Tips and Tricks - 2

·         Your feet should be positioned in the middle of the board. If you are too far to the front the nose will sink. If you are too far back you will drag the tail and that will slow you down. If the water is choppy you should have your dominant foot forward like you would if you were surfing normally.

·         When you are paddling reach forward with the paddle putting the blade in a nearly vertical position but keeping it close to the board. Stroke back. Visualize pulling your board forward in the water. Do not extend your stroke too far past your legs, because that will angle the blade too much and it will pull the board edge downward. Instead angle your blade forward, which will make your blade more stable in the water, and it will improve the blade’s release as you pull it up. If you are stroking too far backwards you won’t be able to have a smooth release.

·         Remember your feet aren’t glued to your board, so as you balance gets better feel free to move more on your board. If the water is flat it’s a good time to practice. Move your feet around shifting from the center to a fore and then an aft stance. If the water is choppy, you’ll quickly learn to move your feet to stay standing and the same goes for sideways chop – you’ll be moving around a lot on your board.

·         To begin with you’ll turn your board slowly. To do this you’ll stroke away from the board. However, this is the slowest way to turn around. It works for flat water but in surf it’s too slow. Instead, put weight on the back of the board, then stroke with the paddle. This will pivot the board.

Stand up paddle boarding is a great pastime and it’s definitely plenty of fun. Before you know it you’ll have it mastered, especially if you use these tips and tricks on stand up paddle boarding. Click here to check out some great stand-up paddle boarding equipment 

Tips and Tricks

Now let’s look at some tips and tricks on stand up paddle boarding.

·         The waist pack life jacket is recommended. Even strong swimmers can be run into trouble in the water so you should always wear a life jacket.

·         You should never abandon your board. If you lose your paddle, you can use your hands to paddle your board, which is much easier than swimming. The wind can blow your board away faster than you can swim. Paddling up wind is harder than paddling down wind.

·         You can remain attached to your board by using an ankle leash on the ocean or lake. However, you should never use an ankle leash on the river.

·         Try to keep your paddle in the water. Push the blade forward or backward to stop yourself from falling. You can also pull up or lean to stop yourself from falling. Just never let go of your paddle.

The Basics

Stand up paddle boarding is a fairly new paddling sport. With stand up paddle boarding the paddler stands up on the board, which resembles a surf board, A long single bladed paddle is used to propel yourself across the top of the water. It’s a lot easier than it actually looks.
 

You will be  shocked at how easy it is to balance yourself on the paddle board, even the first time as long as you start with a stable board that is the right size for your weight. If you are under 170 pounds you will be most stable on a larger board, but if you are looking for more maneuverability you can look at a board that’s 10’6” to 11’6”. If you are over 170 pounds you will be most stable on a SUP board that’s 11’6” to 12’6”.