What’s a Good SUP to Start on?
A guy at the local surfshop, when asked that question, replied, “It depends.” How unhelpful is that? A whole bunch of unhelpful, is what. So: the question stands. What’s a good starter SUP?
It used to be the Jimmy Lewis 11′ was the answer, but that’s changed some. I like the Starboards, as do a few of the guys at www.seabreeze.com.au. Check out what a poster on that site recently said:
I totally agree with you blokes in regards to learning SUP. But the thing I really like about Starboard is that the boards are all 30″ wide. Both the 11′2 and 9′8 would be sweet to learn on ….
Ivan’s Board Buying Advice
If you can’t tell, I’m a huge Ivan van Vuuren fan. If there’s anyone in the world I wish I could ride like, it’s probably him. And, of course, Laird H. Anyway, he recently gave some smart advice about what to look for in a first board.
Ivan says: Stand up paddle boarding is the fastest growing water sport in the world. Celebrities like Cindy Crawford, Pierce Brosnan and Matthew Mcconaughey are doing it. Top sportsmen from around the world are doing it too. 8x surfing champion Kelly Slater, 7x Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong, along with many top kiteboarders and windsurfers around the world are doing it too. It is without a doubt one of the best forms of cross training as it works the core, legs and upper body all at the same time- plus it’s tons of fun.
When starting, there are so many different configurations as far as fins, boards, paddles, deck pads and leashes are concerned that it can get confusing real quick. So let’s take a quick look at some options that will get you out on the water with the most amount of fun.
Parallel Stance or Surfer Stance?
When you take off on a wave, do you start off in parallel stance or the regular surfer stance?
I usually start parallel and if the wave seems like it’s going to be too steep, I switch (or jump or flail) into surfer stance.
When this question was posed on Stand Up Zone, here’s how the dialogue unfolded:
Great New SUP Fitness Blog!
First, sorry I haven’t been updating very much; I’ve been doing a lot of surfing this summer and, well, I just slowed down. Second: I just found this cool new blog, from a fellow named John Ham, dedicated to SUP fitness training. The site is www.suptrainer.com. Go check it out. Meanwhile, here’s just a taste:
This is a great exercise for stability on the Indo Board’>Indo Board’>Indo Board’>Indo Board’>Indo Board’>Indo Board’>Indo Board’>Indo Board’>Indo Board and is great for Stand Up Paddle Surfing and Stability on your stand up paddle board. It is great for your balance and core strength and will make you a better stand up paddle boarder.
Blog - YOUR HOME FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS RELATED STAND UP PADDLE INFORMATION
How to Deal with the Foamball …
Let’s say you’re SUP surfing shorebreak and, while paddling out, you’ve got a giant foam ball headed your way. What do you do? At the Seabreeze forum, here’s what Gorgo had to say:
- Look for somewhere to launch where you don’t need to bash through the shore break. A long paddle for a shortboard is a cruise on a SUP so you can launch up to a km away and cruise into the lineup.
- Wait for a lull in the surf and paddle out. Again, SUP paddling is fast so it’s quite easy to get out in breaks in the action.
- On smaller waves you can stand well back on your board and raise the nose and it will ride up over the broken wave. It’s surprising how big a wave you can do this on. If you’re just starting then kneeling is easier but it doesn’t take too long to be able to do it standing up. Just before the wave hits I like to do a sprint paddle and hit it as fast as possible so the momentum helps carry me over.
- If you are about to be taken out by the white water make sure there’s nobody behind you then dive your body over the wave and hope the dragging from the board is not too extreme. When you’re in the water don’t spread your arms and fight the pull, you’ll only make it worse. Just stay slim and go with it and ride it out. If you’re under water being dragged you can use the paddle to steer your body to the surface. It’s kind of fun in a masochistic sort of way.
- If you’re on the inside and about to be hit by a wave the easiest thing is to point the board towards the beach and lie on the tail with your paddle on the board. The wave will pick you up and take you in. You can leap to your feet and surf the wave in, and angle the board away from the impact zone. You can use the flat of the paddle as a planing surface to lean on and help keep you balance in the white water. Once inside out of danger you can wait for a lull and paddle out in one hit.
