Cold Hands Help
JDC9750
near 50. This time in November is the latest I have ventured out. I knew I
would take a few falls and I was delighted to discover that it wasn't too bad
on 98% of my bod. My hands got real cold. The palmless mittens I was wearing
did not help. In fact, the mittens were a negative - I found myself gripping
the boom awkwardly and I got cramps in my forearms.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
JimC
(Pete Cresswell)
>Any suggestions will be appreciated.
This will probably be a pretty long thread....
I'd start it off by saying that conserving heat in the rest of your bod will
help the hands feel warmer.
- Full hood on the head
- Plenty warm booties, duct taped arount the top if possible
- A dry suit or warm steamer.
-----------------------
Pete Cresswell
MessinaTwo
two winters now on Long Island NY. I too have trouble gripping the boom with
thick gloves on. The mitts are pre curved and the Toughtek is very thin. The Da
Kine mitts are not very durable, but they are cheap [about $30 a pair]. I
generally go through about 2 pair a season. Also I wear a pair of thin latex
surgical gloves under them when it is VERY cold i.e. Less than 40 F, this is
because they are far from waterproof. I have tried many other warmer and more
expensive mitts, but they tend to cause too much forearm fatigue.
Michael
affecting my grip and/or forearm endurance too much. The closest thing I've
found to bare hands is - don't laugh - dishwashing gloves. They provide a
good grip on the boom and are much thinner than other gloves. The one
problem is sealing the water out of the gloves after a fall. Tape and/or
elastic bands around the glove openings are one option. Depending on the
type of suit, you could also try tucking the excess at the base of the
gloves under the suit's wrist cuffs. Trim the gloves to the desired length.
Dishwashing gloves obviously don't provide any insulation layer but just the
effect of keeping away windchill, evaporation, and exposure to cold water
make a big difference. If it gets too cold even with these gloves on, I
usually don't sail.
b...@spam_sync.com
>
Jim,
I use Glacier Gloves. They are 2mm neoprene. At 50 degrees they will
keep you're hands warm. Unfortunately, they will give you forearm
fatigue. Three tricks I've learned are: a) Do not put any tension on
the velcro wrist wrap b) Take frequent breaks and rapidly open and
close the hands. c) Try to use the harness as much as possible
Dishwashing gloves don't give fatigue but they probably aren't warm
enough at 50 degrees.
Ben
--
Ben Kaufman
antispam: To Email me, change domain from spam_sync to pobox.
- 11/22/98
Charles Revis
I've used open-palm Windsurfing Hawaii mitts for years. No fatigue on the
hands and the exposed part of hands is covered. They work well for mid 40s
air temps.
I've tried just about all other methods, including dishwashing gloves, and
find that no matter how thin the material, fatigue is always a problem.
Charles Revis
Brook Cuddy
cold weather. I've used them in 5% wind-chill in Long Island all last
winter. I never, never had cold hands. The secret is a simple plastic
wrist bracelet which you wear under your drysuit. The drysuite goes over
the bracelet and the mitts go over the drysuite. You then strap on a velco
band over the glove. The band tightens against the bracelet and not your
wrist. The advantages are a snug, comfortabel, warm neoprene mitt and no
forearm fatigue whatsoever. When the temperature is below 40% I wear a ski
glove liner for added warmth. If you're interested in getting a pair, let
me know.
JDC9750 wrote in message <19981122162241...@ng44.aol.com>...
RandacF
mitts in this thread. I had noticed the problem and felt like it was related
to wearing gloves, but could not figure out why that should happen. Does
anyone have an explanation?
Randy
Bill Burke
Am interested in knowing more about these gloves. Vendor contact?
Type of drysuit you recommend?
Thanks for your input.
Bill
Wat3r
Loss of friction as an assist in hanging on
All the stress is put into holding the hand in a curve
Little Matty
Marigolds (washing up gloves in the UK) are the best for our 'temperate'
climes. Proper gloves gave my forearms a world of pain and I found that they
were, in fact, marginally more excrutiating than the belated burning of the
numbing cold.
(My dad always says that a drop of Goose grease and an application of
British mind over matter was all I'd need. Naturally, I told him to sod
off.)
Ultimately the best course of action is to get yourself citizenship for
Australia and move to Lancelin.
Regards
Philip Mann
Lab.
They are made of a neoprene material and are thin. Since they are used
to handle toxic material they are tough. They also have a rough grip
which helps a ton.
I find that keeping the windchill of is the best thing I can do as I
am unable to wear thick gloves.
I sailed here in Vermont on Sunday, water temp 46 degrees air 40ish.
My hands were quite warm and the grip was great. Best of all
no-fatigue! I was able to sail for quite a while before comming in.
Other advice- wear a helmet or a fleece hat.
wear some type of fleece or poly underwear under your dry suit.
Take more time tunning your sail!!!!! Get those harness lines perfect
so you dont have to put a lot of presssure on your fingers.
I put them on under my dry suit before I rig and have plenty dexterity
to get the job done.
I stock em and they are only $15!
