Keep Those Paddle Edges Covered!
I’ve posted twice before about what can happen (and did happen to Jim, of bluelinepaddlesurf.com) if you don’t put some sort of edging around your paddle. Look at these pix. And if you don’t have your edges covered, go do it now. Anyway, here’s an update from Jim, from his blog:
Well, I got my hard cast off today after 38 long days. I had the soft cast on for 3 weeks before that so this has been a long healing process so far.Now I will wear this giant boot for awhile but at least I can take it off and take a shower and stuff like that. I asked the surgeon today if I could maybe get on my 
paddleboard and start to just paddle around and not surf and he told me NO WAY!! He said I have about 3 more months of rehab before I can surf again. 3 MONTHS!! Freaking A. That will make this about a 6 month recovery if all goes well. All this over a old banged up paddle blade. Did I learn my lesson? Damn straight I did and when I can get back on the board and surf you can bet your ass I will have my paddle blade covered with some nice door liner. OUT.
Santa Barbara Stand Up Paddle Surfing
Keep Your Weight Forward!
Here’s another answer to the question first posed in yesterday’s post: how to handle yourself when paddling for a wave and you feel it coming up underneath you and is about to throw you off balance. Joelcr, at the Zone, knows what he’s talking about:
When you are paddling for the wave, and you start to feel it push you forward, you actually want your weight more on your front foot, not your back foot. Leaning forward this way will help you catch the wave, without falling 
backwards. But as you reach the bottom of the wave you must shift your weight to your back foot to keep from pearling. This allows you to unweigh the front of the board, and set-up a heel or toe side bottom turn. Using your paddle as a pivot then helps too!
best practices for a new guy and some observations
How Not to Fall Backwards!
On the Zone, a newcomer recently wanted to know about keeping your balance when a swell pushes up behind you as you’re trying to catch a wave. There are lots of good answers in the thread (see link!) but my fav so far is the shortest, from River. It’s incredibly important and so simple it’s often overlooked. Don’t be one of those guys. Do what River says!
TiltPilot: Here is my problem: when I’m pushed by the wave (when I’m used to being prone and paddling like hell with my arms) i fall backwards!! I’m just not used t the forward acceleration while standing. I have a hard time dealing with waves from the back too.
like when i was paddling back from well beyond the lineup (just goofing off). I was knocked off two or three times by swells from the back (as I’m paddling into the beach). did fine going into the wave standing up (getting out of the impact zone) after a ride towards the end. I tried setting my feet to a surf stance sooner as I’m catching a wave and getting lower sooner (I was getting tire by the time I started this). any other suggestions out there?
River: My one word on advice is BEND YOUR KNEES:)
best practices for a new guy and some observations
What New Board Should You Buy?
That’s a question that gets asked about a million times a day — and rightfully so, because SUP boards are nothing if not a major investment. Most recently it was posed on the Seabreeze Australia forum — specifically regarding the Naish 9.6 vs the Starboard 9.8 — and the answers were quite illuminating in a number of different ways, in terms not only of those two boards but also about board buying in general. Here’s the 1rst page of the three page thread (see Seabreeze Forums! - Stand Up Paddle Starboard 9′8" or Naish 9′6" for the entire thing!):
I had the pleasure of riding Brooko’s Naish 9′6" in small waves yesterday and quite liked it.( thanks Brooko) Bit tippy but once I got the sea legs working I felt quite at home on it. 
I love my Starboard 11′2" and intended to only have the one board for waves but after trying something smaller I guess I’am going to have to part with some hard earned and buy myself a Xmas present
I would love some feed back if anyone has tried the Nasih 9′6" and Starboard 9′8".
Which board would be more user freindly in smaller waves. I only have a few months surfing experience and don’t believe Ill be heading out into anything over head high, or was that 3 ft waves.
Ian
Can you demo the 9 8?? Might help your decision.
I have the 9 8 it is fantastic in small waves.
