What can you do to prevent palm blisters?

[sarc]

I use HTFU cream, works great!

[Bille]

Maybe if Ya went to Home-Depot and got that split foam instillation
they use on water-pipes ; they got it for a Bunch of different diameters.
Then wrap it with Sport-Tape.

Just a temporary solution ; but the grip would be Real Soft till your hand heals.

Bille

[Dustfarter]

I use HTFU cream, works great!

Me too. I highly recommend it.

[Da Yoda]

There's a really good reason for why so many professional level wakeboarders, waterskiers, paddlers, etc... wear gloves during their sessions. I'm surprised it hasn't caught on more with kiters.
I've been using the StraightLine Performance gloves. I like that they're a water specific, single-layer glove that doesn't restrict the feel of the kite. I have used DaKine and NPryde water gloves in the past but SL's are a much better design for kiting imo.
Another thing to be aware of is a lot of the water specific gloves on the market are dual-layer or are padded (or both) for added comfort and/or durability, so make sure to find a single layer constructed glove for the best "kite feel" performance.
Here's the link to the specific model that I use...
http://www.slsports.com/gloves-performance.html

Btw... I have no affiliation with SL. I just really like their gloves!

[knotwindy]

Wake boarders, water skiers, etc use gloves because they are constantly powered, no harness to relax on. If you ride the kite unhooked all the time, that would be equivalent. But nobody does that. They unhook for the tricks and then hook in for the ride back. Maybe learn to ride without the death grip, just use your fingers as suggested above and maybe try holding the bar with your thumbs above or along side the bar and not below it, helps stop the death grip tendency. Use the harness a bit more, you already paid for it.

[Tone]

Kite more.....

[Air_Pharaoh]

get a girl friend.

[Peter_Frank]

Kite more.....

Knotwindy and Tone is right.

An example could be if you dont kite in the winthertime in colder areas (many of us do, but some dont), and then take on a vacation in the spring before the "season" starts.

You will go out every day many hours then, after having had a winther break - and you will almost 100% get blisters

This is what we for fun call something like "Desk Clerc Hands" (I dont know the correct English term - could anyone tell what it is called in normal English lingo, office jobs and getting soft hands ?), as we office guys/girls are not used to work with anything but paper and computers, and the soft hands will get destroyed when kitesurfing a lot and "suddenly"

Weekend warriors will have no problems either, as their hands get used to it too.

But if not getting out for a loooong time, and then many hours several or many days in a row - you got the problem, and gloves might be the solution ?

Otherwise I see no reason for gloves whatsoever.

Noone uses "summer" gloves around here except for those riding in the colder winther time of course, but no gloves in spring/summer/autumn...
But I see tourists using gloves - this could be if they come from spots without much water or water access, and then suddenly being able to kite every day - then it makes sense

And wakeboarding is very different, as unhooked 100% of the time - so can not be compared.
Even in wakeboarding, the best who is out often, adapt and ride without gloves I assume ?
But must admit I dont know - as wakeboarding is not really seen much or at all around here, compared to sailing sports.

Peter

[ktflyer381]

Get a chin up bar and do some chin ups every day. Callouses will develop quickly and you'll never get a blister, plus you'll be in better shape to kite.

K

[alexeyga]

Get a chin up bar and do some chin ups every day. Callouses will develop quickly and you'll never get a blister, plus you'll be in better shape to kite.

K

+1

If you train in a gym when not riding, start doing some Snatching or Clean&Jerks. That will toughen up your hands. Or get some watersports-specific gloves.

I've just got a new Naish bar as well and I'm finding that it's a bit tough on hands, but as far as kite's flying goes - these bars are just awesome!

Cheers!