Philip
Inland Sea Windsurf Co.
http://www.inlandsea.com
1-888-inlandc Toll free
BDSinclair
weating gloves or mitts in this thread. I had noticed the problem and felt
like it was related to wearing gloves, but could not figure out why that should
happen. Does anyone have an explanation?"
Since I have zero personal experience, I'll add some "hot air". I think it's
mostly mechanical(Gee thanks, Brian. That and a buck will get me a ride on the
bus). I think you want a loose, closed grip to avoid fatigue. Anything that
interferes with this will increase muscle stain. Gloves make the bar to thick,
and also seperate your fingers, both of which increase strain. I like the
bracelet idea mentioned previously. Sounds like a novel solution to prevent
pressure/friction on tendons at wrist. I think loss of feel probably
contributes as well. Since you can't feel the boom, I'm guessing you tend to
clamp down hard to compensate. Glove stiffness as well likely increases work.
Lots of little things adding up to a big problem. Did I miss anything major?
bs
offd...@bellsouth.net
>Randy wrote "I was interested in all the comments about fatigue related to
>weating gloves or mitts in this thread. I had noticed the problem and felt
>like it was related to wearing gloves, but could not figure out why that should
>happen. Does anyone have an explanation?"
Randy,
you will probably want some soft gloves that are pretty darn near
waterproof and seal very well with your suit. What really works
well for me is one of the NeilPryde drysuits in combo with their
neoprene mitts as they velcro to each other creating a good seal.
These mitts are made of the same super stretchy rubber they use
to make their wetsuits so that you can be sure the mitts are
comfortable to grip . just my 2pennies here.
Raul
Ken McCullagh
in the thumb thing, and my hands sticking out through the hole in the palms,
so that the glove sits on the back of my hands to keep the wind off. Seems
to work ok most of the time, but when I hit the water it gets cold.
I was wondering if anyone has tried stuff like Wintergreen / DeepHeat or any
of those hot-muscle rub things for mending sore muscles. Some of them rub in
to a non-greasy finish, so grip wouldn't be affected, and I know that after
applying it, it's kinda hard to wash off hands, so it seems to be a bit
waterproof. Only reason I haven't tried it myself for windsurfing is that
there's been hardly any wind here for ages - except of course when I can't
go out
Any comments/ thoughts on thee things?
Cheers,
Ken
--
Remove NO_SPAM to reply......
Wat3r
>I was wondering if anyone has tried stuff like Wintergreen / DeepHeat or any
>of those hot-muscle rub things for mending sore muscles.
Not yet. Good idea.
Eddie
Get Wet
b...@spam_sync.com
> I was wondering if anyone has tried stuff like Wintergreen / DeepHeat
> and I know that after applying it, it's kinda hard to wash off hands,
> so it seems to be a bit waterproof. Only reason I haven't tried it
> myself for windsurfing is that there's been hardly any wind here for
> ages - except of course when I can't go out
I wouldn't recommend it. They don't actually produce heat, they irritate
in a manner which is perceived as heat. Then with it on your hands, you
may also get a little bit in your eyes - ouch!
Ben
--
Ben Kaufman
antispam: To Email me, change domain from spam_sync to pobox.
- 11/25/98
BDSinclair
bs
Tim Hanson
I've noticed most of the replies to your questioning dealt with
different types of gloves people use, and their pros and cons. I have
another suggestion for you, that you may find more useful.
Don't wear ANY gloves.
This is not some kind of quack advice. When I first heard it a couple
of years ago, I said, Yeah, sure buddy, what do you take me for. Then,
after suffering most of the complaints everyone else talks about with
gloves, I decided to try it.
The trick to this technique is to let your hands get cold enough to
burn, then warm them up. Your fingers joints have to burn with the
cold when they're warming up. I and others that use this technique
usually make one or two reaches, then come in and dance around on the
beach while our hands warm up. Once is usually enough for me, although
when I first started using this trick, I had to let them burn twice.
I just finished 3.5+ hours sailing in Puget Sound today, the air
temperature was 43F when I started, and 43F when I finished. And
naturally, being the Seattle area, it was raining most of the time. I
made two reaches, came in and let my hands warm up once, and they were
never cold the rest of the day. Not only were they not cold, they were
fully functional, no stiffness nor lack of feeling. Less than 5
minutes of pain, for over 3 hours of normal hands sailing.
I have noticed that when I'm sailing like this, my hands get VERY red,
both front and back. My theory is that all the blood vessels are
dilating, getting heat to the hands and surfaces. I may be totally
wrong on this part, but I do know the technique works.
I've also seen this written up in a couple windsurfing magazines in
the last year or so. Forget the gloves, give it a try!!
On Mon, 23 Nov 1998 04:07:42 GMT, bsk@spam_sync.com
(benKa...@spamsync.com) wrote:
>On November 22 1998, jdc...@aol.com (JDC9750) wrote:
Stig Johansen
> ...
> The trick to this technique is to let your hands get cold enough to
> burn, then warm them up. Your fingers joints have to burn with the
> cold when they're warming up. I and others that use this technique
> usually make one or two reaches, then come in and dance around on the
> beach while our hands warm up. Once is usually enough for me, although
> when I first started using this trick, I had to let them burn twice.
