what would be best board in chop for someone with a weak knee. does kiting hammer the knees? cheers.

take magnesium pills if its the strength of your knees thats worrying you.

take up longboard skating over winter... I got a bung anterior cruciate ligament that hurts at the start of every season due to the loss in muscle bulk. now I skate and the constant up and down of pushing the board kept the muscle there supporting the joint, brilliant cross training...I think it's actually stronger now than at the end of summer!

for the board, get something flexi with soft pads a nice concave and soft rails IMO

ste....make sure you get a board that has really good flex on the ends. Board design seem to be changing to shorter wider and stiffer boards. I used to have the same problem and i also kite mainly in the chop. I find narrower longer boards are better for those conditions (from a flex point of veiw). I use a Nobile 145 (shame they don't make this board anymore) as a light wind board and a TB Haura as my main board the Haura is by far the smoothest board I have ever riden. Pads can make a big diff also i have changed the pads on the Nobile to underground pads but the TB pads rock.

you might want to try putting on a different foot pad -
there are some really spongy ones - send a private messaget to cpt gumby he uses some some that have solved his sore knee issues

We find the board that rides smoothest in the chop is the Naish SOL, closely followed by the Chemical Krypton.
However you should figure out if it is actually the bounce from the chop that is actually causing you the pain. It could be a combination of other factors.
The wrong stance puts lateral stress on your joints.
Also if it's the constant strain you might consider riding a larger board with less kite power.
I definately wouldn'treccomend using a knee brace unless you have a diagnosed injury as they only disguise the problem and the extra support will prevent any weakness in your knee from strengthening.

Jason

Hey STE

On top of all the other great advice - have you experimented fully with the different footstrap angles ???

Most people just 'plug & play' or try only 1 adjustment... use 1 angle adjustment per session - then record the affect on your knees. This may help as everyone has slightly different tracking alignment through their knee joint. The the jump n land method is good but doesnt suit everyone because of the above..

Remember - LAZY people who Dont try anything or stop short.. Always know in the back of their minds - I COULD HAVE TRIED SOMETHING but CHOSE not too !!

Start fiddling, dont Plug & Play

Cheersz

try a wake board, the extra rocker and tunnelled hull makes a huge difference in choppy water

Some excellent advice from Save the whales, re footstrap angles, I find a more ducked stance to be less stressful, and I did experiment as he suggested.
I do find most people prefer a mid to more ducked stance, especially anyone with knee issues.

Seek medical advice from a qualified medical expert, not from this forum when it comes to things like knee braces and surgical options, even supplements and alternative medicine.
Taking large doses of any single mineral, for example can upset the fine balance in the bloodstream.
Most orthopaedic surgeons are very familiar with the excellent knee braces that are available now, and do recommend them for certain people.

If a knee brace is only worn for only for kiting to protect the knee joint from over extension (hyper), or uneven compartmental loading (in my case), or ligament damage from twisting falls, where one foot may get stuck in a footstrap, then they will not induce laziness or muscle wasting, they will just help prevent further knee trauma and injury.
See your doctor and get a referral to a sports orthapedic surgeon, spend some money on an MRI and get the right advice.
You only get one set of knees and when one or both goes bung, the overall quality of your life can go out the window.

I cringe at the damage some young people are doing to their knees in this sport ans others, as a community we are all going to have to carry the cost of this in the future by paying more for Medicare and health insurance. When these people get older, their lives are going to be a living hell!

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

I ride a 133 cardboard with the standard foot pads and found my knees were getting really sore after a long session.I have invested in some liquid force pads,has made a huge difference.
Nothing wrong with the standard cardboard pads,just my worn out knees.
The best $200 Ive spent.Nothing worse than having to end a good session cause of pain.
Oh yeah,plenty of flex in the board helps heaps too.Gotta love cardboards,aussie made too.
And no I dont work for them,just stoked with my weapon.

Protect your knees with

1. Proper stance.

2. Ride as much toe side as heal side.

3. Move to strapless.

4. Use ice after a "bad" session.

your post must have been a premonition. I managed to twist my knee under myself yesterday and induce a great deal of pain. I think I have stretched the ligament on the right side of my right knee as i can not turn my leg in one direction.

Knee brace for me this morning......

Steve, can you recommend a specific type of brace for this delapidated old fogey?

will be off to docs when i get home to melbourne...

grog

grogamanda said...

your post must have been a premonition. I managed to twist my knee under myself yesterday and induce a great deal of pain. I think I have stretched the ligament on the right side of my right knee as i can not turn my leg in one direction.

Knee brace for me this morning......

Steve, can you recommend a specific type of brace for this delapidated old fogey?

will be off to docs when i get home to melbourne...

grog

Yeah Grog, bummer about your leg, hope it heals fast.
If you only wear a brace for kiting, your leg is not going to forget anything! :-)
You could not wear one of these braces full time anyway, they need to be worn tight, and would be uncomfortable maybe even able to cause DVT (deep vein thrombosis).
They are for protection and do work, I'm living proof. You could still injure you knee and even the other knee, so you need to ride with care until fully healed. Strength exercises and stretching always help.
I got mine from the Australian agents.
http://www.gallbrosmedical.com.au/htdocs/Innovation/cti2.html





Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Steve.. how much did that brace set you back roughly?

i think i might invest in one for this season atleast because i do not want to go through all that again! took long enough and i got out lucky this time around i wont wana sit through rehab n surgery if it goes again..

saw somewhere on the net that they are roughly $600US... what did you get yours for steve?

If you choose to have a Private health insurer it might be worthwhile asking if they will cover some or all of the cost for a "medical aid".

I am with Medibank Private which has a "Bonus package" scheme that you can use (if approved by them) for such items.

I have mates that have had knee braces and "Skins" "sports apparel" purchased using this.

Of course the Skins were for "prevention of deep vein thrombosis" ...not inners for wetties

Regards
The fossil