Author Topic: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders  (Read 8097 times)

SUPvol

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Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« on: March 23, 2017, 06:45:02 AM »
On my recent trip to CR, my carbon fiber paddle shaft snapped in half. I have had it for 6 years and my guess is it got pressured dinged in the travel. Thank goodness for rentals! So back home now I'm in the market for a new paddle. I have had shoulder surgery on both shoulders, so wanted to ask for suggestions that might help keep pressure off the balls of my shoulders. Someone told me to maybe look at a smaller blade to help relive some of the pressure. I'm 50 years old, 5-7 and surf mostly in Virginia and OBX about a dozen times a year. Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2017, 07:01:53 AM »
Definitely a smaller blade will help. A flexy shaft will also help. How flexy will depend on the paddling you do. I just upgraded my surf paddle to a 2107 Starboard Enduro 2.0 S40 flex with S blade. More flex and smaller blade. My shoulders are happier.
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PonoBill

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2017, 07:48:03 AM »
Most important is the shaft. You need flex that takes up the initial shock, but if you have too much flex you'll be pulling harder and your technique will suffer. This is an old topic here, you could search and find hundreds of answers, and the overwhelming majority will be KeNalu xTuf(S).

I don't know of any other paddle company that has used Unidirectional carbon over a fiberglass core this way. The xTuf shafts "stack" which means they flex initially to take up shock and then get much stiffer. I find the standard xTuf shaft to have too much flex and it gets stiffer too late. The xTuf(S) is just right--for me and a lot of folks with bad shoulders. I prefer stiffer shafts in general, and I switch back to the 100 flex full carbon shaft when my shoulders feel better, but the xTuf(S) is good medicine.

I really like the new Mana blade for surfing--very forgiving blade. I'm using the 95, but a lot of people really like the 82. I haven't tried one yet.

If you had a KeNalu to begin with, you wouldn't be changing your paddle, you'd just replace the shaft. They are component based--five minutes with a heat gun and you're back in business.

Reads like a pitch, but I like the paddles. I was a co-founder of KeNalu but I haven't had anything to do with the company for many years. other than still liking the products.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2017, 07:50:34 AM by PonoBill »
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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2017, 08:47:27 AM »
You should definitely look at a smaller, more efficient blade...fiberglass flexes more than carbon...more joint friendly, less stiff shaft...and, correct shaft sizing for yourself so that you don't have a shoulder impingement...as well as making sure that your paddle stroke and technique is fundamentally correct...

If you are using a paddle with a blade that flutters...you will work your shoulders and joints more trying to correct it...

Using too stiff of a paddle can cause joint/muscle inflammation problems even if a paddler has never really had them...and, a too stiff paddle will definitely exacerbate a pre-existing condition...

I've used quite a few paddles on the market...in fact, I was the first mainland dealer for Pohaku (C4) SUP paddles back in 2005...waaay too stiff...OUCH!
Then we carried Sawyer...Quickblade...Werner...KeNalu...etc...some have evolved and improved with wider offerings...but, it's still up to the end user to pick the paddle that's right for them...

Through lots of trial and error...we have arrived at a point with our shaft and blade combos, that has virtually eliminated the soreness issues that we experienced in the past with others...while delivering a very cost effective high quality product competitive to anything on the market...

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surfafrica

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2017, 09:52:01 AM »
I had shoulder surgery in the fall and my shoulder is still not fully recovered.  I just had a 10 day trip in Mexico and used the Black Project Surge paddle.  It was great.  I went with the  77 sq in (also comes in 82) and the soft flex shaft.  I'm  5'7 & 148 lbs.

http://www.blackprojectfins.com/sup-paddles/surge-wave-sup-paddle-lightweight-carbon/

http://www.blackprojectfins.com/2016/09/12/surge-re-defining-sup-wave-paddles/

I LOVE the reduced shaft diameter--picking up my old paddle feels strange now.  The 77 sq inch blade was nice on my injured shoulder too. The rounded edges on the blade seemed to help protect my boards' rails a bit.  The ergo-t handle was comfy. And the red handle is a nice touch.  I dropped my paddle after taking a fall and the handle was easy to spot in the impact zone.

This paddle is LIGHT.  I cut mine to 68" and it came to 375 g.  My 84 sq in Ke Nalu Konihi with the XTuf shaft cut to 70" and comes to 490 g (I assume though that the Ke Nalu would come in lighter with the Elite shaft than the XTuf but the XTuf has more flex).

Black Project did some good work here on the design--nice to have a paddle geared 100% towards surfing.  If you sign up for their newsletter online, you can get 15% off your first purchase (at least you used to, not sure if that offer is still there or not).