Been there, done that, and my advice is:
Do wear gloves!!!
If you continue with the described technique for some years
you'll probbably end up with rheumatism. It is not worth it.
Shure anything is more comfortable than wearing gloves, but
this sounds like a peeing in your pants trick.
(N-16) Arctic Surf Bums:-)
--
///// Stig Johansen | HitecVision /
//// Senior System Developer | Lagerveien 8 //
/// st...@hitec.no | 4033 Forus ///
// +47 51 81 83 15 | Norway ////
/ http://joyweb.priv.no | http://www.hitec.no /////
Michael
defensive physiological reaction to cold. It actually has a name and is
called the "Hunting Reflex/Reaction" (discovered by Dr. Hunting a long time
ago). After your hands are exposed to cold for some time, the Hunting
Reflex kicks in and causes increased blood flow to the hands which then
warms the hands. The temperature of your hands will then follow a cycle of
warming and cooling. I'm not sure how cool the hands will get during the
"cooler" part of the temperature cycle. I'm also unsure how long this cycle
can be maintained. It appears, Tim, that you were able to sustain it for at
least 3 hours. I've seen the Hunting Reflex demonstrated with a finger in a
flask of ice water with a temperature probe taped to the finger. I haven't
seen it demonstrated with the entire hand though. One final caveat, not all
races are capable of the Hunting Reflex. From what I recall, Caucasians and
Asians have it but native Africans (and their descendents) don't. Don't
know what the long-term effects of repeated triggering of the Hunting Reflex
would be.
Tim Hanson wrote in message <36622067...@news-s01.ny.us.ibm.net>...
>Jim-
>
>I've noticed most of the replies to your questioning dealt with
>different types of gloves people use, and their pros and cons. I have
>another suggestion for you, that you may find more useful.
>
>Don't wear ANY gloves.
>
>This is not some kind of quack advice. When I first heard it a couple
>of years ago, I said, Yeah, sure buddy, what do you take me for. Then,
>after suffering most of the complaints everyone else talks about with
>gloves, I decided to try it.
>
>The trick to this technique is to let your hands get cold enough to
>burn, then warm them up. Your fingers joints have to burn with the
>cold when they're warming up. I and others that use this technique
>usually make one or two reaches, then come in and dance around on the
>beach while our hands warm up. Once is usually enough for me, although
>when I first started using this trick, I had to let them burn twice.
>
Blair
skin is the worst thing. If I can find a pair of gloves that are
waterproof, I will try those.
Brian Mckenzie
Brian
------------------------
Brian Mckenzie
http://jollyroger.com/windsurf/
Triangle Boardsailing Club, Raleigh, NC
Elizabeth Simon
>I wear sailing gloves and I find that the windchill from wet material on my
>skin is the worst thing. If I can find a pair of gloves that are
>waterproof, I will try those.
>
>
>
I use sailing gloves with neoprene backs instead of cloth. They're not
completely waterproof because the seams aren't sealed but they eliminated
the windchill from the wet material. Mine are from West Marine but I've seen
similar ones in other sailing catalogs.
--
Elizabeth Simon
Remove "nospam" from email address to reply.
b...@spam_sync.com
some forearm grip problem but after using them for the 5th time this
season I can definitely say that it is not as bad. The first time I
used them I was feeling grip problems within 15 minutes. Now, it's over
an hour before I have to give my hands a rest and this is sailing in
very choppy 4.5 conditions.
Ben
--
Ben Kaufman
antispam: To Email me, change domain from spam_sync to pobox.
- 12/02/98
Eric Aardema
what also works and is really cheap is good old dishwashing gloves. They are
way thin, .99cents, latex and seem to keep the cold water off and the
circulation on! No cramping. I did this one year a long time ago, and it
worked. Now a days I just go bare handed and do the painful warm up thing
and then go back out. That is by far the best for me.
Rock on!
Eric Aardema
benKa...@spamsync.com wrote in message
<09981102084559.OUI07.bsk@spam_sync.com>...
(Pete Cresswell)
> Ya know
>what also works and is really cheap is good old dishwashing gloves.
When somebody buys, they should check out a few of the different brands that're
hanging there in the supermarket. Some are way, way better than others...and
the prices aren't much different.
-----------------------
Pete Cresswell
mi...@3rdplanet.net
wrote:
Dishwashing gloves work just fine. Just be sure to buy the "lined"
ones. They have a thin layer of "fleece" like material bonded to the
rubber. They're just as comfortable as the unlined ones, and
noticeably warmer. To keep cold water out, try duct-taping the gloves
to your suit.
Mike C
Nick Kies
>Dishwashing gloves work just fine. Just be sure to buy the "lined"
>ones. They have a thin layer of "fleece" like material bonded to the
>rubber. They're just as comfortable as the unlined ones, and
>noticeably warmer. To keep cold water out, try duct-taping the gloves
>to your suit.
One other often overlooked aspect of warm hands is circulation. If
your wetsuit has a tight fit over your wrist it will contribute to
cold hands.