Gloves or Not Gloves

While we can tout the physical benefits of standup paddling quite a lot, one place where standup paddling damages my body is my hands. Not that I started off with smooth, baby-bottom skin on my palms, but after paddling regularly for a couple of years, they're starting to look a little gnarly. I'm reminded of some of the descriptions of tree roots in The Fellowship of the Ring. Yes, that's not very romantic, but it's the truth.

Gloves make a difference. They preserve my palms and keep them from turning into a horny, calloused mess. I've tried a few, but the ones I like best are NRS Men's Boater's Gloves. These fingerless gloves protect my palms and are pretty comfortable.

Yes, I took this image from the NRS website.

Another advantage of gloves is that they provide a more consistent friction on your paddle. This must be true for other people too; the way my hand slides down the shaft of the paddle changes depending on whether my skin is wet or dry. (That sounded unintentionally dirty.) Gloves provide a more consistent slide, wet or dry. That makes a difference in your paddling technique and it's the other main reason I wear them.

On the other hand, these gloves don't protect your fingers. Maybe I'll need to invest in some full-fingered gloves soon.

The remains of two blisters after my last paddle. Good thing I just bought a big, bustling box of Band-Aids. (Alliteration alert) My five year-old daughter Guinevere had to take the shot because my hands were unavailable, and my nose just wouldn't have worked.