If you've spent a lot of time in a kayak, you've probably had to deal with a few aches and pains, particularly in your hands. Blisters often occur where the paddle rubs against your thumbs or pads of your fingers. Water and sand can aggravate the condition by softening and abrading your skin. To prevent damage to your hands, pick up a pair of gloves. You can wear cycling gloves, but many manufacturers produce gloves specifically designed for kayaking.
Cycling Gloves
Made of breathable and well-padded material, cycling gloves are designed to improve a cyclist's grip, prevent blisters and protect hands in the event of a fall. Some cycling gloves have fingers, while others are fingerless and made for warmer-weather cycling. These gloves often include a soft, absorbent fabric on the back of the thumb where you can wipe your nose or dry off sweat. Cycling gloves may have seams in places inappropriate for paddling.
Kayaking Gloves
While kayaking, gloves keep your hands warm and dry during cold weather or on cold water. Gloves provide protection against blisters, improve your grip and protect your skin against the sun. Choose a pair of snug-fitting gloves; avoid gloves with seams along areas of high pressure or friction, Paddling.net advises. For improved grip and protection, select gloves made of neoprene, nylon or Lycra spandex. Kayaking gloves sometimes include a soft patch on the thumb for wiping away mucus or sweat. The palm of a kayaking glove is often thin to enable a better grip on the paddle, unlike the palm of the cycling glove, which is thicker and designed to help protect your hand during a fall.
Technique
Whether or not you wear gloves, or what kind of gloves you wear, practice proper paddling technique to prevent blisters. Keep the paddle loose in your hands and use both hands to paddle. If your paddle is rough, smooth down any sharp edges on its shaft, or consider applying shrink-wrap or a layer of cork to produce a smooth surface, Paddling.net suggests. Protect your hands by keeping them dry and applying sunscreen during the day and skin lotion at night during warm weather.
Other Factors
Kayaking gloves are often waterproof to protect against water dripping down the shaft of the paddle along with splashes. Neoprene gloves and mittens help keep your hands warm during cold weather and help protect against cold water. Sealed seams and elastic or velcro bands for closure on paddling gloves prevent water from penetrating the glove. Similar to gloves and mittens, poggies wrap around the shaft of a paddle, allowing direct contact between your hands and the paddle, PaddlingLight.com explains. Since they stay attached to the paddle, you're less likely to lose poggies while kayaking.
References
- BicycleApparel.com: Cycling Gloves
- Tandem Bicycle Central.com: Use the Right Bicycle Gloves for Hand Protection
- Paddling.net; How to Stop Blisters; Michael Pardy; 2003
- REI: How to Choose Clothing Layers for Paddling
- PaddlingLight.com; The Best Winter and Cold Water Paddling Gloves; Bryan Hansel; Feb. 28, 2011
Member Comments