Going finless

[Pes78]

So a few weeks ago I started feeling a dull pain in my knee. Has anyone tried going finless? I just finished a board and it is very low volume. I would have swim into waves and then pull myself up onto the board to ride. I need to have the knee checked out before I do any quiver changes.

Paul

[soulglider]

i walk out to my spot if the waves are breaking in shallow enough water, then just hop into waves. or you need one those ultra-super-duper-megaskiff-platters. get off those lame ass kneeboards!

[Pes78]

Yeah something along the lines that skiff is doing but not as wide. I think even going with something like yours with better foam distribution would work. I would have to mostly arm paddle into waves, but I'm not going to jump the gun just yet. I have a doctors appointment in a couple weeks. I think the max width I could go is 24 and go a little thicker. Also Tim you don't use swim fins at all?

[bgreen]

Pes,

I'd be inclined to wait for the doctor's opinion.

If you don't want flippers at all, you are going to need more volume or length. Proneman rides 8-10' boards, then there is Richard Safady and Robert Moynier. Robert used to ride long boards prone I don't think he does any more. Both of the latter have paipo interviews: http://mypaipoboards.org/interviews/Pai ... iews.shtml This is a particular style of surfing, I suspect not really suited to hollow, peaky beachbreaks, for example.

Looking at a photo of Soulglider's flippers, I'd say he was only referring to - when conditions permit, launching from shallow water.

Bob

[soulglider]

bob, is right and correct on everything above.

[Poobah]

I think training fins are better than going completely naked. I would wear Zoomers on bad knee days, and also when there's a lot of loose kelp in the wave zone. There are other similar training fins, like Tyr Burner and Speedos. Eventually I decided it was better to simply cut a shorter blade on some old fins so I could be asymmetric...short on the left and really short on the right foot (bad knee on the right.) I used a hand mitre saw. That gave me better thrust than the Zoomers, and I could still walk in them.

[rodndtube]

Paul, sometimes it is a matter of rest and taking some ibuprofen or naproxen, both being nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)... assuming you don't have other complicating medical issues with these. A simple phone call to your doctor or to a health insurance "help line" might provide some guidance. If no improvement in a couple of weeks then it is time to get a work-up from the medical people. I am not a medical type, just speaking from my own personal experience, so a doc type is the safest way to go... not a surfing forum!!!

Possibly the knee strain emerged from doing something differently and putting stress on previously unknown "injuries" or simply exercised an area with weakness. Not uncommon with a new board or new swim fin type that requires a modified kick/stroke pattern or that your body needs to gradually strengthen up.

[soulglider]

rods correct. ive had three knee surgeries on my left knee and the use of fins has strengthened it more than any other fitness program. every case is different.

[Pes78]

Yeah after thinking about what it was that I'm doing different, I think part of it is it's the knee I'm using to duck dive my board. This board is 4'9 22 2 7/8 so I'm using a knee and on the flip side using Soulglider I didn't use my knee at all completely different board. Took the last few days off and if feels better so gonna go out tomorrow and see how it goes. Going to try and see if I can try to arm paddle more than kick to get around the lineup and not use the knee to duck dive. Also may look into some smaller fins. I've been using the same ones for the last couple years. Thanks for all the replies.

Paul

[rodndtube]

Paul, what kind of fins are you presently using? Narrow, average or wide foot?

A fin blade with more flex will certainly put less stress on your kick motion. Maybe modify the kick motion slightly to take stress of the knee (flex blade better doing that as well).

Larry Goddard uses a non-standard swim fin -- snorkel/diving fins with very long and very flexible blades.

[soulglider]

paul

paul.jpg (94.86 KiB) Viewed 2338 times

.

[Pes78]

I've been using the H2O's. They are really comfortable but the blades are pretty stiff. I have a pair of Dafins but I didn't like them very much.

[soulglider]

im with you with the da fins. i cut the squares edges off and made them more like their other fins and they work like magic. i use the maakapuu's and have been my go to fin for 50 years. tried all the rest and end up back with these. i have a wide foot and they fit me best.

[Pes78]

So my knee hasn't had any issues all this week. I got my kneeboard last week and have been surfing that with no problems. It may sound weird but i think it was the board that was causing the issue. On my kneeboards I would kick paddle around the lineup and on the TBelly I didn't have any knee issues. My feeling is that the boards length had my legs at a weird angle snd was putting stress on my knee. All this is unscientific of course. Thanks for all the help.

Paul