- If the waves are not too big you can hug your board with one arm and sink the nose and let the wave wash over you. Some guys hang onto the tail, some use the leash rail saver as a handle and some people are adding handles to the tail. Every time I’ve tried the leash thing it hurts my hand (a lot) so I’m reserving judgement on that.
- You want to avoid getting hit by your board. SUPs are so heavy that having one washed into you (or vice versa) is pretty painful.
Seabreeze Forums! - Stand Up Paddle Beating the shorebreak
What’s the Right SUP for Me?
Here’s some great SUP-buying advice from OG SUP over on Seabreeze. It’s not board- or brand-specific, but it will help you greatly in general terms. Have a read!
Will this Board Suit Me? This is a very interesting question that I get asked all the time so I just wanted to post some thoughts.
1) Any review you see on the web only holds true for the person posting the review. Do not take it as gospel, that’s why I always say I am a kook surfer, weigh 105kg and 6ft tall. If the person reviewing the board is 85kg that will make a huge difference to the way it performs. 
I find the 11ft PSH a pleasure to ride in OH where Casso would find it boat like.
Example: 2 weekends ago a friend of mine who weighs 125kg ish wanted to try out my 10′6 wide AA and I agreed, I was happy to help. I should point out he is coming off a 12 ft laird.
He tried the 10′6WAA out in almost perfect flat water conditions on the river and it went really well. In his opinion it paddled faster than the Laird for him. We then took the board to Main Beach it was 1ft gutless surf but was a good indication of at least whether he could also stand on the board in rougher conditions.
My friend could easily stand on the board but struggled to catch a wave as I believe the gutless wave would not pick up and drive the board with his weight on it.
Change the wave to a 3ft wave with good push and he may have been in the ball park. He did learn that different boards suit different conditions and that he loves the glide of the longer board.
After he left I jump straight on the 10′6 and caught every wave I paddled for, but II am at least 20kgs lighter.
2) Be aware that the conditions you try to ride the board in will have a huge impact on how the board performs! If you demo the board in flat water
Finding the Best Take-Off Spot…
Okay, this post comes from *Byron* (got it right, *Byron*?) via the Zone and concerns how to find the best take-off spot at any given break. It’s pretty cool, so give it a read!
Here is what I was taught from my father and teach my son. The first thing at any break is to study the break from the beach and watch where it first turns to whitewash and follow the whitewash across the wave. Determine from the beach the takeoff spot where you will get the longest ride. Once you have determined the takeoff spot look behind you for a reference point such as a lone tree, bushes, building, your car, etc. 
Once you figured out the takeoff spot and have a reference for it from the beach now your ready to paddle out. As you paddle out keep checking your reference point to see if it was correct or not. If it was not correct then you will have to make adjustments from the water such as moving 10 feet from your beach monument, etc. Once you have reached the break watch a couple waves break and see again if the reference point was correct or not. Sometimes adjustments are necessary because of distance of the break, bad eyes like me, shifting peak, etc.
Now that you are lineup and are positioned correctly time to catch your wave. Sit a little further out then normal and when you see your wave time to paddle. On your first wave try going straight a little longer than you normally would then make the bottom turn to head down the line. If you are behind the whitewash go straight and get off the wave. Since you were behind the whitewash on the prior wave try angling the nose a little in the direction you are heading on the next wave and take less of a bottom turn. Still if this does not work keep changing your angle of attack a little more until it gets you to the correct position on the wave. This may take you half a dozen waves or less but if you keep changing the angle of attack and the bottom turn you will eventually get it wired.
Some things to remember is do not get on the tail tooooooo much on takeoff unless it is a steep late take off. Being on the tail too much will slow the board down and thus you may get caught in the whitewash. Move the back foot up a foot or so on the board and see what happens (Adjust the stance forward on the board). The other thing is maybe once you make the takeoff you are coming up the face to high and resulting in a loss of speed. Try staying down or when you are coming up the face cut back down lower than normal.
These are some thoughts on my mind without seeing any vids and pics. Hopefully I did not confuse you. Good luck and thru practice you will ripppppppppppppppp.
