C-Forum

Hi all,

Merry Christmas to everyone.

After going canoeing on sat morning i noticed a large lump below my knee cap. I took a knock last weekend after a swim for which the swelling went down below the lump is a cut which is not infected but after the session on sat the lump got quite big and a bit sore after kneeling for an hour. I am wondering whether my padding on my knees is sufficient what thickness of foam do people use, any any other tips for reducing further knee problems?

I have iced it and rested it completely i.e no boating. I am going to the doctors this evening but wondered if anyone had any similar problems and possible ways to speed up my recovery?

Thanks for everyones help.. Colin

Col
How did the Doc visit go?
As for thickness - I use the 1/2 mini cell in my C1s and have not had an issue yet. Not dropping huge stuff but have bounced off a rock or two. Others might use more or less.
Keep us posted on the knee - remember "... a knee is a terrible thing to waste"!
Paul C.

I like neoprene foam as it is "squishier" and go with as little as 1/4". One suggestion from an old Kent Ford video was to put down an first layer with a circle cut out for your patella (or what ever you have protruding) then put a layer of foam over the whole thing so you have a "relief" for that protrusion.

Hi, Col. Didn't you bang a leg around in another swim resulting in hamstring problems? Or am I thinking of someone else? The location of the swelling and when it occurs sounds like the bursa sac may be inflamed (but I'm playing doctor on that one and charge AT least 10 cents instead of the usual 2 cents ). Let us know about the doctor visit. Hope it's not a staph infection (which would not be out-of-the-ordinary). As far as padding under the knee is concerned for me, more is better!

KNeal

1/2 inch under knees, but more couldn't be all bad.

hole is a good idea to keep it from rubbing at that particular spot. I know men typically don't do this, but I put some foam from the knee back to about mid calf....this distributes your weight more evenly instead of directly on the knee itself all the time. Men are built differently than women, however, so you'd have to judge for yourself if it helps or not.

Mmmmm! Helly said

donut

! Now, I wanna a doughnut! Padding back to mid-shin sounds like a fine idea to me. You oughta see the leg cradles that some c-1 slalom racers use. Talk about being connected to your boat! Joel, John, Isaac, et. al. Got some pics of those devices to share with us?

Little girl is now napping, it's nippy in the air, I've got a cold, and the river is STILL DRY! Guess I'll continue to add more cents to the forum.

Happy holidays,
KNeal

I'd like to second KNeal's request for pictures of "leg cradles" in slalom boats. I recently acquired my first slalom c-1. I have paddled it just once on the feeder canal and, although I was thrilled by the light weight and acceleration -- I am used to paddling a Mohawk Viper 12 OC1 -- my ankles were screaming at me after about ten minutes in the boat. I have been tinkering with ankle blocks to try to make my ankles more comfortable, and I would love to see some pictures of the outfitting more experienced folks have been using.

Aaaah, ankle blocks are for wusses. Heh, it's a c-boat; it's supposed to hurt.

Seriously, if you have a C-1 as opposed to an OC-1 slalom boat, you may not have room for ankle blocks. I've never used them in C-1 or even C-2, were there tends to be a bit more space. However, other C-1 racers may have done so, and a number of OC-1 paddlers seem to swear by them. There is nothing quite so idiosyncratic as c-boat outfitting. My wife used to paddle right in both C-1 and C-2 with both feet splayed to the left (i.e. almost sitting on the side of her right thigh). I never figured that one out!

With a pedestal seat your options are pretty much limited to feet straight back (with or without a low ankle block under the instep, mostly is see just a thin foam pad where you feet lie), or splayed a little to the outside (the position my son likes, but I can't stand). I prefer to splay my feet inward and have my toes meet, pushing against the stern wall as a toe block, but I can't with a standard pedestal. This is the position that I use with old school hanging seats (i.e. aluminum thwart seats, or composite bicycle seats, each hung from the underside of the deck).

I think that Helly may be referring to the combination of knee cups, with either foam bulkheads or foam blocks extending off the bow wall that helps cradle the knees and thighs.

John