More stable at 30 inches and less nose rocker than the 9 6.
Keep Your Head High!
Sam Pa’e, over on the Zone, has some great advice for all you flailing-and-falling-off folks just starting out; to wit:
Do you find yourself looking down at the nose of your board?
I always tell my friends "look up"……."never look down or you will go down"….Let me explain 
Keep in mind…….that your "body" will take over the balance & your mind "needs to concentrate" on what coming forward. If you decide to look down at the nose of your board, then your "mind" is telling your "body" to compensate for correction.
Now your body is already trying to do its correction. It doesn’t need a second opinion or having someone else telling him to do its job. When two people argue over something….the out come is usually not good and your mission has failed……
This works for me……. 
best practices for a new guy and some observations
Flatwater Practice Makes Perfect!
Here’s one of the better early SUP vids, showing a guy out in flatwater doing what we should all be doing, both in flatwater and in between waves — and that’s practicing various moves and turns. I try to do a little each session but sometimes I’m just too winded and spend my between-waves time hanging out simply trying to catch my breath. Still, I know I should be doing what this guy does. And so should you!
Uhmm….
Sorry about this, ladies, but the flow of how-to-SUP info seems to have slowed worldwide and, thus, I am forced doing post things I might otherwise think twice about; to wit:
More how-to later, I promise!
Doin’ It Casual …
I just love this shot, from John Ashley’s blog. We should all be so casual. Me, as a cross stepper, I’m more of a lurcher. Sigh.
Photo: Just out for a little stroll…. Mitchell heading north. Photo: Elva De Jarnett
Paddle Use Basics (& More!)
This is a great instructional vid from Jim Terrell at Quickblade paddles. He covers lots of basic techniques in an easy-going informative way. I like it a lot. Pay special attention to his (all too brief) description of how to turn your board by getting low and sweeping your blade wwway out there. It’s at 3min35sec. Enjoy!
A Little Dryland SUP Practice?
Here are a few pix from Maria Sousa’s http://standuppaddlesurfschool.com site. She teaches out of Hawaii and what you see is how she gets her novices ready for their first time out. Nice!
When the Hold Down Comes …
Here’s a few interesting breath-holding tips from Gorgo over on the Seabreeze forum:
Learn to hold your breath and just chill out underwater.
The feeling that you are going to die if you don’t get a breath is just that, a feeling. It’s a reflex caused by CO2 in your blood. It has nothing to do with the need for air. One thing is almost guaranteed, if you breathe under water you will most likely die.
Once you can control the urge to breathe you can go deep to avoid nasty stuff and survive hold downs and assorted tumblings and come up comfortably when all the action has ended.
I have always surfaced with one arm over my head and one arm extended upwards. You should be able to do that with a paddle in the extended arm. In normal surfing the danger is that boards get popped upwards then come down on top of you. With SUP you still have that risk plus the mass of this aircraft carrier being washed into you.
I think with a SUP it is a good thing to just go with the waves and run away rather than trying to beat your way through white water. With the faster paddling speed of the SUP you can usually get all the way out in a lull rather than fighting set waves. Or ride reef breaks where you can paddle away from the impact zone.
Seabreeze Forums! - Stand Up Paddle tips for a newbie in the surf
Your SUP Paddle Is Probably *TOO* Long!
The final bit of D. Parmenter wisdom is about paddle length. He’s got an interesting perspective but don’t take it as gospel. Lots of people think just a little bit longer is a whole lot mo’ better.
Wherever we go in the world, the most common sight we see is people using paddles that are way too tall for them. From San-O to Sydney, all too many SUB paddlers are reaching over their heads like children straining to reach the cookie jar atop the ‘fridge.
Aside from squandering the mechanical advantage of the proper and efficient paddle stroke, using too tall a paddle sets you up for some sort of repetitive stress harm to your shoulders.
