In this article we get a bit more in depth about different SUP paddle techniques, and which to use for different purposes. By learning different kinds of stroke you can improve your speed, power and manoeuvrability on the water.

The most common stroke in SUP is simply named the Forward Stroke, and is commonly thought of as being split into five parts: 

• Reach phase: Extend the paddle as far as you can with a slight hinge at the hips. You want to achieve as large a reach as you can whilst maintaining good form, as this will affect the amount of power you can achieve during the power/drive phase. (Imagine your body forming the shape of an A, where your body and upper arm are one side, the paddle shaft is the other side, and your lower arm is the bar connecting the two sides. 
• Catch phase: Insert your paddle into the water at an angle 90 degrees to your board. Try to make this as smooth as possible so you don't lose momentum. The face of your paddle blade should be towards the back of the board.
• Power/pull/drive: Keeping your lower arm straight, engage your core and think of pulling your body towards your paddle rather than pulling the paddle towards you. Lean your body weight into the stroke 
• Release: when the blade is level with your feet or just behind, take the blade out of the water.  
• Recovery: keep the blade close to the water in preparation for your next stroke 

There are lots of other kinds of SUP strokes which will assist you for different purposes like turning or stopping. There are still more that are used in specific SUP activities like SUP surfing. 

Here are a few of the most common SUP paddle techniques: 

Reverse stroke:

• Used for: slowing down, stopping or turning.
• How to: This stroke is essentially the opposite of the forwards stroke. Reach back behind you and plant your paddle in the water near the tail of your board. Make sure the whole blade is under the surface of the water.
• Tips: Although this is a simple stroke, it can feel counterintuitive and therefore end up with less power behind it than your forward stroke. It's a good idea to practice your reverse stroke on open water rather than waiting until you're about to bump into something to try it out! Practice makes perfect.

Sweep stroke:

• Used for: turning your board
• How to: Bend your knees a little more than you would for a forward stroke, rotate your shoulders so that your right shoulder comes forward if you are paddling on the right, and vice versa if on the other side, reach forwards and plant your paddle in the water so that it's completely submerged at 90 degrees to your board. Sweep the paddle away from the board in a big arcing motion from the nose to the tail of the board, rotating your torso and using the leverage of your legs and hips.
• Tips: You can do the sweep stroke in reverse to turn yourself in the opposite direction of the standard sweep.

Draw stroke: 

• Used for: moving your board to the side to pull up alongside a dock, or change your course in the water.
• How to: Rotate your shoulders toward whichever direction you want to move and plant your paddle in the water. The blade should be parallel to the board and the power face towards the board. Pull the blade towards you to move the board in the direction of the paddle. Slice the blade out of the water by swinging it towards the nose or tail of the board, and repeat the stroke as needed.
• Tips: The fins on the tail of your board resist lateral movement, which can cause the tail to move more slowly than the nose of your board. To counter this, you may need to place your paddle in the water closer to the tail than the nose.

Cross bow stroke: 

• Used for: making a tight, efficient turn without having to change your stance on the board. Great for when you need to make a quick adjustment to your course.
• How to: To turn to the left, rotate your torso to the left so that your right shoulder is forward. Bring the paddle across the nose of the board and place it fully in the water towards the front left side of your board. With the face of the blade facing right, rotate your torso back to the right to sweep the paddle towards the nose of the board. If you can clear the nose of your board with the paddle blade, then continue to bring the paddle around. If your blade is going to bump into your board, lift it out of the water then put it back in on the other side and continue bringing the paddle around the board in an arcing motion.
• Tips: Focus of rotating your torso rather than moving the paddle for the most effective stroke. Having a good basic SUP stance with knees slightly bent and core engaged will help with this.

Now it's time to get  out on the water and practice your new paddling techniques. We recommend heading out on calm, open water with lots of space to try them out. Remember practice makes perfect!