Talking About Adventure In Small Boats
Meatloaf
Member
OK folks, who uses what? I've started rowing again and was doing fine on the short rows but now that I'm doing 5 miles or more, chafe has reared its ugly head in my butt cleavage. No more rowing till this heals. Suggestions other than Desitin or Body Glide(?), what to ya'll use?
I saw a product called Boudreaux's Butt Paste made by a Cajun Pharmicist for babies. I will report on its merits or de merits after a week or so.
Regards,
Meatloaf
I can't speak to rowing, but for long days (30 miles plus) kayaking I find that 2Tom's Butt Shield works very well (also great for cycling).
That said in my case the shorts and seat pad I'm using are much more important that any ointment I use. Try to determine why you are chafing (sweat, abrasion with seat/seams, etc) and make sure you aren't making any mistakes such as wearing cotton underwear, shorts with seams in the seat, etc.
Greg
BeastOarman
Member
I agree with Greg, when I row chafing is only a problem on the erg! That seat shape chafes me raw under the tailbone. But once it has happened, you are a goner till it heals, as you point out Meatloaf.
On long rows on the water, I use a sore-no-more (sorbothane) seat pad, although sometimes row without it or with a wooden bead pad (like a cabbie), or both, to mix it up - change is important sometimes. I wear synthetic boxer briefs so they dry while wearing. I use now defunct Hydropel lube, but am told Aquaphor is acceptable - although 25% of the time I forget anyway, with no issues to date. And I have Gold Bond handy at night, and always a fresh set of underwear when I go to sleep.
I find it important in rowing to sit up on your sit bones, not slouching on the back of your a$$, so your torso can rock/pivot back and forth without doing damage.
If you are not rowing a sliding seat, I'm not sure how much of this applies. For the lifeguard races I think they go bare cheeks and soap! LeatherLungs might have insight if you are rowing a dory or such.
Meatloaf
Member
Fixed seat rowing. Just ordered a pad with a cutout for the tailbone and holes for the sitbones. Hoping a full week plus will suffice for healing. I wear synthetic boxers, ex officio brand with a waffle weave. It is definitely NOT a clothing related chafe :( The boat is similar to a dory, a Herreshoff 17, 17'2" x 42" beam, right at 100 lbs, lapstrake wood.
seabag
Member
The pad may well be all you need for fixed seat rowing. For years I have just used some closed cell ensolite. For a structural fix, the norse use really narrow seats which I thought was weird until I tried it. The seat is narrow enough so that your tailbone and upper butt cheeks never hit the seat no matter your layback.
Agree with Greg and Beast on shorts. Cotton is the devil's friend on long paddles. I use synthetic running shorts. I am dealing with a kayak where there is less frequent and different movement on the seat. Not sure if it transfers to rowing.
Keep us posted on what works as you solve the problem. Institutional knowledge is good.
I found out a fact about my mother that I never knew. She rowed in college and for about five years afterwards. I spent the day with her and she mentioned something about wanting to try a kayak. In the conversation about boat stability, she made a reference to rowing and her college crew team. That turned into a great conversation and I learned many new things.
JulianChandler
Member
There is some light at the end of the, ehh, tunnel, in that eventually it seems one develops callouses in those areas. Chaffing has not been an issue for me for years--with weekly 10 mile minimum rows combined with 20K ergs. I have also noticed that I used to get a numb right leg when rowing after ~5 miles, or erging, but that has gone completely away. Although I've experimented with lots of padding, etc., I think that the body just eventually adapts. But I think it takes "years."
Beast, She went to Coker College. It was a womans college located in Hartsville, SC. The conversation blew my mind. The last things I expected to come out of my mother's mouth were 'initial stability' and 'secondary stability'. She was discussing hull shape of kayaks and comparing them to rowing shell hull shapes.
I found out that the sport was different back then. It was pre NCAA. They had regattas that included other schools and non collegiate rowing clubs. All competed in the same events.
After the conversation started I remembered some pictures my grandmother had of her. I want to say she was in a coxless four in the photo I remember. That was so long ago that my memory is hazy.
What wound up being the least interesting part of the conversation for me is what she is looking for in a kayak. She wants a kayak that would be easy for someone in their 70s to enter and exit. She also wants a lot of initial stability for photography purposes. I think she has outgrown any desire to paddle fast and probably never had much desire to paddle long distances.
Was not sure what to suggest, so recommended she use kayak instruction to try different boats. I told her about a shop (Sea Kayak Carolina) that has very good ACA instructors and a wide range of different types of boat that they use for instruction. At the very least she will start out with a decent paddle stroke and not arm paddle for 20 years like I did.
You must log in to post.
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
