The Same … but Different!

and just as nice. (come on, people, write some how-to! anyone got any new SUP links to share? i need mo’ variety in the how-to arena!)

Santa Barbara Stand Up Paddle Surfing

Another Slow SUP News Day ….

…. so why not post a nice pic? here ya go!

Santa Barbara Stand Up Paddle Surfing

How NOT to Ride Your SUP

I hate to single these guys out but, for illustrative purposes, at least the first half of the vid (I didn’t go all the way) shows exactly how NOT to use your paddle on a SUP. Don’t know where he got the idea to do it the way he’s doing it but, but he’s got it all wrong all the way all the time. Don’t do it like this guy! Okay? And I’m not going to tell you what it is he’s doing wrong. It should be obvious from his first wave. If it’s not, leave me a comment and I’ll tell you. Over n out. (And again, sorry to CJ and AP; I don’t know them and have no axe to pick with them, only with the way at least one of them rides)

Dry Land SUP Practice Anyone?

Blane over on the Zone posted this recently, about using a Carveboard to practice SUP skills. I told my friend Paul about it yesterday morning and by nightfall he’d bought a used Carveboard from a local kid. Maybe you should too!

After some really fun sessions and exploring the possibilities of using the Carveboard along with the Kahuna Bamboo Big Stick it is clear that this is the number one way to simulate progressive SUP surfing on dry land.       The benefits of the 2 products together to improve your SUP surfing are insane!    I’m already learning new things in just a week that will help my surfing greatly.
Unless you have good waves everyday, you can actually learn a lot more in a shorter period of time doing this than waiting for the surf to come around to you.      So many things you can focus on. (Plus, it’s so much freaking fun!!!)
Really great to work on:
Paddle control while riding the wave.    How to switch sides smoothly.    Where to position the paddle while turning.
Generating speed with carving turns
Bottom Turns
Backside Cutbacks
Frontside Cutbacks
Layback Cutbacks
Off the Tops
Full rail turns with power
Smoothing out a jerky style or just working on your style period.
Compressing your body
Even for expert level SUP surfers it really allows to start fine tuning things or work on new things.     It’s definetly one of those things the better you get at it the more you get into it which leads to the more you get out of it.     One things for certain. Your surfing will get better!
As we get pics and video we will post them here for you.       For now, some pics from the other day…
Byron putting his surf style into a bottom turn simulation.    Looks cool.