Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: Plumaei on January 15, 2013, 12:09:10 PM
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So I had a paddle custom made for me and I don't like the thickness of either the shaft or the handle. My hands are just too damn big for the thing... there's nowhere for my fingers to go except to wrap around on top of each other which is no good. See attached picture for better illustration of the problem.
(http://i50.tinypic.com/2q3riuo.jpg)
My current paddle is perfect and I really want to make this new one work too. Does anybody have any ideas for something I can wrap around the shaft and handle to increase the size? I might just try some coban ...but I am wondering if anyone has tried anything successfully?
Suggestions appreciated! Mahalo!
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C4 makes a Paddle Grip that wraps around the shaft increasing the diameter and makes it cushy..
http://store.c4waterman.com/product-p/c4paddlegrip.htm (http://store.c4waterman.com/product-p/c4paddlegrip.htm)
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Is having gaps really a problem?
I'm thinking that full fisted tight grips are not something that you're aiming for.
I have XXXL size hands and I like skinny shafts and small T grips.
Maybe it's just what you get used to.
Naish do a paddle shaft grip that's easy to fit.
DJ
Here... http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/How-to-stick-on-paddle-grip/ (http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/How-to-stick-on-paddle-grip/)
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thanks for the ideas for the shaft.
DavidJohn - yes, I feel like I NEED a solid grip...I don't like there to be any waivering at all. When I tried the new paddle with the tiny handle I was completely dismayed at how much harder it was to get into waves. I felt like I was fumbling to get a solid grip.
Maybe I just need more practice with the new paddle to get used to it. And apparently I have freakish man-hands :(
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Not sure I have a good suggestion for how to build it up, but I'd ask the same question as DJ. Maybe it's just me, but I've noticed my KeNalu kind of sets itself to a sweet spot if I slightly loosen my lower grip and then I can get a really good stroke vs. my caveman tendency to grab hard and pull it through. Not sure if it's different with what you're using. That said, I do think a skinny T-handle would be a pain because that's where I really do need to get a good grip.
I wonder if you could work in increments--first see if you can build up the T-handle somehow so you have a good grip up top. Maybe you won't notice the skinny shaft as much then. The challenge will be finding a way to do that which doesn't create seams that will fray or give you blisters. For some reason, I'm thinking of some undersized PVC or tubing that you can slice one side of, notch and then snap on there. You might get lucky and be able to find something that will be sized just right so it will hold itself onto the paddle shaft with minimal tape or adhesive--and can be popped off if you don't like it. I once had a foam paddle grip on a paddle and didn't mind it, but if you're really trying to grab it firmly I'm not sure putting something squishy in there will do the trick.
FWIW...
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Thanks BulkyBoarder... I agree. The shaft being slim isn't that big of a deal. And I know exactly what you mean about loosening the grip on the shaft and getting a good pull out of it. The handle though - that's a deal breaker for me until I find a way to make it bigger. I will go to the hardware store and look around. Maybe some cut tubing wrapped on with coban will do the trick.
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That tight grip is bad news. Your lower hand should be "soft" with just your fingers curved around the shaft. If you grab a Ke Nalu like that it will wobble like crazy. See if your paddle goes straight by itself, you shouldn't need to keep it straignt.
Your upper hand should also be soft and open, cupping the handle, not squeezing it. If you insist on squezing or filling you hand, buy some suguru and mold what you want. Soft coverings on paddles suck toads IMHO,
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Try a handle shaped like the Quickblade
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That tight grip is bad news. Your lower hand should be "soft" with just your fingers curved around the shaft. If you grab a Ke Nalu like that it will wobble like crazy. See if your paddle goes straight by itself, you shouldn't need to keep it straight.
+1
Found this out inadvertently with my first Ke Nalu late in a session when I was fatigued and got tired of squeezing the handle. Was completely surprised how much better the paddle performed, and how I was able to paddle longer in the same session.
Had to death grip a poorly shaped blade just to get it going where I wanted it. I'd suggest giving PB's idea a try, and if the paddle doesn't stay straight in your pull....reassess the paddle and not the grip.
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I don't think I'm squeezing the handle tightly, I just like having it fit comfortably in my hand. I guess I'll have to experiment some more with this loose handle grip....but I just don't understand where my fingers are supposed to go with the tiny handle?? I'm not convinced based on my experience thus far...but I'm open minded and will give it a fair shot. I appreciate the advice and look forward to getting some use out of this new paddle, which is just too beautiful not to use.
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Just relaxed my hand where my thumb never touches my fingers.
Looking at my hand as I sit here and trying to describe it, I'd say that my hand just makes an elongated "C", with the fingers of my lower hand just hooking the shaft, and the palm of my top hand just pressed against the handle.
