I just tested a way to care for my hand while windsurfing for a week in Bonaire.
Just thought I’d share what I did for those still suffering from repeated open blisters while sailing over salt water in tropical climates (when air and water temps are in excess of 84 degrees).

The idea:
1- Stop sailing, rinse in fresh water and dry hands at the very first signs of appearing blisters and/or skin tenderness and/or burning sensation.
I usually sail for 60-90 minutes and take a break for an hour to let my hands dry and repeat that on/off sequence throughout the day. The key is to never let an appearing blister become open.
2- Apply a generous amount of grease on hands (Like Burt's Bees Hand Salve) at bedtime, then cover hands with a pair of cheap cotton gloves (the ones used to manipulate artwork or electronics) and sleep over it. Do this every night. The hands will rehydrate and any emerging blisters will magically transform into more resilient and harder callous skin patches.
3- Rely on your harness more than usual and use a light touch holding your boom whenever possible.

This strategy really worked great for me. I didn’t need to wear gloves or tape any wounds while sailing during my enter stay and got back home with no blisters.

Last minute on the water before calling it off on the last day: "Clean" hands!


Fun runs with the locals

This is good advice. I just suck it up and wear 1/2 fingered gloves.
Obviously, if you live in Bonaire or other warm, tropical, salty places, your hands eventually get used to it. The Bonaire sailors don't seem to need special treatment or gloves. I think that the salt has a HUGE amount to do with it.
However, here's what to do if this:



happens to your hands.
1. If you get a blister and is HASN'T popped, you have two choices. A. Leave it alone and stop sailing for the rest of your trip. B. If you're gonna sail, it's gonna rip open no matter what you do.
2. Assuming you chose "B", you either need to pop the blister and peel off the flap or if it's already popped, then peel off the flap.
3. If you can, trim the loose skin as close to the edge of the blister as you can. What you are try to accomplish here is to prevent it from getting worse. If you leave the flaps or loose skin, it'll grab on the boom (or something else) and tear deeper. This is waaaay worse than just a rip. You really want to avoid what we used to call "a bleeder". As a former Div 1 athlete and gymnast from age 9 - 26, there are tricks we use to trim the skin back with your bare hands. If you don't know how to do this, use a razor blade, exacto knife, or small sharp scissors. The scissors in a Swiss Army knife are perfect.
4. Once you get it trimmed up, either start wearing gloves or tape it up with some duct tape. Don't use athletic tape: it won't last in the water.
5. Apply chapstick or A&D ointment, or bag balm to your rips and either tape em up or wear gloves like Greg suggested. the gloves are to keep you from getting goop all over your clothes and sheets. I used to do this all the time when I was competing, because as a gymnast, your hands are just CONSTANTLY torn up. No way to avoid it.

I'm surprise you got so many blisters if you windsurf regularly. My hands are pretty much cured from many years of windsurfing. I still get one once in a while when I take a windsurf vacation due to the amount of windsurfing I try to squeeze in few days. Anyway, I windsurf for about 10 years in Puerto Rico and after the "break in" period when I started, never have any problem with blisters.
One thing I tried the last time I got a blister was Crazy glue on the blister. Works like a band aid. Didn't last forever, but it worked

Eric Raven wrote:
This was not what I was advocating.
I sailed a minimum of 4 hours every day for 6 consecutive days and I didn't have to stop sailing. Yet, I managed to avoid blisters. Just sharing a way to do just that. But again, everyone is free to think and do whatever they want!

Wish I had that problem Greg, lol, so lucky my friend!

Greg from Sheb. wrote:
I know that's not what you're advocating; I think you gave solid advice. I think you're a little confused about what I'm getting at though. I was in Bonaire at an Andy Brandt freestyle clinic and one of the more beginner sailors was a surgeon. I got a couple rips, like I do, and he was cautioning, "Leave the skin on: natures perfect bandage." Which is true....IF you're not gonna use your hand aggressively anymore. I had to argue with him about how that wasn't going to work, and that if you leave the skin on and keep sailing, it'll tear deeper and THEN you're really gonna be hurtin'. My advice is purely for dealing with the situation AFTER you get a blister or a rip, which I view as inevitable. I like your advice; perhaps tearing my hands up is NOT inevitable!

Bonaire experience. Plus one on applying something greasy before and after sessions. By before I mean early morning at breakfast, not right before.

I used Bag Balm. Probably very close to Vaseline. I think originally intended for chafing relief in an agricultural setting. But used to be a go-to in the rock climbing community.

Chris wrote:
I know, right?! First-world problem. Place in the context of all the misery and drama that happens on the planet at any given point, our little windsurfing issues are definitely insignificant!
I realized I'm very lucky to be able to afford such a trip.