(question for rowers) Slippery oars during races?

Question

When my boat has a particularly wet start to a race (don't judge, we're novices haha), the oar handles get slippery and i sometimes can barely feather. Is there a way to fix this? All I've been able to do is just hold on tighter, which is h**l on my forearms, and my technique/power really suffers if i'm just concentrating on holding the oar.

Answer 1

On our team, we have one kid that wears a glove on his left hand when sweeping (he's a starboard), or both gloves when sculling. I don't think this is illegal, because he's never been questioned or stopped at a regatta.

Also, some of our oars have a foam grippy thing (which i hate because it hurts to let it spin in your hand for a long time).

Answer 2

I know people who put surf wax on a kayak paddle shaft to make it a bit more sticky. Maybe that would also work.

I've tried the foam thing on my paddle. It was grippy, but a little too rough on my hands.