Pete,
Interesting little problem, and definatly one of those things worth doing.

First let me ditto everyone else. Tell her to join us on the paddle line. If she wants to be out there then there she shall be. The engineering can be done and will be. ANd this BBS is the right place.

SSecond, I've done some guiding for folks in the outdoors. My favorite scuba diving partner of all time was a parapalegic. We built webbed gloves for her hands and neutral boyancy systems for her legs. I've seen teams of individuals with various physical challenges ice climbing Mts and big rock towers.

I have seen people with hand issues paddling canoes I'v jumped out of perfectly good airplanes with the blind and with parlized individuals. I get out skiied every winter by the NH handicaped skiers association. Closer to your friends issue, My friend in college had a Thlidomide hand (a claw of just two fingers) and it didn't stop him from doing anything "extreme". It was just a matter of how inventive we could all be. Tell this friend of yours to chase this dream, and we are gonna figure this one out.

Fist I am passing your note on to a buddy of mine who does engineering for the physicaly challenged. This guy thinks up all kinds of one of a kind answers.
Mostly for third world victims of land mines etc. Specializeds in biomechanics etc.

It seem to me that a little requireemnts engineering is in order. Any solution needs to allow her to 1) paddle and 2) it needs to allow her to attach and unattach easily. and 3) she need to be able to pull a roll with it. Can anyone else think of specific design requirements I am missing?

I'm thinking of a standard disability gripping or "fist" glove. These are a standard leather wheel chair glove, The Fingers are sewn together to acheive a grip with velcrostraps holding tight to the wrist. Second suggestion: Fill the empty part of the fingers with softened parafin. It doesn't rub stumps raw.and conforms to any shape. I don't know what her finger tips are like but this adds a conformal fit. 3) If need be you can also stitch in a a polimer roller bearing into the palm. But before putting i nthe roller bearing try in it Try it with out it first. Folks who are missing a hand use a modified form of this to hold a canoe paddle in the BWCA trips. They glove up and either use velcro or a bearing to connect to the paddle grip.

I am offering to build the grip glove if you need one built. It sounds like you have several good paddle offers already. I am unclear is this one hand or two hands that are an issue? If it is two hands that are challenged then we can go to snap hooks hat connect directly into the paddle.

Final thought everytime I think I am living my life passionatly and with gusto I meet someone like your friend.... Its a great reminder of what is really possible in the human spirit. And it is we in our own compacency who have at times the greater challenge.

!RUSS

My thought would be what ever her your gripping glove becomes in its final design attach it to the paddle shaft perminently and then have the release for the glove at the wrist. Something teeth or a the other hand can do.