Average Speed for flatwater

[exetersup]

Hey ya'll,
I'd like to compile some stats on flatwater distance paddling, so please feel free to share the following:

total distance:
average speed:
wind effect (tail wind/head wind)
wind speed:

I've read the blogs on technique, hips, cadence, etc, and I'm wondering how much emphasis I should be placing on average speed. I have the Motion GPX app on my iphone, and that tracks current and average speed. As my training improves, I'm hoping to pick up my average speed, but would like to know a general benchmark that you all might have.

What are some target speeds for a 5 miler? 10miler? 15miler? etc.  All flatwater; wind is only an X factor.
Thanks

[CTsupper]

I'm also curious what kind of speeds people are getting and what kind of boards they are getting them on. Here in CT, most have never seen or heard of standup. It's all kayaks. The people I've brought it up to that have seen it think it's a stupid flatwater  sport to get into primarily because they say it's so much slower than a kayak. Id love to get my speed up so I can comfortably stay with a kayak on a leisurely cruise. By working on paddle technique, I'm hoping that its possible. I'll have to check out the Motion GPX app. It sounds like it should be a huge help in training. Have you tested it's accuracy?

[bean]

Using actual results, Dave Kalama did 10 miles at the Naish In'l Paddleboard Championship on 7/18/10 in 1:13:48 which equates to average 7:23 miles or a blistering  8.13 miles per hour!   There were just over 200 competitors and the slowest time was 2:54:26 at a 17:27 pace or 3.44 miles per hour.  (still faster than me ) 
So, check out the race results of events that interest you and set your goals accordingly.

[Admin]

For flatwater check out the BOP Hawaii results.  That was a 5 mile race with no wind.  That is 3.6 mph for Danny Ching, who pretty well dominated every flatwater event he entered this year.

ELITE RACE - MEN'S TOP 10:

1 1:22:42.3   -  DANNY CHING (Redondo Beach, CA)                  

2 1:22:55.1   - TRAVIS GRANT  (Queensland, Australia)                  

3 1:26:30.8   - AARON NAPOLEON (Waianae, HI)                

4 1:27:00.6   - JAMIE MITCHELL (Queensland, Australia)                        

5 1:27:20.6   - BYRON KURT                      

6 1:27:23.1   - SCOTT GAMBLE                    

7 1:27:26.1  - SLATER TROUT (Maui, HI)                    

8 1:27:32.7   - CONNOR BAXTER (Maui, HI)                

9 1:28:39.0   - MATT BECKER                    

10 1:28:47.4  - SEPA K. NAPOLEON    

[greatdane]

Hey Exeter... In my experience, if your kayaking friends are at all fit, you will have trouble staying with them on your SUP, unless they are really going slow... It's just the nature of the beast.  Few people in the world can achieve much over 6mph average on a SUP on flat water, while 6mph on a decent kayak is pretty easy for an average paddler.  

I can paddle with my OC1 buddies if they are on a recovery day and going dog-slow.  And then I'm working hard.

I paddled in a kayak race two weeks ago in flat/breezy/choppy water.  On a 14 foot board I covered 5.44 miles in 1:06 (4.9mph avg) and was 4th from last place.  Had it been a dead flat day, I would have been around 4 minutes faster.  So don't beat yourself up too much, they are two different vessels (but our vessels are more fun!)

[starman]

Figure 4.5mph is about the best a planning hull can do on flat water. Anything beyond that is the "engine" plus any assist from the wind and swell.
So when you see the average speeds of a elite paddle you can appreciate the paddle power of these guys.

[peterp]

We have a 1.9km course on a canal around an island which is hardly wind affected - the best average speed achieved is 5.75mph or 9.25km/h - there a lot of "bends" which slow us down slightly so I'd say we could maybe get close to 6mph if it was straight. This is using a 14 Naish Javelin.

Water quality is perfect and we are fastest on no-wind days.

Alot of races are advertised as 5miles or 10 miles while they may in reality be longer or shorter - so difficult to get accurate ave speeds with out a gps measuremtn of the course distance.

[bean]

Compare the dramatic difference in the BOP HI numbers (posted by Admin above) to the 2010 BOP Cal results below (both 5 milers).

Elite Race Results 2010 BOP CA

Rank Name Hometown Age Time
1 Danny Ching Redondo Beach 27 0:57:45
2 Jamie Mitchell Currmbin, AUS 33 0:59:36
3 Slater Trout Lahaina, HI 15 1:00:39
4 Travis Grant Palm Beach, NA 27 1:00:39
5 Andrew Logreco Honolulu, CA 26 1:00:43

Rank Name Hometown Age Time
1 Candice Appelby Honolulu, HI 24 1:10:31
2 Brandi Baksic San Clemente, CA 38 1:11:03
3 Rachel Bruntsch Honolulu, HI 26 1:12:59
4 Jenny Kalmbach Kailua Kona, HI 27 1:13:20
5 Gillian Gibree San Diego, CA  24 1:14:35

[johnrg]

For me 5 mile events are in a range of 4.8 to 5.2 on a Bark 12.6, A 10 mile to 15 mile training paddle can be around 4.6 or so depending on wind and chop. I think last falls BOP in CA during the distance race was about 4.8 mph for close to nine miles, on the 12.6. Last weekend's race, Malibu to Marina (short 5 mile course), I raced a 14 Bark. Was flat until we were outside the harbor and was a stormy sea to contend with for almost a mile. Average speed 5mph over the 5 mile course. Ouside the harbor in the chop and wind speeds were 3-4 and change so brought averages down a bit. The 14 I am assuming I could average close to 5.4 optimally for flat water 5 mile sprint.