While a general guideline states that the paddle should extend 5 or 6 inches over your head, some variability exists due to the thickness of your board, slight differences in paddling styles, and even the shape and angle of the paddle blade.
Try standing on a bench with your paddle and take a few pantomime strokes; this way you can simulate the blade depth of your stroke and lets you see how high the top of the paddle goes overhead. Your top hand should be at the height of your forehead and nose when you push into your stroke. Any higher or lower and you will be suffering a power loss.
Additionally, adjustable paddles, on which you can readily change the length of the paddle shaft, are great tools you can employ to zero in on the optimum paddle size for your board and style.
Stand Up Paddle Surfing Equipment by C4 Waterman | SUP Read Me | Paddle, Board, , Standup, Sub
What’s the BEST SUP Board to Learn on?
More words of wisdom from C4’s D. Parmenter (and another trick question, too):
What’s the Best SUB On Which To Learn — A Long Single-fin r a wide quad-fin or a short tri-fin, etc?
Actually, the best board on which to learn is a borrowed board. By all means, learn on the biggest board you can find, but before committing to a purchase go out and demo everything you can get your hands on. 
If you can master the basics before you buy your own board, you will be more likely to end up with an SUB size and shape that won‘t hold you back when you begin to progress.
Purchase an SUB with an eye on where your skill level will be two or three months from now——–not for the first few days when you are wobbling over the waters of your local inlet or lake.
After all, there’s nothing worse than finally learning to crank a snapback while leaning on your blade, only to realize to do so on your 12’-plus leviathan will require a truss and two tugboats.
Stand Up Paddle Surfing Equipment by C4 Waterman | SUP Read Me | Paddle, Board, , Standup, Sub
Are Wider SUP Board Better?
Trick question, to which the quick answer is, "No," at least in the eyes of C4’s Dave Parmenter, who as one of surfing’s greats should know. Here’s what he had to say during a recent discussion of some of SUP’s most widely held misconceptions:
Simply put, excessive width is the poor man’s solution to stability.
There are other ways to grant considerable stability to an SUB. When the outline, rail volume, bottom contour, rocker, and rail shape are put together in the proper 
configuration, an SUB can be amazingly stable even at 27” or 28” wide. And get this: All those boards you see in the racks with overly soft, round rails? Well, they can subtract 1 or 2 inches from a board’s stability quotient——one more reason why SUB widths are relative.
A narrower plan shape with a perfectly balanced set of design components will paddle straighter and easier and, of course, perform much more like a conventional high-performance surfboard.
Perfect Trim!
I ran across this shot this morning at isuping.com and simply stared at it for a minute. What’s how-to about it? Lots, I think. Mainly, though, it revolves around the sense of being in perfect trim and balance. Everything is just so. It’s just a moment in time, of course, but the rider had to have the talent and know-how to get himself there. It’s worth pondering. Take your time. Now … go give it a try yourself!
Getting a Grip on Your Board!
Here’s an idea from PonoBill about holding onto your board in the soup. I used to use a small piece of knotted rope but broke two fingers when they got caught inside the loop. Think I’ll give Bill’s idea a go next. If any one here tries it, please feel free to report back in the comments section!
Q: I ride the 9′8" starboard sportech fish which has 2 x leash plugs installed. I have just fixed an old ankle strap tight onto the unused plug for hanging onto when getting battered by the whitewater or, if your leash snaps. I hope to
go in later this afternoon as it is small and glassy today. Has anyone else rigged up something similar?
Ponobill’s A: Yes, but here’s another idea. First of all, loop a piece of good line (like windsurfer downhaul line) through both plugs and connect your leash to that. In the unlikely event that you pull one leash plug out, the other should hold. A well installed leash plug is mighty stout, but stuff happens. If nothing else this distributes the pull to both plugs and reduces the likelihood of failure. 