I also had great luck over the past couple of years with that Ke Nalu setup mentioned above and I think it's also an awesome option for sore shoulders (I liked the Konihi but would probably go with the 82 sq in Mana if I bought today). 
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seadart

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2017, 10:20:34 AM »
I've only been SUP surfing about 18 months so not an expert and take my advice with a grain of salt. I have been whitewater paddling in canoes and kayaks since I was about 11, and have been surfing high performance surf kayaks and wave skis for about 17 years.  I would say most of my long term paddling friends have gone through shoulder issues.   I would vote with the folks telling you to use as small a blade as you can get by with, and as short a paddle as you can get by with.  Err on the side of a stiffer light carbon paddle.  People who use big blades and try to push and pull a lot of water eventually end up with shoulder problems and joint problems.  A stiff paddle is good because it encourages paddle dexterity/control  instead of brute force.  You should wield the paddle like a katana not a battle axe and then you don't have to worry about the shaft acting as a shock absorber. That may be how you broke your shaft.    I noted in the post I just made about taking off in surf stance some short board paddlers encourage lifting the board with one big powerful pull to take off.  If you are having shoulder issues and using that style, trade off to a board where you can start in low gear, with very fast shallow strokes to break initial surface friction and bow wave  from the board and water and then apply the power when the board is ready to accelerate.   

dns

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2017, 10:54:18 AM »
Well, obviously you're going to get a ton of different opinions here because there are a lot of good paddles out there. I switched to a Werner Rip-Stik 89 from my old oval shaft Ihe. It has a smaller blade and a very nice flex pattern in the shaft. Werner doesn't have a huge presence in the SUP paddle space, seems like canoe guys moved in first, but they've been making kayak paddles for decades.

The Rip-Stik has just enough flex to cushion the catch but then stiffens up and avoids the noodly feel of some other paddles I've tried. Also the blade is absolutely stable in the water with no fluttering.

mrbig

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2017, 01:16:44 PM »
Started out with a huge paddle. Long shaft. Bad choice. Am now using kenalu 77 wiki, xtuff stiff shaft, and a Kialoa Wahini small hands - no orange hair though - for surfing. I wish I had started there. 69 years, 5'8", 150 lbs. and shoulders destroyed from baseball, hockey, paddling, life!

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Night Wing

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2017, 01:43:07 PM »
Having my left shoulder operated on 15 years ago and now my right shoulder is going to be operated on in 6 days, looks like I'm going to be in the market for a new paddle. Something 85 or lower. I prefer an adjustable length paddle though.

BTW, nice topic thread.
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manta

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2017, 10:43:29 PM »
I've had shoulder surgery as well as broken collarbones four times been through my share of rehab, prehab and every other kind of hab.
Let me say this, paddle blade size does make a difference but I would like for you to consider this. Time off the water in each day far outweighs time on the water so how we treat our shoulders when not paddling is just as important if not more so than when paddling.
Shoulder pain caused by an overuse injury is usually exacerbated by poor posture in other spheres of life like computer work, TV watching, reading books and general life. Poor posture and incorrect body alignment makes any shoulder issue worse or last longer.
Spend the time doing remedial exercises and ensuring your posture etc. Is correct. Get the book pain free by Pete Esgoscue and follow his instructions on how to get the body aligned once more.
We tend to treat our bodies like separate bits, if one bit hurts we try and treat that bit but the body is a connected system and should be treated as such.
Good luck.

baddog

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2017, 09:31:01 AM »
Smaller blade, yes.  Softer shaft, yes.  But just as important, get the right length shaft.  Shorter is always better then too long.

Stefan

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2017, 07:59:42 PM »
I look at it like cycling, pushing smaller gears is way better for foundational strength and puts much less stress knee joints. I like the QB Trifecta 86, or Werner Grand Prix/Trance in a similar size - both have a narrower longer paddle blade and less pull at the catch.
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Night Wing

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2017, 07:24:46 AM »
I went to the KeNalu site and since I'm going to have right shoulder surgery in 2 days, I'm thinking the xTuf Wiki 74 would be the best blade for me because after March 29th, both of my shoulders will have been operated on (left shoulder 15 years ago).

Since I use a shorter length paddle for sup wave surfing and a longer length paddle for flat water cruising , I'm thinking the Extended Handle Ergo T would be a good fit for me with an adjustable clamp because going from the beach sup wave surfing and then 15 minutes later going for a flat water cruise in a salt marsh, the adjustable clamp seems the logical choice.

There are two adjustable clamp choices which are:

1) Quick Clamp Adjustable Shaft Elite 3K
2) Quick Clamp Adjustable Shaft UD Carbon

Now comes the part where I'm a little fuzzy on. What is the difference between the carbon shafts for Elite 3K and UD Carbon? All I've got is a picture of both shafts and no info, unless I'm being dense and missing something which is right in front of my eyes.
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PonoBill

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2017, 11:14:56 AM »
I haven't looked at the site for a long time. There should be two choices for the 3K shaft, and two for the UD. The 3K is probably available in 90 and 100 flex. Both of those are probably too stiff for convalescence. The UD should be xTuf and xTuf(S). The xtuf is probably too flexy, the S is just right (for me anyway).
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Night Wing

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Re: Paddle suggestion for SUS with bad shoulders
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2017, 11:29:52 AM »
I haven't looked at the site for a long time. There should be two choices for the 3K shaft, and two for the UD. The 3K is probably available in 90 and 100 flex. Both of those are probably too stiff for convalescence. The UD should be xTuf and xTuf(S). The xtuf is probably too flexy, the S is just right (for me anyway).

Thanks for your reply comments. It is much appreciated. Then the UD xTuf(S) looks like it will be the best choice in my case. BTW, I watched your YouTube video (Ke Nalu paddle Part 2) you uploaded on Nov 28th of 2011. I must say, very informative with lots of details in it.
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SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

 


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