Here is a GPS display of the Dana Point Race recently on the Bark 12.6 Pro Elite... http://connect.garmin.com/activity/71475267

John

[PonoBill]

I assume something was affecting the BOP Hawaii numbers--wind, current or both. If Danny Ching is averaging 3.6 in flatwater with no adverse conditions then he better stand by, because I'm going to be kicking his butt from now on.

The BOP distance race is theoretically 10 miles. I did it in 1:39 pulling a whole salad bar of kelp. That's 6 miles an hour average. I don't recall a favorable wind, in fact I think it was blowing in my face both ways (yeah, Randy, it turned around and came in my face). So Danny is meat.

Of course he did it in 1:02 which is about 10 MPH, but that's a detail.

I have no idea what the real course length is, if I wasn't so lazy I'd go on Google Maps and look, but it's probably close to ten. Felt like twenty.

Compare the dramatic difference in the BOP HI numbers (posted by Admin above) to the 2010 BOP Cal results below (both 5 milers).

Elite Race Results 2010 BOP CA

Rank Name Hometown Age Time
1 Danny Ching Redondo Beach 27 0:57:45
2 Jamie Mitchell Currmbin, AUS 33 0:59:36
3 Slater Trout Lahaina, HI 15 1:00:39
4 Travis Grant Palm Beach, NA 27 1:00:39
5 Andrew Logreco Honolulu, CA 26 1:00:43

Rank Name Hometown Age Time
1 Candice Appelby Honolulu, HI 24 1:10:31
2 Brandi Baksic San Clemente, CA 38 1:11:03
3 Rachel Bruntsch Honolulu, HI 26 1:12:59
4 Jenny Kalmbach Kailua Kona, HI 27 1:13:20
5 Gillian Gibree San Diego, CA  24 1:14:35

[greatdane]

Yet more race results/average speeds....

2010 Round the Rock... 13.5 miles... half down wind, half upwind. The distance was GPS'd by several racers.

Thomas Maximus, 18' Ohana  2:19 = 5.82mph

Me, 18' Bark 2:24:30 = 5.6mph

Chuck Patterson, 14' Hobie 2:24:33 = 5.6mph

[TallDude]

The distance race BOP in SoCal last year was barely 8 miles. I paddle Baby Beach to the SC pier a lot. In fact I did it 2 times the week of the BOP, and 2 times the week before. From Baby Beach in the harbor to the piles of the pier and back is about 10.5 miles. The marker at the BOP was about a 1/2 mile short of the pier, if not more (240 area), and it started at Doheny, not at Baby Beach. I even heard another guy at the finish look at his watch a said "no way was it 10 miles." As far as speed goes, there is a tested and proven water resistance drag curve that applies to all hull designs. It only varies slightly from hull to hull with a average 200 lbs. load 16' length, and 24" width.  Basically the total drag (of wetted surface area) @ 2.3 mph  is 0.9, @ 3.4 mph - 2.0, @ 4.6 mph- 3.8, @ 5.7 mph- 7.9, @ 6.9 mph- 14.3 total drag. So you can see an impossible resistance curve developing. Again, this is flat water, no swell, or wind. To go from 5 mph to 7 mph requires 4 times the force it took you to get to 5 mph. That's Physic's.

[johnrg]

The distance race BOP in SoCal last year was barely 8 miles.

My GPS from that event at 8.4 miles...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/74399033

Also regarding distance.... Not a straight shot. A mark was set mid way that we had to keep inside of. Still not the ten miles advertised but a pretty good day conditions wise.

John

[esskay1000]

I'm also curious what kind of speeds people are getting and what kind of boards they are getting them on. Here in CT, most have never seen or heard of standup. It's all kayaks. The people I've brought it up to that have seen it think it's a stupid flatwater  sport to get into primarily because they say it's so much slower than a kayak. Id love to get my speed up so I can comfortably stay with a kayak on a leisurely cruise. By working on paddle technique, I'm hoping that its possible. I'll have to check out the Motion GPX app. It sounds like it should be a huge help in training. Have you tested it's accuracy?

So do those same people who think it's "a stupid flatwater sport to get into primarily because  it's so much slower than a kayak" also think that running is a stupid sport because it's so much slower than biking?  Absurd.  If it's just about speed why don't we all buy scarab boats and cruise around at 60mph?

It's about fitness, balance, fun, and doing something different.  I would just ignore those people, have fun, and work on your speed in your own way.  Paddle on!

[JonathanC]

We did a big paddle across Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne Oz on Sunday, 25 miles and averaged 4.3mph with all the safety gear. I was on a Naish Glide 17 and Paul was on an F16 V2 - wasn't a race, just a challenge! We both finished feeling good and pulled up well the next day.

Bit of a report here http://www.outlawpaddling.com/news/2011/3/21/first-sup-across-the-bay.aspx
and there are GPS charts on Seabreeze.com.au