How to Prep Your SUP Paddle!
I’m getting ready to buy a new paddle — a Methane — and have been poking around the web, looking at stuff paddle related. I came across this today, from Ponobill at kenalu.com, and thought I’d share it. Have a read!
Few things in SUP cause more controversy than paddle prep. Some folks like their shaft bare, some like padded shafts, some like wax, some like mastic tape. I’ve played with about every combination and I’ve hit on the perfect preparation for me. I suspect you’ll like it too, even if you’re a bare shaft fan. 
I say that because I’m a bare shaft guy. I don’t mind a little wax, but I don’t like the shaft to be too sticky, and I don’t like it being larger, or having a soft grip. Nothing saps my hand strength faster than a soft grip.
But I also don’t like my hands to slip, and the least bit of sunblock or oil on my hands or the shaft and my paddling is compromised. Yes, I clean my hands with sand and give the shaft a scrub, but you can transfer goop from other places easily. This approach solves the problem, giving positive traction without softening or thickening the grip. Once it’s done it lasts for many months–you never have to rewax.
Here’s the recipe:
The Grip: Locate your grip area and mark the shaft with pencil about ten inches above and below the grip point. If you’re not sure of your grip point, hold your paddle on your head, place on hand on the handle, the other on the shaft and bend your elbows at right angles so your forearms point straight up–the hand on the shaft will be in a nearly perfect grip position.
Start at the upper mark and wrap hockey tape around the shaft, starting with one full wrap and then overlapping the successive wraps for half the width of the tape. End with one full wrap.
Now wax the tape with warm water surf wax lightly over the full length and heavily in the grip area. You’ll be able to both see and feel the proper grip point. The wax embeds into the tape and doesn’t come off, even after months of use. The wax also cushions and strengthens the tape, making it last much longer. and finally the wax prevents the tape from being too sticky, as friction tapes sometimes get when the adhesive bleeds through the cloth.
The Blade: There are three good reasons for guarding the blade. First, people have been badly cut with unguarded blades. Second, the blade can chip up your board. And third, the blade can be damaged by hitting it’s edge on hard stuff.
Door edging or commercial blade guard works nicely, but it’s a bit thick for my taste. Mastic tape is good, but it’s fragile, especially if you stretch it thin. What I do is put on a layer of mastic, stretched very tight to make it thin, and then cover it with hockey tape. Finally I add a layer of wax to protect the tape and rub it with a cloth to smooth it. You’d be surprised at the difference in abrasion resistance between waxed and unwaxed fabric tape. The end result is a thin protective edging that won’t mark your board, lasts a very long time, and looks great.
How To | Ke Nalu - Stand Up Paddle Surfing eMagazine
Do Not Buy Wave Rod SUPs!!!!
Like many others, I firmly believe Wave Rod’s Jeremy Fry lifted his shapes from the genius mind of Joe Blair. That sucks bigtime. My opinion: no one should ever buy a Waverod board. And … everyone should go out of their way to spread the word to never ever buy a Wave Rod stand up paddle board. Never.
For more information about this, please please see:
Blair SUP - WaveRod - Honesty and Ethics?
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.
Using the Carveboard w/ Kahuna Big Stick to Practice Surfing Technique
Where You Don’t Want to Be!!!!
Top Guy, yes. Bottom two guys, no. Let me repeat that. NO!
Dog on SUP!
I swear to God there’s been such a lack of how-to-SUP stuff on the ‘net that it’s driving me batty. Come on, people: mo’ how-to, okay? Meanwhile, the best I can do is show this great shot. I love it!
Stoneaxe Feeling the Axe!
I know, I know, no how-to here, but I’m serious: the flow has slowed to a non-existent trickle. What can I do but post the occasional picture until things heat up again? Anyway, here’s one from Bob, aka Stoneaxe on the Zone, taken with a GoPro. Bet you haven’t seen this angle before!
Walrus sighted at Kanaha - finally some waves!
One more cool shot …
Not exactly how-to, but you can see in this picture how deeply you can commit when laying back on your paddle. I don’t know if he made but but I bet he did. Sweet!
