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Stand up Paddling Tips
Once you’ve got the basics (LINK) down and you’re feeling confident on the water, you might want to take your SUP skills up a notch buy improving your paddle stroke. Doing so will allow you to paddle for longer periods of time and accelerate with ease (all while looking like a pro).
Make sure you choose the correct paddle:
It's important to make sure you have the correct paddle for your height. A paddle that too long or too short for you will make paddling much harder and can even lead to injury. See our articles on SUP anatomy and Types of Paddles for more info on choosing your paddle. Or better yet come in store and let us advise you.
Work on your core strength
Much of the power of your paddle stroke should come from your core rather than your arms. It can be helpful to do some exercises on land to improve your overall core strength.
SUPing engages many muscle groups, with your core being one of the main areas. Therefore, doing workouts that engage your core muscles, when you’re not on the water, will improve your paddle power as well as your balance. Strong core muscles will especially come into play when accelerating as you will need to keep your knees bent and lean slightly forward. Getting closer to the water surface will ensure that more power is going into your paddle stroke as you are using your whole body and not just your arms.
Focus on form and posture
It's important to be aware of your form at all times, even though this can seem tiresome, in the long run it actually prevents fatigue and injury. Good SUP posture means keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent and angled straight forwards over your feet, not splayed. Engaging your core, as discussed above, will be very helpful in keeping this posture, as will keeping your gaze on the horizon rather than down at your feet or paddle.
Keep your grip loose
Make sure you're not gripping your paddle too tightly. It's tempting to keep a very tight grip on your paddle to try and get more power into your strokes, but this can actually have the opposite effect. A looser grip will improve your reach by giving the paddle more range of movement and ultimately give your strokes more power.
How you hold and move the paddle will also help a great deal with speed and efficiency. Focusing on a smooth push and pull motion rather than a strong grip will make paddling a lot easier, especially when your energy levels are decreasing.
Reach
As we talk about in our paddle techniques article, your reach is a key part of your paddle stroke. All the points discussed so far, your core, posture, and grip on the paddle, will help you to get as long a reach as possible so that you can cut through the water with more power and fewer strokes.
Momentum is key
Keeping your momentum steady will mean you glide smoothly over the water and keep your balance more easily. So be confident in your strokes
Switch sides regularly
Switching the side you're paddling on at regular intervals helps you keep on a straight course, which again will help with your momentum
Feathering
When lifting your paddle out of the water and preparing for your next stroke, turn the paddle so that the blade is parallel to the board. This will reduce the air resistance as the side of the blade has the smallest surface area. With less resistance you will be able to conserve your energy for longer periods as well as paddle faster. This technique is known as feathering.
Practice these tips and your paddle stroke will improve in no time!