Paddling Hands?

[bus kid]

I got a real hobie no mirage drive, and after 8+hours on the water my hands dont look like that. Are you paddling with a oar?

[old_rookie]

I bought tennis racket grips and wrapped them around the shaft. That helped the problems I had.

[Kaijuu]

I have a Hobie. No, my hands don't look look yours. Your patients would love the feel of my hands.

However; Im not sure the paddling is the cause of your skin issues.

Proper paddling technique is essential, especially if paddling for long periods. Use a relaxed grip, don't choke it. You could be burning the skin off by friction.

Otherwise, see a doctor,

[jbaker]

when i first got my kayak i realized i was holding the grip way to tight me hands would hurt and it tired me out, if the paddle got wet or my hands got wet I had to grip really hard, so i got some grip tape for a bat i think, maybe $5 at big 5, wrapped the paddle where i grip it and its worked great for a year now. I was thinking about paddling gloves too.

[dgax65]

That used to happen to me when I was regularly paddling several days a week. When my hands are subjected to prolonged immersion the top layers of skin slough off. It mostly happens at the points of contact with the paddle shaft. I think some people's skin is just more susceptible to this than others. It made starting up my work laptop a pain in the ass. Sometimes it would lock me out before I could get a good fingerprint read.

As annoying as the the peeling hands was, the chronic monkey-butt was worse. I sure do miss that OK Drifter. Nothing like sitting in a couple of inches of cold seawater for hours on end.

[wiredantz]

Monkey butt pain in the worse!

[wade]

you were being kind! u only showed them your raw pinky skin after you went to town.ive been meaning to make a post like this for months..im not on a Hobie but, i feared i got leprosy from a seal..& my hands rot off worse!

[driftwood]

Did that monkey butt pain come with extreme itch? That was my biggest problem! ouch!!!

[PapaDave]

Can't say if you are paddling properly or not, I don't know, I have a hobie drive kayak.

[BT]

I get that too, not as bad, but pretty bad. It isnt the paddle, its the water. The worse spots for me are along my nails, and on my palm along my knuckles. Gloves may actually make it worse. One thing I do is keep a rag with me and keep my hands dry as much as possible. Not easy when paddling though.

Sometimes when I get home, I use a product called bag balm or udder cream. It is a heavy cream, and I put cotton gloves on over night. Then I use the cream multiple times over the next day or two and that seems to work.