted to try wrapping/taping either a fake or even a real piece of chamois leather around the paddle. Wet or dry its pretty soft stuff.
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
old time shrimpers used to urinate on their hands to toughen them up for handling the nets

maybe you could just pour beer on them and eliminate the middle man
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
G'day Ron,

Seriously mate, :oops:

Cabelas have some nice looking gloves. Robin uses some sort of sea kayakers glove (sometimes) and she reckonsit helps.

Unless the pain you are experiencing is some sort of muscular or joint pain (other than rough skin) I wouldn't bother about it too much. Your hands will toughen up soon enough.

for real cool weather, sea kayakers use a type of insulated mitten. I don't know anything about them though. Perhaps Dan of West Coast Paddler might be able to help?
 

tx river rat

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2007
3,043
2
Waco Tx
Yesterday I was playing with feathering the paddle in the high wind and that may have been part of my problem. What I was experiencing was a little tenderness on the skin but mostly soreness on inside thumbs. I may need to just stay with the parallel blades where I don't have to rotate shaft.My hand usually toughen up to work pretty fast ( 40 plus years in the steel business) But I do have a little bit of a unique situation
IM001816.jpg


A projectile blew this one off and they reattached it not pretty but I never would have won a beauty contest and it works so I am happy with it. But it does put a little pressure on in a different way. I think I will try the pigskin gloves first.
Ron
Do you think a bent shaft single blade would help if you alternated between that and a yak paddle
 

bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
Friend Ron,

Dapper Al wears some gloves hiz wife made outta some lite, stretch cloth. IIRC, she made little girl dance clothes 'n had some left over. Al sez hiz wife made him 5-6 pairs. My mind tells me he sez it keeps the skin cancer off hiz hands, keeps 'em warm 'n makes paddlin' eazy. These gloves only covered hiz fingers out ta hiz first knuckle.

He will likely stop by 'n tell ya'll the truth....which he dont stretch.......even tho he wuz reared in Michigan. :wink:

regards
bearridge

ps Where iz Gerry?

I hate political correctness because it's founded on the idea that by means of language you can escape truth -- that if you simply give a different name to something you've somehow changed it. It is a very childlike idea. P. J. O'Rourke
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
87
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Ron, that's a thumb for high speed hitch hiking only! But, with that crook in it, they will wonder which direction you wanna go.

My thoughts are this:
1. Avoid any paddle you have to feather like the plague. It can be an advantage ONLY in a strong head wind. All other times it is a detriment. If your feather to not catch a head wind, then you will also miss the push of a tail wind. But, a side wind from either direction snatches them from yhour hands the more easily. Plus, you're having to think about which way to twist. And, in an emergency brace you're most likely to not put the paddle into the water correctly and either knife in when you expected resistance, or the opposite. These paddles solved a problem that didn't exist, and raised three that weren't there before.

2. If you sand the shaft, you will likely raise glass whiskers. Apply varnish or some such thing to fix those little daggers.

3. I've worn goatskin ropers gloves for lots of jobs. I don't prefer gloves to paddle because it interferes with the feel and touch of the paddle. My paddling is clumsy enough as it is without paying good money to make it worse.

4. Dapper Al does indeed wear gloves that Mary makes for him. They are thin and go to mid finger length only. I think it's Lycra or spandex. Email him; he'll tell you. [email protected] "Tell'm Groucho sent ya."

5. Also, your grip on a paddle may be too tight. When I started paddling I had cramps in my forearms. No more. I learned to loosen up my grip and paddle by twisting my back with arm held in one position. Do not paddle by bending your elbows - it is more difficult, weaker, and more tiring.
 

dangermouse01

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2006
312
1
Palm Bay, FL (East coast)
Ron;
I keep a pair of gloves with me on any multi-day trips. I have yet to wear them while paddling, they are there just in case, I do get a bad blister, cut my palm on a oyster shell or what ever may happen. I got mine from a Sports Authority type general sporting goods store from the weight/work out section.
glove-1.jpg

glove-2.jpg

Check the padding on the palm (especially around the thumb area) of any pair before you buy, not being designed for paddling, bad padding will cause a blister right quick.
I got pretty good paddle calluses so I would only wear them in an emergency situation where I need to keep paddling.

Like Jack said, I think the sore hand is most likely improper technique, either hand position, to tight a grip or bad form.
Heres a good link that has good info about all those and LOTS more.
http://atlantickayaktours.com/pages/expertcenter/main-expert-center.shtml

The oval shape of your new paddle's shaft is so that you will instinctively know what orientation your blades are to your hands (the knuckles of your control hand should be lined up with the blade edge on that side). The oval will fit your grip when hand position if right. Works with either feathered on un-feathered.

Also before your trip make sure you have paddled with your "spare" paddle and are comfortable using it, as comfortable as your primary. Two days out, and three to go is a bad time to find out your "spare" doesn't fit ya.

Hope it helps some..DM
 

tx river rat

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2007
3,043
2
Waco Tx
Thanks mouse
Jack that thumb is handy to break a kid from sucking his thumb . a few times I have caught a kid sucking his thumb in a store or mall look down at him say son you see this thumb I got it because I wouldnt listen to my folks and stop sucking my thumb, they will pop that thumb out of there mouth go out the door holding it up looking at it. :lol:
Mouse I think you and Jack are right about the tecnique I paddled over twenty miles in a short period of time and some with a heavy headwind , I was playing with feathering the paddle. I got to thinking on the long trip it will be very important to keep your hands in shape ,Ill try those gloves
Ron
 

nobucks

Well-Known Member
I second the type recommended by Dangermouse. If I do a long warm weather paddle I wear my bicycle gloves, cut fingers, padded palm, synthetic materials. The palm is some kind of synthetic suede, but the gloves have held up for years on the trail and on the water.

For cold weather, I'm making a pair of neoprene mittens and I may throw some fleece inside too.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
87
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
A trick I use is to mark my paddles. First, measure the paddle to find the center. I mark mine with a small triangle of reflective tape on top of the shaft (loom), pointing forwards. Remember, the pointy end goes forward.

Next, stand upright while holding the paddle in both hands, arms bent, at waist level. Have elbows at your side, hands at shoulder width. Have a helper (using maybe small bits of masking tape) mark the inside edges of your hands. Apply a 1/8"-1/4" wide band of reflective tape around your paddle shaft at these points. Measure carefully to ensure they are symmetrically placed from the (already accurately measured and placed) center point.

This helps several ways. As already stated, the paddle is oriented forward with the triangle reminder. The width markers are reminders that your hands will not (normally) be closer together than these points. They also help to ensure that you are holding the paddle symmetrically.

If your boat is pulling to one side, slide the paddle that way and hold it off center. This provides a more powerful stroke to help guide the boat straight under existing conditions. You can even hold the paddle by one end, other hand near the blade, and paddle that way if you need lots of leverage on that side. When reorienting back to normal position, the reflective tape markers help you see at a glance - then eyes back on the water - how to set up your paddle.

Reflective tape also helps keep bozos from stumbling over a misplaced paddle in the dark.
 

tx river rat

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2007
3,043
2
Waco Tx
Well I was in hardware store today saw some pigskin gloves on sale
thought in an emegency they would work to paddle with and might be pretty good for picking a hot skillet up so they are going in my yak.
Ron