Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

I have seen this discussed in the past with a high degree of
uncertainty and confusion. Have basic hand position guidelines now been
settled upon? Thanks.

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

Davej wrote:
I have seen this discussed in the past with a high degree of
uncertainty and confusion. Have basic hand position guidelines now been
settled upon? Thanks.

What has happened is that the ACA and BCU are no longer teaching or
recommending high bracing.

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

Brian Nystrom wrote:
Davej wrote:
I have seen this discussed in the past with a high degree of
uncertainty and confusion. Have basic hand position guidelines
now been settled upon? Thanks.

What has happened is that the ACA and BCU are no longer
teaching or recommending high bracing.

Seriously? What about guidelines for side skulling?

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.

Courtney

"Davej" wrote in message
ups.com...
Brian Nystrom wrote:
Davej wrote:
I have seen this discussed in the past with a high degree of
uncertainty and confusion. Have basic hand position guidelines
now been settled upon? Thanks.

What has happened is that the ACA and BCU are no longer
teaching or recommending high bracing.

Seriously? What about guidelines for side skulling?

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.

So why not just use a high brace with the elbow down? A low brace on a wave
that's shoulder high is not exactly realistic.

I don't think that throwing a good brace away just because there's a risk is a
good plan. I've seen lots of instructors teach a high brace with elbows tight
to the side. Even the Duffek is taught with top arm in front of the body. I
teach side sculls and running draws with the arm in front of the body too. All
these approaches minimize risk to the shoulder. As a paddler with bad
shoulders, I wouldn't do these things if I though they would be a problem.

This sounds like a liability fear more than good instruction policy. "First we
kill all the lawyers..."

Mike

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

Courtney wrote:
It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.

Courtney

I'm getting the impression that the guideline is to try to hide your
pits.

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

Michael Daly wrote:
Courtney wrote:

It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.


So why not just use a high brace with the elbow down? A low brace on a
wave that's shoulder high is not exactly realistic.

I don't think that throwing a good brace away just because there's a
risk is a good plan. I've seen lots of instructors teach a high brace
with elbows tight to the side. Even the Duffek is taught with top arm
in front of the body. I teach side sculls and running draws with the
arm in front of the body too. All these approaches minimize risk to the
shoulder. As a paddler with bad shoulders, I wouldn't do these things
if I though they would be a problem.

This sounds like a liability fear more than good instruction policy.

I don't doubt that at all.

Personally, I use whatever technique works, whether it's "recommended"
or "approved" by anyone is irrelevent to me. I'm sure that some of the
bracing techniques I've used in big (~6') breaking waves would make an
ACA/BCU instructor choke, but they've saved my ass from potentially
dangerous side-surfing situations and I never felt any strain on my
shoulders. To me, it's a question of which is a bigger risk.

"First we kill all the lawyers..."

Of course! ;-)

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
news:E0Azg.19239$QA1.3117@trndny05...
Michael Daly wrote:
Courtney wrote:

It is encouraged that a low brace is used by keeping the elbow down and
using the back side of the paddle blade to skull.


So why not just use a high brace with the elbow down? A low brace on a
wave that's shoulder high is not exactly realistic.

I don't think that throwing a good brace away just because there's a
risk is a good plan. I've seen lots of instructors teach a high brace
with elbows tight to the side. Even the Duffek is taught with top arm
in front of the body. I teach side sculls and running draws with the
arm in front of the body too. All these approaches minimize risk to the
shoulder. As a paddler with bad shoulders, I wouldn't do these things
if I though they would be a problem.

This sounds like a liability fear more than good instruction policy.

I don't doubt that at all.

Personally, I use whatever technique works, whether it's "recommended"
or "approved" by anyone is irrelevent to me. I'm sure that some of the
bracing techniques I've used in big (~6') breaking waves would make an
ACA/BCU instructor choke, but they've saved my ass from potentially
dangerous side-surfing situations and I never felt any strain on my
shoulders. To me, it's a question of which is a bigger risk.

I use whatever I need to use as well, however, I try to avoid using a high
brace since I tore my rotator cuff some time back doing one. It's whatever
works at the time.

Courtney

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

Brian Nystrom wrote in news:Fdmzg.1101$eG.206
@trndny08:

Davej wrote:
I have seen this discussed in the past with a high degree of
uncertainty and confusion. Have basic hand position guidelines now been
settled upon? Thanks.

What has happened is that the ACA and BCU are no longer teaching or
recommending high bracing.

When did that happen? As of a couple of years ago a high brace for support
(both from a stationary position and on the move) were required for the BCU
3 star assessment.

Avoiding shoulder injury during high brace
 

John Fereira wrote:
Brian Nystrom wrote in news:Fdmzg.1101$eG.206
@trndny08:


Davej wrote:

I have seen this discussed in the past with a high degree of
uncertainty and confusion. Have basic hand position guidelines now been
settled upon? Thanks.


What has happened is that the ACA and BCU are no longer teaching or
recommending high bracing.


When did that happen? As of a couple of years ago a high brace for support
(both from a stationary position and on the move) were required for the BCU
3 star assessment.

AFAIK, it was this year.