Yak Grips

I bought a pair of these last week and put 'em to trial during my four day outing at Banks Lake.  Although these are nothing more than a pair of neoprene paddle sleeves I was impressed.  I have pretty small hands and the slight increase in shaft diameter didn't bother me a bit.  The Yak Grips 'forced' me to hold the paddle properly while reducing the fatigue in my hands.  I have searching for a product like this since the distal joint (joint before the fingertip) on both ring my fingers were fused while in the Navy and had been causing a lot of pain and rubbing on the paddle shaft and the soft neoprene helped alleviate this. 

If anyone is interested check 'em out:

http://www.cascadecreek.com

Another alternative are the RowRow's, by Totegear ... http://www.totegear.com/



But I find that any glove helps reduce gripping and hand fatigue.  Lately I've been using plain old nitrile gardening gloves.  You know the ones.



-Allen

I tried the gardening gloves but I don't like the loss of feeling for handling my fishing gear and the hooks on the RowRows look like they would get in the way too much.  With the yak grips I just grab and go, no prep required...

I tried the gardening gloves but I don't like the loss of feeling for handling my fishing gear and the hooks on the RowRows look like they would get in the way too much.  With the yak grips I just grab and go, no prep required...

That is a great point!!!

How thick are the YakGrips?

-Allen

I like a nitrile exam glove with a knit gardening glove over it. The nitrile keeps your hands dry and the gardening glove is warm, padded and comes off easily to tie knots and such.

The others are interesting, but doesn't you paddle have a oblong spot for your non pivot hand?

I had a set of those yak grips and they were really nice. They seem to let you paddle w/o having to grip the paddle so hard.

I like a nitrile exam glove with a knit gardening glove over it. The nitrile keeps your hands dry and the gardening glove is warm, padded and comes off easily to tie knots and such.

FFTW, you give cheap a whole new definition!

Z

WHen all I had was Current Designs sit-in kayak, I had a pair of neoprene gloves with curved fingers.  A little pricey ($35) but really helped, and waterproof too.  On the downside, they are always curved, give you a kind of knuckle-dragging Neaderthal look. Maybe good for getting respect in biker bars....

I must be the exception. Never cared for YakGrips (I think the pair I have has been stretched into a spare paddle holder), and can't even wear gloves. they've caused hand cramping and tired my hands out every time I've tried them. pogies  are the only thing I've ever been able to use for cold-water paddling. With that said, YakGrips are a nice product, and I've known others that like them a lot. If I remember correctly, they are a 2-3mm neoprene.

If I remember correctly, they are a 2-3mm neoprene.

I wish they were thinner.  Perhaps like a nitrile sheath.  Now there's a product idea.

Alkasazi, how large are your hands.  Some people's hands don't adapt well to the larger grips.

-Allen

FWIW I essentially have child hands...  At first I was concerned they were going to be too thick, but I ended up really liking the feeling.

I did notice that I use a death grip on the paddle anyomore, that combined with AndyJade's low-angle paddling method I was able to paddle much father and longer than with my kung fu death grip high angle.

7 1/2" wrist to tip of middle finger, 3 1/2" across the palm. Usually wear a large or xl glove. I usually prefer large grips on paddles. From what I remember, smaller-handed friends have tended to like gloves or grips more than I have.

Alkasazi, how large are your hands.  Some people's hands don't adapt well to the larger grips.
-Allen

FFTW, you give cheap a whole new definition!

Thanks Zee! I try really hard at it!
Actually, its not that I'm that cheap, I just loath buying the "Emperor's New Clothes".
I'll get off of a buck if its something that I think will work. Heck, all of my reels are spooled with PowerPro.

But all that said, its come back to bite me in the ass on more than one occasion (like returning a good tent and getting a cheap one, then having to sleep in an inch of water for three days last week )

FWIW I essentially have child hands...  At first I was concerned they were going to be too thick, but I ended up really liking the feeling.

I did notice that I use a death grip on the paddle anyomore, that combined with AndyJade's low-angle paddling method I was able to paddle much father and longer than with my kung fu death grip high angle.

I don't hold myself up as a paddle instructor, but the thing I say most to all the new folks I take out with me is "relax".

FWIW I essentially have child hands...  At first I was concerned they were going to be too thick, but I ended up really liking the feeling.

I did notice that I use a death grip on the paddle anyomore, that combined with AndyJade's low-angle paddling method I was able to paddle much father and longer than with my kung fu death grip high angle.

I don't hold myself up as a paddle instructor, but the thing I say most to all the new folks I take out with me is "relax".

A trick I find useful to me is that when I'm at steady cruising pace I put my thumbs on top of the shaft.  It's really hard to overgrip when holding the paddle like this.  Who need opposable thumbs anyways?

-Allen

Who need opposable thumbs anyways?

-Allen

I find them usefull for tying knots.   

I need all my thumbs, all ten of them. I use my teeth for a "third hand" when tying knots. Teeth also double as nippers and an all purpose temporary utility clamp. I'm a knuckle dragger, though, and really wish we hadn't evolved to the point of losing our prehensile tails!