Wrist and thumb pain

Having only recently started paddling I have already begun to experience pain in my wrists and CMC joint. I am using a wing paddle and feel as though my stroke is fairly decent. I try to relax the hand that is not pulling and in general keep my hands as relaxed as possible. The pain usually occurs after a paddling session. My goal is to compete in the Blackburn in July. The pain is not severe but I am worried that it will get worse.

Any advice?

Thanks

Try and notice if you are extending your wrist as you exit the blade. I too had wrist pain early this year on my control hand side until I caught my wrist bending backwards. I focused on keeping a rock solid straight wrist and the pain has gone away.

However after my first 3 hr long paddle yesterday I noticed my thumb is a bit sore at the 2nd (mcp) joint. I wonder if the straight wrist just transfered the stress to my thumb instead?

Will do. I am considering a wrist-thumb brace but I would rather focus on my technique

I get some wrist pain too but I think it's because I abuse it with the computer mouse, then when I paddle, the weakness shows up. I also have some fairly huge callouses at the base of my thumbs but everyone has those. I believe if your technique is good you should be pushing and pulling with straight wrists and they shouldn't hurt, at least from the paddling part. When the control hand twists for the off side stroke, you can raise that elbow a little to straighten out the angle and take some of the pressure off the wrist.

I also get some wrist pain, not when paddling but when bending the wrist, to the extent that push-ups are impossible.

I have not paddled for 3 weeks and the pain is gone... Maybe I have poor technique, I know my flatwater paddling buddies don't like paddling on my slip because I splash a lot on the exit. Are the wrist pain and a splashy exit possibly related?