A Nice Cheater Five …
Sorry about the lack of updates recently. I’ve been busy and the flow of how-to info on the ‘net seems to have slowed as well. I post ‘em as I see ‘em, and I haven’t seen much of late. So, anywhere, here’s a cool little pic to pass the time:
Santa Barbara Stand Up Paddle Surfing
SUP Man Down!
Not much new in how-to land, so I thought I’d share this pic posted by Bryon on the Zone. We’ve all been in this position, haven’t we? Now take a deep breath and …
How to Paddle C4 Style
DW at NC Paddle Surfer recently got a paddling lesson from C4’s Todd Bradley and it’s completely changed his stroke. Read on for details. And then go to DE’s site to see a blow-up of the schematic below and a demonstration video. Great stuff!
Thanks to Todd Bradley, and the SUPAH Clinic I attended in Oahu last week, I know how to paddle properly and efficiently.
If you think any of this is wrong, just try it before you reject it. Or better yet, just try to match Todd Bradley on a down wind run. Even Dave Parameter admitted he can’t keep up with Todd. His technique is so refined and efficient, he smokes people. 
To further improve on the technique shown here, make sure you twist the paddle blade as it exits the water at the end of the stroke. This will actually make your paddle JUMP out of the water, increasing your efficiency even further.
I was waiting for C4 to publish the video they shot of the clinic, but today I learned from Tommy Stokes that it will be awhile longer before this happens. I hated to hear that, so I’m posting the lessons learned now for all to absorb.
Now go paddle faster than ever before, with less strain and effort. You won’t need to keep downsizing your paddle blades.
Oh, and stop bending at the waist. Bend at the knees and throw jabs like Muhammad Ali. That’s what the top hand paddle stroke should be like.
Tom’s SUP Wave-Catching Technique!!!!
A really great guy named Tom emailed me this instructional article about how to paddle so that when a wave arrives you’re lined up properly for the take off. Simply put, it’s terrific. If you’re a beginner and you take Tom’s advice, you will up your wave count by a lot. A LOT! This is a classic post. I love it. Thanks, Tom!
Tom’s wave catching technique.
This is how I do it, it’s not the only way, but it works for me. This technique is designed to get you in the right position to catch your wave while paddling hard and fast down the wave face.
Most SUP’ers have a preferred side to paddle on and it doesn’t always correlate to whether they are a regular or goofie foot surfer. My preferred paddle side is my left side and I am a regular foot surfer. In other words, when I take off on a wave, whether I plan to go right or left on the wave, I want to continuously be paddling on my left side. This is an important point, if you need to switch paddle sides while catching a wave; you lose a stroke, and may miss the wave.
To help explain my technique, I will use points on a clock, with 12:00 pointing out to the horizon where the waves come from, and 6:00 pointing to the beach and down the face of the wave. Since I want to take the wave while paddling on my left, and because paddling on my left will cause me to turn right, I will set up with my board pointing at 12:00 and looking for the waves that will be peaking on my right and in front of me. If they peak on my left, I let them go because I’m in the wrong position.
As a set approaches, I determine which wave I want and estimate where it will peak. I will then paddle towards that spot so that I will be in front of that spot before it breaks and heading between 2:00 to 4:00. As the wave peaks, I can decide to not take the wave, switch paddle sides and paddling hard on my right, go over the back of the wave. If I plan on taking the wave, I will keep paddling on my left and turn my board towards the direction I want to take the wave with either sweeping paddles to turn the board more or straight paddles to turn the board less. The paddling stroke and speed is determined by how the wave develops and whether I want to drop in on the wave heading either at 5, 6 or 7 o’clock.
Every wave breaks differently and hopefully this will set you up to be able to adapt to the differences. This is where wave judgment and paddle skills come into play. If the wave jumps up quick, I make a tight quick turn. If the wave is slow and the wave will break farther inside, I paddle heading at 4 or 5 o’clock to get to where it will break, and then take the wave at 6 o’clock. Also, how fast the wave breaks will determine my stance as I take off on the wave. With a slow wave, I stay in a parallel stance while catching the wave; with a steep wave, I go into an early surf stance while it’s jumping up. If I’m late on a slow wave, I may run to the nose while paddling frantically. With practice and paying attention to where and how the waves break, you should be able to catch all the waves you want. Just be courteous and give more than you take.
