Mirage drive and knee trouble

I've been fortunate enough to put some long days on my mirage drive recently, but this has caused my right knee to start acting up. It is hard to keep up a good trolling pace or enjoy yourself when each pedal stroke hurts a tiny bit. Here are the ideas I'm looking at.

Exercise
Any recommendations for stretching or strengthening specific to knee issues with the Mirage drive?

Other propulsion
I've heard that pedal systems with a circular stroke are less likely to cause knee problems, but the Hobie competitors look slow and heavy compared to my current ride, which is ~78 lbs and 16' long. Am I missing something good here? For longer trips I'm also feeling the pull of the darkness (buying a motor) but that is a separate topic.

A paddle kayak
For short trips I think a paddle kayak could be nice, even though the pedal drive is so convenient when fishing. Anyone want to sell me a fast paddle yak?

My right knee hurts too, just above my knee cap towards my femur.  It hurts especially if I troll or pedal for over 20 minutes continuously, but thankfully it doesn’t bother me during any other activities off the water.

I’ve switched to mooching full time and I honestly think it’s a knee and back saver. Of course I still need to pedal hard to get from point A to point B but the time I spend not pedaling gives me time to recover, stretch my legs and back and I feel pretty fresh all day.

I know you’re a card carrying salmon slaying bad ass but something to consider? You could even sail from Point A to Point B and drop the sail to mooch! 

Ice and anti inflammatorys, strengthening. You can get the same thing with the pedal ones.
Look at this article from bicycling. You may get some ideas.
https://www.bicycling.com/training/a20020906/why-do-my-knees-hurt/

If it does not get better with these thing and maybe sorts crime you may need consider an injection to the knee.

I had various injuries from sport and from work. The best thing in my opinion is what you’re doing - research. Maybe this is what you have?

https://www.thesteadmanclinic.com/patient-education/knee/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome

And the second best is to talk to a professional. There are health care specialists for sport injuries and they can help you with all sorts of things, starting maybe with the position of your seat, adjustment of your drive, wearing different shoes, doing certain stretches, using foam rolls for muscle treatment, etc.

Don’t forget that we are getting older. I find that if I exercise a certain part of my body (say running) regularly, then it doesn’t hurt when I push it real hard. But if I don’t (say hands), then it hurts when I put a sudden strain on it.

First and foremost, I'd suggest a lot of stretching. Just prior to hopping in the kayak, I spend at least 5 minutes stretching (there is no way to properly stretch once you launch, not even on an AI). People look at me like I'm nuts (which may actually be the case...), but it makes a huge difference. If I forget to stretch, I definitely feel it the next day.

You might also want to experiment with your leg extension (i.e., distance from seat to pedal) and, if possible, pedal height (which also affects the distance). I use slightly longer (DIY) crank arms on my Hobie and I think it helps me to minimize the stress on my knees for a given amount of power.

You might also check your mirage drive, as there should be some "slop" in it. Most people have the cables too tight. A bit of slop relieves pressure at the bottom/top of the stroke, and it also generates more power.

Finally, don't try to start off at top speed. Take is slow, and build up slowly to your cruising/trolling speed.

All good advice. I am a sports medicine doctor. Trying to learn kayaking.

I've been fortunate enough to put some long days on my mirage drive recently, but this has caused my right knee to start acting up. It is hard to keep up a good trolling pace or enjoy yourself when each pedal stroke hurts a tiny bit. Here are the ideas I'm looking at.

Exercise
Any recommendations for stretching or strengthening specific to knee issues with the Mirage drive?

Other propulsion
I've heard that pedal systems with a circular stroke are less likely to cause knee problems, but the Hobie competitors look slow and heavy compared to my current ride, which is ~78 lbs and 16' long. Am I missing something good here? For longer trips I'm also feeling the pull of the darkness (buying a motor) but that is a separate topic.

A paddle kayak
For short trips I think a paddle kayak could be nice, even though the pedal drive is so convenient when fishing. Anyone want to sell me a fast paddle yak?

Did you check with a doctor. I just had my Hip replaced and looking forward to get back out. The Hip feels amazing now. I have to wait till 4 months after surgery. Nov 7th is coming soon

This year, I started peddling with quicker/half strokes instead of longer/full strokes. It seems to have helped take some pressure off my knees without a big loss in speed.

try switching up your peddle stroke length, pace and seating position during the day. You can also switch it up by focusing at times on pulling the pedal toward you with the strap to change up the muscles being used. Just hammering the same way for hours on end is rough on the knees. Also keep a rod rigged up for mooching and take a break every once in a while when you find a decent bait ball.

Cheers,
Brad

Steady pedaling, don't be too strenuous (you will be surprised at the difference between leisurely vs i-gotta-go-get-salmon pace), adjustment on pedals (forward or backward), alternate between top part of the foot and middle, and rest in between.  I used to dress in layers, but I try to dress less now, I think the heat contributes to making things tiring/uncomfortable (I have a drysuit).  At least that's what I do anyway.

When I am not kayaking, I do some biking, lift, as well as running and chores.  But it hurts too when I do all that    

From stamina point of view, I can pedal a lot longer than before, so I think it does improve overtime. 

I haven't had my yak on the water since this Covid mess started.  I just bought my wife a Peloton Bike and plan to use it to get my knees back in shape for pedaling my outback.  I walk a couple of miles every day but I don't think that's going to do much good for the pedaling.  The Peloton is a rotating movement as opposed to the back and forth Hobie movement but I think it will do the trick.

Krishna, sorry to hear about your knee. I have a knee that acts up after long bike rides or days of trolling.

I really like to use half a paddle with the t-handle end piece (I guess thats an oar?) while also pedaling. I can go quite fast without pedaling at double speed.

Not a doctor, but maybe consider knee compression-wear? I know that in skiing a lot of people wear them due to knee pain, and the compression sock keeps everything tight enough that you get less unintentional side movement, etc, and it's supposed to greatly reduce pain.

You can use the speed shown by the GPS features of your fish finder to learn how to increase the efficiency of your pedal stroke, which might reduce the strain on your knees.  I find that when I'm paying attention to my fishing and not my pedaling, I tend to gravitate towards a short fast pedal stroke.  But when I keep an eye on the speed that I'm going as shown by my fish finder, it's clear that a short fast pedal stroke is not very efficient.  When I'm trying to cover distance quickly, my fish finder shows me that a long slower pedal stroke which uses the full range of motion of my Mirage Drive's fins produces more speed with less effort.  I try to apply that information even when I'm not trying to go fast.  For example, if I want to maintain a fairly slow trolling speed such as 1.5 mph, I try to remember to use long slow strokes to maintain that slow speed more efficiently.  So keep an eye on the speed shown by your fish finder - it might help you improve the efficiency of your pedal stroke, which might help your knees.