I have been prone/knee paddling for about a year, and just recently I have been experiencing some acid reflux when I switch over to knee paddling.  This usually starts just after my second mile of paddling, and did not used to be an issue.  Have you heard of this happening, and if so, do you have any advice on how to prevent it from being an issue. It has become frustrating because it slows me down, and even stops me at times while on my training paddles, and I am training for my first Catalina Classic for the 2015 year.  I would be bummed if something like that stopped me.

Hey – thanks for the question. We do not have much of an answer for you on this one other than to say that we have never heard of this issue affecting any prone paddler. It is, therefore, unlikely that this has anything to do with prone paddling per se. Rather, it is likely that you have an issue unrelated to paddling. Given the fact that symptoms of acid reflux can be an early indicator that you have a significant underlying disorder (esophageal cancer is one) our suggestion is that you make an appointment with your physician and get under a doctors care as soon as possible. We are not doctors and we do not believe that this is the kind of question that can be answered in an online forum such as this.

Bottom line: please go see your doctor to determine if your symptoms are someone more important than just acid reflux. if you get the go ahead, please contact us and we can talk further about your preparations for Catalina 2015. All we know is that your guts are not right you are not going to be able to do the training necessary to finish Catalina in one piece.