Note. This description is for those who would prefer to take a wave while paddling on their left. If you would prefer to paddle on your right, reverse left with right and 3:00 with 9:00.
Tom on Tom: I live in San Diego, have spent a lot of year windsurfing Baja and surfing in my home town, Ocean Beach. I’ve been SUPing for a bit over a year and current ride a 10′ C4 in the surf and race and tour on a 12′ Stamps custom.
How to Hold Yourself in a Wipeout!
This comes from Nate Burgoyne, via the Zone, who offers up some great advice about what to do during a wipeout. Read it and do it. I know I will … I hope. (P.S. Please see end of post for links to Nate!)
In heavy wipeout, in all seriousness you gotta stay calm. Honestly, the staying calm part begins far before you even wipe out. If you are paddling out to the lineup and while you’re in the channel you see the bombs rolling through and you start paddling like mad for no reason and you’re heart is racing, you probably shouldn’t be out there. You’re already panicking. 
However, if you’re paddling out in the channel looking at the bombs pitching over and you feel calm, collected, and it all puts a smile on your face, you should be alright.
When I do go down after a closeout, unless I get totally rag-dolled, I personally straighten my body out and let the wave drag me feet first as long as the waves wants to. I feel that if I resist, I spend oxygen that I need.
Also, ever since I’ve decided to just go with the wave, leash breakage hasn’t been an issue. Keep a good grip on the paddle and you can control your direction somewhat underwater. You gotta go with the energy of the wave. If you try to resist or to fight against it, wasted energy.
Also, since paddles float you also always know which way is up. Once things calm down, I get to the surface for another breath to try and avoid the possibility of a 2 wave hold-down. Also, when you come up, don’t race to try and get your board if you don’t have to. It’s wasted energy because the next wave is going to take it from you anyway if it’s a sizeable day.
You also need to be able to hold your breath and stay calm with water in your mouth and nose. For me, free diving in the summer helps a lot as well. Sometimes when you get slammed, if forces water up your nose and in your mouth. Free diving for me, taught me to be comfortable with that. The natural reaction is to blow it out but if you do, you just lost your air.
Here’s a link to the post: Best Breathing (or lack thereof) Practice for Hold Downs?
Here are links to Nate himself:
Editor of Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine www.supsurfmag.com
Internet Marketer, Educator, Web Designer www.nateburgoyne.com
How to Hold Your SUP Paddle!
Over at the Zone, there’s been an interesting discussion about elbow issues some people are having. A Zoner by the handle of River, who is a Werner paddle rep, weighed in with a take on how to hold your paddle to minimize elbow issues and maximize your paddling efficiency. I don’t hold my handle like he suggests — usually I’ve got a two-fisted death grip on it — but I’m going to change my ways next time out. River sez:
The Elbow issues are most likely flaring up because you may be overgripping the shaft with your lower hand trying to stop the flutter. This is why a blade with a dihedral will allow you to maintain a loose grip and keep the elbow issues to a minimum. 
The skinny shafts are basically allowing you to grip the paddle better because of the smaller shaft and control the flutter without having to grip as tightly (because you can get your hand and fingers farther around the shaft)and that is why a small shaft will also reduce your elbow issues. A great analogy is trying to do a pull-up on a thick tree branch compared to a broom handle-the broom handle is easier because you don’t have to overgrip it… Either way a loose grip IMO is the most efficient technique that is also the healthiest. Try making the "ok" symbol with your lower hand and paddle holding the shaft with only the thumb and pointer finger around the paddle. Paddling with the loosest grip possible for a session and see how that can extend your reach and reduce elbow, forearm, and forearm fatigue and leave you feeling more stoked about your paddling sessions.
Weasels Wake adds:
River has it dead on with the lower hand grip. And I use my top hand almost exclusively to raise and lower the paddle in and out of the water, by pulling the handle down, to raise the blade, and visa-versa on the versa-visa Thus, the lower hand becomes a pivot point using my thumb and maybe just two fingers, with a very soft grasp.