The only time I really grip the shaft and/or handle is when I'm making the transition fron side to side.
It seems that when I use this looser grip, it forces me to use my body/core to move the paddle, rather than my hands and arms. Might not be a fact, but that's what it feels like anyway...guess I should probably get some video proof one way or the other on that. :-X
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I can see how a tighter grip might be useful in surf. Often movements are split second and spastic, unanticipated forces can be applied, etc. I'd recommend a thin neoprene sleeve over the area you grip.
For flat water (controlled paddling), I agree that you need to loosen the grip, using your fingers to only hook the shaft, while top hand has a relaxed palm to push down.
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I second the C4 Paddle grip
* Works great
* stays put
* Holds up well
* Makes it easier to find your paddle after a wipeout in the surf
I'm sure there are TONS of them on the NS of Oahu
JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com (http://www.extremewindsurfing.com)
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When you say you had the paddle custom made for you, why was none of this taken into consideration at the time? When you say custom made, do you mean to your specifications, or simply "build-to-order"?
If the specifications were clearly communicated to the paddle maker, and they were not delivered in the final product, perhaps you could go back and ask to have this done over to accommodate the original specs you gave.
Maybe I am missing something here...
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Check out the Technique Section Good Stroke Vid. today. Click on the link provided by Wetstuff, watch SUP Improved Paddling. Watch the paddlers lower hand. It is really open. A relaxed grip helps one feel the what is going on with the paddle.
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It's a paddle, not a baseball bat!
Loosen up, relax. :)
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Customs are nice, but if you feel the need to have a death grip on your paddle I would consider that may be due to the design of the paddle itself. For my first few years of SUPing I used some paddles from a very innovative company that were considered new and cutting edge at the time, and in distance and surf I always came away with blisters. I did a lot of research into technique and made some modifications to the paddle and it was the same thing. When Pono Bill turned me on to KeNalu a couple years ago I could feel the difference off the bat, and I wasn't fighting with my paddle anymore. It goes through the water so well that I can paddle with an open hand on the top and a couple fingers on the bottom position for guidance. Paddles, just like boards, should be demoed whenever possible before you make that investment.
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oh man, hah...I am not trying for death-grip here. (Those pictures might make it look like I'm gripping for dear life, but I was just trying to show the sizing problem.)
The issue is that my fingers are overlapping or being forced to bend in an awkward way when holding the paddle handle and it's uncomfortable. I agree with one of the earlier comments that when surfing (which is pretty much all I do), you are making quick critical movements and thus a solid grip - particularly on the handle, is essential. I also agree that the lower hand on the shaft is better off not clutching tightly.
Regarding the "custom" paddle, I didn't specify anything regarding the handle when I ordered it. We discussed the paddle length and blade size, and that I wanted a double bend, but nothing about the handle. I didn't realize it would ever be an issue for me since it never has with any other paddle I've used. Live & learn.
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...or maybe I just suck at paddling :D I really do appreciate all the suggestions. I'll look at my technique and assess...
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Actually, you want an open grip for surfing too. I know it's kind of counterintuitive, but closing your hand--either one, forces the paddle into a track, where a soft grip let's the paddle find it's track and gives you more power and less oddly-vectored force. It seems like your paddle would fall right out of your hands, but it doesn't. I find that even when I'm doing a sweep for a balance check, or leaning back onto my paddle in a cutback, and especially when reaching out to initiate a turn that my hands are loose on the shaft, letting the blade correct itself to the best track.
I've also watched a lot of the best surfers around here. Jeremy's grip on his paddle is absolutely fingertip, all the time. Dave has a more closed hand but the fingers are still not really wrapped and his grip is loose.
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...or maybe I just suck at paddling :D I really do appreciate all the suggestions. I'll look at my technique and assess...
:D I don't even want to add up how much $$$ I've spent on "game-changing" gear only to realize that that isn't always the case in the hands of a dumpy 45yr old klutz! Thanks for the laugh.
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...or maybe I just suck at paddling :D I really do appreciate all the suggestions. I'll look at my technique and assess...
I have a friend who's almost 7' tall and when he first started paddling he had an exrta long and extra thick paddle shaft made for him out of a windsurfing mast.. It was sooo fat and heavy.. but he liked it.. I tried to explain to him why it's not good but he insisted that he needs it because of his big hands.. When really he only needed it because he was just so used to it and didn't know any better (and didn't want to know).. Anyway.. He's not using normal shafts and loving them.. When I remind him about his big old fat shaft paddle he just smiles.. and must be think.. "what was I thinking"
DJ