Gloves or Blisters
If you're one of those paddlers whom can't hold your paddle at the end of day one of the Avon due to blisters, then maybe you should think about gloves.I did my first 6 (or so) Avons without gloves, and while I spent huge hours training & had hands of leather, I would still end the Avon with sluffing sheets of blood all over my hands. One year I photographed my hands so that I could remember exactly where to tape them up next year.Then I discovered yachting gloves. They are thin, fingerless leather gloves. They don't 'bulk up' in the palm of your hand & make the paddle harder to hold (wet suit gloves do that), and they don't cause their own blisters through bad seams.They take a couple of minutes to get used to the different feel on the paddle, however this really only takes a moment.Give it a try, or pop down to Swan CC tonight (Friday 3/7/09) & I'll show you mine.Cheers, WP.
gloves
In my teens I bought yachting gloves for yachting. They had nylon backs and chamois fronts, fingertips exposed. Each week they had to be wetted to become soft enough to put on. They always bunched up and were expensive. Then I discovered washing-up gloves. I have worn them ever since. Get the heavy duty ones. Cut the cuffs short at the wrists and I still tend to cut the fingertips off, but not always now. Don't get them too tight or thhey cut in.
Advantages: cheap, good grip, prevent blisters, prevent skin loss from backs of fingers (like today at teh washing machine), colours!! A pair will last half a year.
I only wear them now for very long outings. Good for the actual Descent. Nothing worse than blisters.