BTW, I use a Werner carve, and I LOVE it. Light weight, easy pull, slight oval shape on an average size shaft, and it won’t break the bank in getting one. 
Another Beginner’s SUP Video
Actually, I kind of like this one more than the Starboard one below. Again, it’s very basic. And again, it goes into nice great detail about the basics. If you’re just starting out, do take the time to study it — you’ll learn a lot — then check out the rest of the site for more SUP goodness.
http://www.standuppaddlesurf.co.uk/how2.htm
A Great Basic How-to 2-min SUP Vid
I really like Starboard SUPS (altho I’m currently obsessed with buying an ULI …) and am also a huge fan of the way the company does business. Very professional … as you can see by the video linked to below. It teaches two basic skills: how to paddle in a straight line and how to turn your board. Has some cool diagrams and some good details. Check it out!
Starboard : Learning how to SUP
No J-Stroking Here, Please!
Remember the J stroke you used to keep your canoe going straight while summering at Camp Kookooraruu? You’d think it would have some similar utility in the SUP world. But for most people it really doesn’t. I’ve tried it, to no avail. And so has Gorgo, over on the Seabreeze OZ forum, Seabreeze Forums, who states his opinion on the matter with no ifs, ands, or buts:
The short answer is that it is unnecessary and horribly inefficient.
You can make a J stroke work and force your board to track straight but you will waste a heap of power and feel like a dork doing it.
The reality is some boards track straight and some don’t. 
If your basic stroke is solid and your board is still very squirrelly then you have two choices:
- work with it by starting your run for a wave in a side-on position and only digging in hard late with a paddle swap if necessary.
- get a bigger fin (a much better solution for flat water or surfing at trim).
If you watch a heap of videos and do a heap of paddling you will notice that nobody does anything tricky or special when paddling other than keep their arms straight during the power delivery. No "chicken-winging" allowed.
Seabreeze Forums! - Stand Up Paddle J stroke
DW’s Perfect SUP Paddle Search!
As with SUP boards, there’s no one perfect paddle. But that doesn’t keep lots of us from a continuous search and try. It can get expensive, though. Which is why it’s great there’s someone like DW out there, who seems to buy more than most and always reviews his purchases on his blog, NC Paddle Surfer. His financial poverty is our increasing wealth of SUP knowledge. Thanks, DW!!!!! Now, on to his latest paddle report:
My take on paddles is constantly evolving.
Our very first paddles were from C4. At the time, my board was the Laird 12′1. I could not catch a wave worth a crap with that beast. It was my lack of skill, not the boards problem. The fast fix was a new paddle. I switched to the Surftech paddle, with a huge blade compared to the C4. It seemed to help. I became a fan of monster blades.
As my boards became smaller, the monster blade Surftech wasn’t feeling good anymore. I moved on to the Kialoa Shaka Pu’u. The smaller Shaka Pu’u was just what I needed as my boards continued to get smaller. 
Next Kialoa released the even smaller Methane, so I cut my Shaka Pu’u blade down to match the Methane. Again this next step in my paddle progression seemed to suit my ever changing smaller boards.
This weekend Jacky demoed a C4 fiberglass paddle with colored blade. She raved about easy it pulled through the water. Easier than her 8" wide modified Kialoa. Yet the C4 she demoed was 8.5" wide. Paddle width doesn’t tell the real story about pull. This C4 had the least pull of any paddle she had ever tried. She loved it.
Next up, I tried the C4 paddle. I was shocked at how light the pull was compared to the Kialoa blade.
With Jacky on the 9′0, and me on the 9′3, these light pulling, smooth, C4 blades are the perfect compliment to shortboard SUPs.
Turning in Place & the Bow Draw!
Click the link GONG - All about SUP - Tourner sur place to go to a nifty Gong SUP site video demonstrating how to both turn your SUP in one spot and perform a bow draw stroke. 
I’ve tried both and suck at both. Hopefully, your balance is better’n mine — I don’t see how it could be worse — and you’ll have better luck out in the line up. Go to it. And here’s to hoping you and yers have a swell 2009!
GONG - All about SUP - Tourner sur place
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
keep looking »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!
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