Kayaking With Tennis Elbow: How the Gamut Paddle Holder Helped Me Keep Paddling
When my tennis elbow became severe, I discovered just how many ordinary movements involved my forearm and grip. Unscrewing a jar, pumping lotion from a bottle and even lifting my coffee cup could make me wince. Using a traditional kayak paddle was out of the question.
My symptoms began after I spent about an hour using a weed whacker to clear our overgrown yard. Holding down its trigger while supporting the tool put sustained strain on my hand and forearm. For the next several weeks, the outside of my elbow was extremely tender, and I couldn’t fully straighten or rotate my arm without significant pain.
As the owner of an adaptive-kayaking company, I had an unusual opportunity: I could compare a traditional paddle with one of our mounted paddle-support systems. What happened on the water helped me understand why changing the mechanics of the stroke can matter so much when grip, elbow movement or forearm strength becomes painful.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, iis an overuse condition affecting the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow. Repetitive wrist, hand and forearm movements can contribute to degeneration or small tears in the tendon, producing pain and tenderness around the outer elbow.
Despite its name, tennis elbow is not limited to tennis players. It can affect people whose work, sports or everyday activities involve repeated gripping, wrist movement or forearm use. Pain may also extend into the forearm and wrist, and some people experience reduced grip strength. The condition is most common among adults between 30 and 50, although anyone with the relevant risk factors can develop it.
Elbow Pain When Kayaking with a Regular Paddle
When I tried kayaking with my regular paddle, I had to return to shore within about 10 minutes because of the pain. I couldn’t fully straighten my right arm, and I noticed the limitation most during the turning phase of my sweep stroke, when I engaged the right blade and pulled it back through the water.
The power phase of the forward stroke created a different problem. Grasping the shaft and engaging my forearm to pull the blade through the water produced the same kind of discomfort I felt when squeezing a bottle or pulling a door handle. Even when I tried to generate more of the stroke from my core, my elbow and forearm were doing more than they could comfortably tolerate.
The irony wasn’t lost on me: I owned a company that manufactured adaptive kayaking equipment. A few days later, I took our Gamut Paddle Holder system onto the water to see whether supporting the paddle and modifying my stroke would make kayaking more manageable.
How the Gamut Changed My Kayak Stroke
On that outing, I was able to kayak with the Gamut without experiencing the elbow pain I had felt with my regular paddle. Because the mount supported the paddle’s weight, I did not have to hold and control an unsupported paddle throughout every stroke.
I still needed to grasp the paddle shaft, but I could use a looser grip and more of a push-pull motion. The system allowed me to rely more heavily on my stronger left side to push the blade forward instead of depending equally on my injured right arm to pull it back.
I could also keep my right elbow bent more comfortably and reduce how far I extended it during portions of the stroke. For me, those changes made an immediate and noticeable difference.
My experience does not mean that the Gamut will eliminate elbow pain for every paddler. Tennis elbow and other upper-body conditions affect people differently. However, a supported paddle may be worth exploring when the weight of an unsupported paddle, a firm grip or repetitive pulling aggravates symptoms.
The Gamut is often a good starting point for paddlers who want to continue using their own paddle while adding support. The Versa Paddle System offers another option for people who need a smaller range of motion, greater adaptability or the ability to paddle primarily with one arm. Both systems use a kayak-mounted support, but they function differently.
Treatment Options for Tennis Elbow
Fortunately, I wasn’t overly concerned about the long-term prognosis for my tennis elbow. My rotator cuff surgery was a different story!
Most cases of tennis elbow improve without surgery. Common treatment options include temporarily avoiding activities that aggravate the elbow, using ice or pain medication when appropriate, and working with a physical or occupational therapist on stretching and strengthening exercises. Some people also find relief from a brace or forearm strap.
If the pain doesn’t improve, a healthcare provider may discuss other options, including injections or, in more persistent cases, surgery. Because elbow pain can have different causes, it’s worth getting medical guidance—especially if the pain is severe, continues for an extended period or interferes with everyday activities.
For me, changing the mechanics of paddling made an immediate difference. The Gamut didn’t treat my tennis elbow, but it supported the paddle and allowed me to use a looser grasp and more of a push-pull motion. That was enough to let me get back on the water without the same pain I experienced using my regular, unsupported paddle.
Tennis elbow temporarily changed the way I could use my arm, but it did not have to end my time on the water. Supporting the paddle and adapting my stroke gave me a workable alternative while my elbow was painful. If a traditional paddle has become difficult because of grip, forearm, elbow or shoulder limitations, a supported paddle system may be worth exploring. The next step is to determine which combination of paddle support and kayak mount best fits your body, your equipment and the way you want to paddle.
