Written for iROCKER SUP in 2021
Whether you’re an experienced SUP sensei, or a beginner hopping on a board for the first time, it’s always best to be mindful of your technique and keep an eye out for improvement. Paddleboarding, like most things in life, can be as complex or as simple as you want it to be. You can hop on a stable, forgiving platform like the Blackfin and within minutes enjoy a comfortable, relaxed paddle on calm water, or you can take the same board down river rapids or hefty surf, fly-rod in one hand, paddle in the other, a fish on the line, and struggle to keep from dumping all your gear (probably a good place to mention – wear a life vest, put on your leash, and bring a dry bag!)! The commonality is that, regardless of how you paddle, there is always room for improvement, and one of the most satisfying things you can do as an avid paddler is get a little bit better every time you go out. You’d be surprised how small improvements can compound into masterful competency, improved capability, and maximum safety and fun, out on the water!
Here’s a fun thought – if you get 1% better at something, every day, by the end of one year you’ll be 37 times better than you were at the start! That’s the power of compounding, and it applies to all aspects of life, particularly mastering a nuanced skill like paddleboarding. Because SUPing is a full-body, immersive (if you fall in, literally!) experience, and is commonly so involved that there is little time to be distracted out on the water. That’s one of the greatest joys of the sport – despite everything that might be going on in our busy lives, SUPing demands complete presence. It’s a wonderful escape, and as you rhythmically paddle your way across the surface of your favourite lake, river, or shoreline, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to consider ways to improve – your stroke, your balance and positioning, and your technique whilst traversing the water. This post will focus on the paddling (and specifically the zig-zag wandering left and right) but the broader, more important point to make here is that there always something to consider every time you set out, and it’s a great practice is to focus on one component of your technique at a time to make consistent, and habitual improvements. There’s a ton of fantastic resources on this site to get you started, so make sure to poke around and watch some of the instructional videos… Even seasoned pros can learn something new by going back and re-thinking the basics from time to time!
Keepin’ It Straight!
One of the more common grievances to newer paddlers, is having to swap sides with the paddle as the asymmetric thrust (paddling on one side of the board) causes you to turn to the left or right of your intended track across the water. Not only is this inefficient, but it’s a little disheartening to see all that wonderful momentum you built up paddling on one side of the board dissipate as you take time to swap sides. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and naturally the more you can eliminate this drift, the quicker you’ll be able to get from A to B. There are many factors that contribute to excessive side-to-side wandering, so I’ll touch on a few of the most common ones:
Paddle Positioning:
The further the center of thrust (your paddle!) is from the board, the more your stroke will have a tendency to turn the board. You may already know this, as in order to make tight, efficient turns on a paddleboard, you sweep the paddle far out to the right or left in a semi-circular motion. When trying to track straight, you want to do the opposite. The nearer to the rail your stroke is, the more it will propel the board straight ahead. You’ll notice that to achieve a stroke that is tight to the rail, the paddle needs to be in a near vertical position. You’ll know you’re on the right track (pun definitely intended!) if at the start of your stroke, you are looking through the triangle created between your straightened upper arm and the shaft of the paddle.
Blade Angle and the Reverse J-Stroke:
The angle of the blade in the water relative to the rail of the board varies at different parts of the stroke, and whatever direction you pull on the water will determine the direction of the board’s response. Larger, heavier boards like the Blackfin will respond slower, and lighter, narrower boards like the Nautical or iROCKER Sport will respond more quickly. Intuitively, if you wish to track completely straight you want to pull water almost parallel to the rail. However, because you are still paddling on only one side of the board, this will eventually lead to a very slow and gradual turn. To counteract this turning tendency, you can begin your stroke with the blade angled slightly towards your feet, and further from the board, then pull the nose over slightly to counteract the turn, as you straighten out the stroke and propel yourself forwards. Using this technique (referred to as a J-stroke) you can theoretically paddle (and turn!) entirely on one side of the board – although in practice it is still more efficient to swap hands from time to time, albeit less frequently if you are tracking more straight!
Center of Gravity:
You may have already noticed that the closer you stand to the rear of the deck, the easier the board will turn. Standing in the center of the deck, over the carrying handle, you maximize the surface area of board in contact with the water. This creates friction and resists the tendency to turn. If you move aft (rearward), the nose of the board will rise, and the board will be able to pivot more sharply over the fins. There is a balancing act here – because the further aft you go, the less drag you’ll have in the water, and the faster you’ll be able to go… however, the tendency to turn is also increased, and you’ll have to modify your stroke or switch sides more frequently to maintain a straight track through the water. The more centered you are, the more drag you will have, and the slower the board will turn. This can be a very helpful piece of knowledge if you want to increase your speed on a big board like the Blackfin.
There’s plenty more to discuss with regards to paddle technique, but for now hopefully this post encourages fellow SUPers to consider ways to improve their paddling and increase their enjoyment out on the water! Have fun out there, don’t be afraid to try new techniques and share those lessons learned in the comments below, or on social media, so that we can all paddle like the pros!