The fact that I'm even posting this irritates me but it is worth mentioning so you don't end up a member of the "don't let this happen to you crowd" like I just did.
So as a water hunting rookie, I'd say the #1 mistake people make aside from cheaping out on scoops/equipment is that they swing too fast. Going from hunting the dirt with my XP Deus, I was used to a much faster swing speed, lighter weight machine and no water resistance. I slowed my swing down by a good 50% when I got into water hunting but even that is too fast. So, I went out with Bruce last Friday for a night hunt. My battery crapped out early (another rookie mistake not charging the night before a hunt) leaving me frantically trying to cover as much ground as possible so as not to let the awesome negative tide go to waste. 2hrs of that and I literally could not pick my swinging arm up. The pain was insane. The next morning even worse. I took a week off and it started to feel better but like all Pirates, I want that gold and don't know when to call it quits. I went out again this weekend and made it worse. I swung too fast, in the water combined with the heavier machine and water resistance, ended up sidelined. Now even moving at a snail pace freakin kills!
The pain was so intense when I got up this morning that I had to see a doctor, only to find out it's tendinitis/bursitis. I'm told anywhere from a month (if I stop detecting completely) to 6 months. My elbow is full of fluid and just moving it sends numbing pain down to my hand.
I've had some weeks where I've spent 25-35hrs detecting and never had elbow/joint pain. This was from swinging too fast and now my water hunting might be over for the year (conveniently on the day my Excal Sword arrived in the mail)
Let that be a lesson to anyone just getting into the water. You'd think this would not need to be stated but perhaps it does. Dont' be an idiot like me and
SLOW DOWN!
So as a water hunting rookie, I'd say the #1 mistake people make aside from cheaping out on scoops/equipment is that they swing too fast. Going from hunting the dirt with my XP Deus, I was used to a much faster swing speed, lighter weight machine and no water resistance. I slowed my swing down by a good 50% when I got into water hunting but even that is too fast. So, I went out with Bruce last Friday for a night hunt. My battery crapped out early (another rookie mistake not charging the night before a hunt) leaving me frantically trying to cover as much ground as possible so as not to let the awesome negative tide go to waste. 2hrs of that and I literally could not pick my swinging arm up. The pain was insane. The next morning even worse. I took a week off and it started to feel better but like all Pirates, I want that gold and don't know when to call it quits. I went out again this weekend and made it worse. I swung too fast, in the water combined with the heavier machine and water resistance, ended up sidelined. Now even moving at a snail pace freakin kills!
The pain was so intense when I got up this morning that I had to see a doctor, only to find out it's tendinitis/bursitis. I'm told anywhere from a month (if I stop detecting completely) to 6 months. My elbow is full of fluid and just moving it sends numbing pain down to my hand.
I've had some weeks where I've spent 25-35hrs detecting and never had elbow/joint pain. This was from swinging too fast and now my water hunting might be over for the year (conveniently on the day my Excal Sword arrived in the mail)
Let that be a lesson to anyone just getting into the water. You'd think this would not need to be stated but perhaps it does. Dont' be an idiot like me and
SLOW DOWN!