Don’t use a loop for the handle–you don’t want your hand caught. I used a piece of strap cut from a bad tiedown. I doubled it, passed it through the leash rope and then passed the strap through the doubled loop. I tied an overhand knot about ten inches from the rope, and then tied overhand knots in each of the ends. If you make even a flailing grab at this handle you’re likely to get enough purchase to slow the board before the wave rips it out of your hands. That’s often enough to keep it out of the pocket and get it onto the back of the wave. In most cases you’ll be able to hang on to the board. It’s really great when you’re getting pasted by head high whitewater, because you can breathe most of the time.
When I first did this I thought I made it too long, but it’s really good. this picture shows the ends without the overhand knots. they come out sometimes during the course of a day’s surfing. But you get the idea. Long is good. At this length the strap has no effect I can determine on how the board feels. Possibly a great surfer would feel it, but that ain’t me.
A Few Wise Words on Paddle Use
This is by 1tuberider and once again comes from the Zone:
I use my paddle a lot for turning and find that when kicking out my paddle is also part of the balancing act. It maintains your stability when things get tippy.
Your paddle is so important in this sport. 
It can get you to speed quickly, help pivot either front side or back side, helps track while rounding white water with additional speed and stability, even recovering after falling off and gives stability while kicking out, stability and power while punching thru waves. I guess you could even hold it over your head for a statement or twirl it. Sometimes I find myself not using the paddle for surfing at all, but I get more drive and speed and crisper cutbacks with the paddle.
What more can I say except, Amen to that!
Best $150 SUP Xmas Gift Ever!
Blane Chambers recently posted on the Zone about his new GoPro camera. Man, is that one sweet set up. Plaster it to the front of the board and you’ll be the hero of your own show. Check out the shots. Cool crazy angles. Beautiful.
Just picked up and installed the GoPro Camera. We figured it would be a good way to document the epic days and get some cool shots.
Cost was $149 plus you have to buy the SD Memory card and batteries separate. It takes AAA recharge types. It comes with a sticky pad or you can use a FCS plug to install. Tiny little thing. Installed it onto my 10-6 and it is clear of the paddle when I swing it over the board. 
5 MP that takes 56 min of video or 1900 pics every 2 seconds. Its a good way to see what you are doing while paddling etc. Another thing I noticed when loading the pics is this camera IS ALL ABOUT ME! It even says on the mounting plate, "Be a Hero". Its actually a little disturbing to see so many photos of yourself up close. If you love yourself, you need this camera. I can honestly say after going through 300+ pics I am sick of looking at my various degrees of monkey face.
Anyway, here’s the results of a quick session this morning. Videos later. Today was all about finding position etc. Camera is very easy to set, turn off and on etc.
Pics from the first test in early am conditions. 
GoPro Surf Hero Board Mount Camera
Sam Pa’e’s Backside Kickout!
Great couple of pix from the great Sam Pa’e via the Zone showing how he does the backside kickout. Here’s how it goes:
As far as kicking off a wave……I only have pic’s to view. My favorite is a "backside" kick out. Just look at it as if your making a backside bottom turn, but follow through with your turn and just as your going over the wave switch your stance to "parallel" 
Sam Pa’e Paddling Thru Whitewater Vid
New Online SUP Board Review Site!
This one’s pretty great, and you can find it here: CyberSUP - Online Stand Up Paddle Surfing . So far, Casso (the site’s owner operator) has only reviewed about 10 boards, but they are quality, indepth reviews. I’ve appended one below, but you really should go have a look at the site itself. He also reviews paddles. And has a how-to on suction cupping a camera to the nose of your board. Anyway, here’s his review of the PSH 10′6" All Arounder. I’m only going to feature a little bit of it, because I really want you to go have a look at his site.
A few days ago I took a near new (two surfs old) PSH 10’6” All Rounder for a few waves to see how it went. It was a demo board from Andrew at Balmoral Boards.
One word: Versatile.
The board is: 10’6” x 28 3/8” x 4 5/8”.
