Ankle support for kneeling

I just watched this video (@ 1:40 minutes in) and I thought his solution for ankle pain was both funny and clever. What are other kneelers doing to alleviate ankle pain?

I used pool noodles for a while but didn't strap them on like that. Eventually, stretching and kneeling more and more delayed the discomfort.

In my whitewater canoe, footpegs eliminate the extension issue. I could install a set of pegs on the saddle in my Wildfire but that would add more weight that it's worth.

I suppose that would be one solution if you really didn't want to glue anything into your canoe. Ankle support definitely helps and I wouldn't paddle a canoe kneeling without it. But for whitewater I don't want anything loose in my canoe or loosely attached to my body.

I make ankle blocks out of minicell foam and glue them into my whitewater canoes with contact cement. For a canoe intended for flatwater I might just leave them loose in the canoe and place them under my ankles. Minicell has the advantage in that it can be precisely cut to size and custom shaped.

Here is a simple minicell ankle block of the type I make and use.

i would think those short noodles would tend to rotate away from your ankles. Although I am not typically a kneeler, a kneeling friend showed me what he does and i made the same. It is a rectangular cheap thin foam pad as wide as my stance with a half pool noodle cut in half firmly taped across the foam. The assembly is easily shifted and remains firm to any position to relieve ankle pain.

The effectiveness or need for ankle pads partially depends on what footwear you are using. I mostly wear NRS Workboots, the soles are not very flexible (great for portaging, wading etc) but not so good for kneeling. I've tried various ankle pads, none of them worked with those boots (most just made my ankles hurt even more).

Over the decades I have found that my key to Whitewater C1 and OC1 comfort is good support of my shin and ankle with a long wedge of foam starting at the knee pad (or cup) and extending to a raised ankle brace. The support given to the leg really helps to keep the feet from getting the "tinglies" on a long stretch of paddling. I remember a long-ago afternoon paddle in my old Perception Gyra-Max where neither ankle would work for about 15 minutes after we got to the take-out. That was when I really started experimenting with leg support.

Here is a shot of my H2Pro with factory foam outfitting to give an idea of what I like, but I tend to build it up a bit higher as I approach the ankle.


In my canoes without thigh straps and with a bench seat instead of a pedestal I tend not to worry much about ankle support because I can shift positions and move my feet around as I paddle.

The video posted by Punkinhead does shows an interesting idea if I were to paddle a boat not set up without ankle support.

Steve in Idaho said:

Eventually, stretching and kneeling more and more delayed the discomfort.

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Yes, you can stretch and increase the flexion of your ankles if you practice by sitting on the floor with your butt on your calves and the top of your feet flexed flat on the floor. While you watch TV, for example. You will be able to do this for longer and longer periods of time if you practice faithfully. During my whitewater years, I used to do this most everyday during the winter.

Glenn MacGrady said:

sitting on the floor with your butt on your calves and the top of your feet flexed flat on the floor. While you watch TV, for example.

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I had to do similar acclimation activities when I paddled my Encore with foam saddle. I sat on a basketball while watching TV. Best of all, if you have indoor space big enough for your canoe, was bringing the canoe in. I'd place a board across the gunwales, put my laptop on the board and sit on the saddle in paddling position while I typed emails and browsed CT.net. If I didn't do something along those lines, the first few outings of the year got very uncomfortable, very quickly.

Just that little bit of extra support made a difference for me. Used these in my WW boat. Contemplating adding to others but some (minimal) concern about foot entrapment with a bench seat vs pedestal.