would a smaller blade help shoulders/elbow pain or is it techniqe????What paddle would people suggest for lpong distance river paddling and small surf.Ive seen a paddle by Atlantis it's a carbon with a 7" blade.thanks for any advice.
technique is going to make the biggest change - but yes, there is a trend now towards smaller blade sizes. I'm 90kg and paddle usually with and 84sq inch blade. There is also stiffness of the shaft to consider - if very stiff, your shoulders accept a lot of load over a short period, if there is more flex your shoulders accept the load over a longer period of time. This makes things like tendons much more happy as they don't react well to short fast load changes.
I think a smaller blade is the best place to start because good technique won't happen over night.. A medium size blade with a more flexy shaft will also help but going very small in the blade and also using a very flexy shaft will not be very good.. Personally I like the smaller blades with a med-stiff shaft but it does take a slightly different/better technique to make smaller blades work.. When most people try small blades the first time just rip them through the water and instantly think they're gutless and not a paddle for them.. The trick is to not pull on them to the point that it's ripping and its that slight backing off that not only makes the paddle work but also helps with joint and muscle pain.. I've seen some good Naish and Fanatic small blade paddles.. also KeNalu.. QuickBlade.. and my favorite Kialoa have a really nice new Pipes paddle that would be perfect for you.. You need to demo.. and have someone help you with your technique.. Also your height.. weight.. and board will have some effect on what's the right paddle for you.. IMO.