The PSH 10’6” is a nice looking board, clean lines, a semi rounded nose and nice tapered rocker at the nose and tail. If you’ve seen one of these boards in a photo, taken front on to the surfer, it looks impressive - same as when you pick it up from the nose and look at it down the stringer. The boxy rails add volume to the sides which can be difficult for a lighter surfer to bury the rail during a carving turn but, on the flipside, it creates more stability and a nice flat deck for comfort and control. This board was set up as a 2+1 with a nice timber centre fin with a little cutaway near the tip for that bit of extra flex.
I’ve ridden the PSH 10’ All Rounder recently and this board is very similar - just a bit more stable and a better paddler yet the 10’6” is almost as loose and manoeuvrable. I thought the 10’ PSH was a great all rounder - the 10’6” is even better - one might say: a real quiver killer.
I went out at Collaroy (on Sydney’s Northern Beaches) with 2 to 3 foot of swell running and an increasing onshore breeze. They were quite fat little waves, fairly long rides and there was a bit of chop around to make things tricky.
Paddling through Big Whitewater
From the Zone, which is the go-to resource for all things SUP:
Paddling thru a whitewater standing up is fun. I never go to the water to hold my board, not even turtle dive. There are 4 techniques I use to punch whitewater and holding on to the tail of my board is not one of them. 
Wave to big station keep wait inside for lull and then haul ash. If to late dive away from your board.
Caught near impact zone stand up and take it like a SUPer. If to big dive off to side of board. I make some big whitewaters by trying. I surf a beach break so no benefit of a channel. The biggest surf I paddle out in is around 8′, anything bigger without a long duration in the swell is a beating asking for injury.
How to Carry that Board, Visually
I found this on a new-to-me site called freesurftips. When you get your first SUP board, you may wonder how to carry that beast down to the water. Well, here’s one way to do it (and I’ll be featuring more in coming days):
How to hold a stand up paddle board Although many surfers and non-surfers paddle their SUP for exercise and conditioning, carrying a stand up paddle board improperly could result in unnecessary stress on the neck and back. Here is an explanation of how to carry a stand up paddle board the correct way. 
First, make sure you have plenty of room so that you won’t ding your oversized paddle board. Lay your paddle out or prop it up somewhere so that you can pick it up later. Place your dominant hand on the closest rail of the board, and your other hand on the far rail. Bend at the knees and lift the board up and over your shoulder.
How to Turn a BIG SUP
Let’s say you’re a beginner riding a great big board. One question you might have is, how do you turn that sucker? Good question! And one that was answered a while back on the Zone, by John Ashley from www.paddlesurf.net; to wit:
Here’s some basic advice.
1. These boards are big- they turn best from the tail so you’ll need to get used to moving your feet on the board especially on an 11′6". Do yourself a favor and learn to cross step- this is the only acceptable way to walk a longboard- shuffling is bad form and is basically a sin. Don’t shuffle. That being said, when you want to turn take a step back - the board will turn much faster from the tail. 
2. Use your paddle! Dip the paddle or drag it- the blade will act as a pivot point and will slow that side of the board pulling you around. Check out all those snazzy snap turns guys are doing where they plant the paddle on the wave side and then snap away from it- it’s a powerful tool- use it!
Sources
- CSX355’s UK SUP blog: a good one!
- Evan Leong’s great Standuppaddlesurf.net!
- Glenn’s great Atlantic Paddle Surfing blog
- Ke Nalu –the very best online SUP magazine
- Nate’s great SUP Surf Magazine
- NC Paddle Surfer’s blog, representing Cape Fear
- Paddlesurf.net’s blog — SUP news, reviews & more!
- Seabreeze SUP forum in OZ
- Srfnff’s blog, doing the SUP thing Norcal style
- Stand Up Zone, the big daddy SUP site of ‘em all
- Starboard’s SUP forum
- SUP Global
- The Gong crew, crazy in France!
Contact Me
floatee at gmail dot com
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