Paddling on ShortSUPs

[colas]

Here are some tips to be able to paddle hard on ShortSUPs (less than 7')

• Try to imagine a nail (grey on the picture) sticking the tail of the board in the water at the position of the front fins. The board will pivot around it.
• Paddling normally (pink arrow) means the push will go right of the nail, making the board go left: the row effect you want to suppress
• What you want is to direct your effort more towards the board, so that the push follow the green arrow that hits the nail or go left of it. This way, the board goes straight, or even turns towards the paddle, even if you apply all your forces
• You are actually limited in paddle travel range by the board, so you must apply all the effort in less than a foot (blue part of the green arrow), then let the paddle move along the rail and get it out of the water as soon as possible. The paddle blade seem to go through a comma or C shaped trajectory, hence the name of "C stroke" (although actually the blade does not move in the water, it is your body that moves around it)
• If the board is not moving, the nail is about the middle of the board, so for the first stroke, you should exaggerate and make the arrow go through the carrying handle, but once the board moves, even a little bit, the fins grip and the nail "moves" back to the tail. On longer SUPs, the nail is so far back that the arrow naturally goes through it, this is why it is easy to counter the row effect on longer SUPs, and why if you move the fin back, you have less row: you have moved the nail with the fin. Note also that beginners will always have row as long as they row parallel to the board (pink arrow), even with a 1-mile SUP, their arrow will never meet the nail.
• ShortSUPs are very sensitive to body weight longitudinally, so you must move back on the board to lift the nose before applying power, which will push the nose in the water
• For take off, use the same kind of technique: get in surf position on the trim line of the wave, and "jump into action" with one big powerful stroke going through the nail. All the weight on the front foot, rear foot as far back as the wave is powerful, even on the tail block for extra late take offs
• Very important: practice on flat water before trying it in the waves,and begin with small, gentle waves!

Note: the paddle is nearly one foot too long, it was a borrowed one. The paddle length should be your height, no more. The board is a Gong Angel 6'4" 2011, 111 liters for my 100kg.

[PaddleCrazy]

Wow colas, that is fantastic explanation on paddling "shortSUPs", and just what I was looking for.....thank you for that.

Now, if I could ask for one more thing.....what is your technique for simply standing/balancing the board when not underway, but just maintaining your position in one spot, as you wait for the next set?

I seem to not have too bad of a time when I keep moving, but staying/balancing in one spot is another story.  I know to use my paddle to help balance, but there seems to be many a time that it is inevitably on the wrong side of the board when that chop or swell hits me from the side.

Thanks for the help, great stuff you have to offer.  Oh, and 6'4" is not "short".....it's "minuscule".....and simply amazing!! 

[surfcowboy]

Thank you. I've been trying to dial paddling my 8' into waves and it's hard if you start even a little early as you have to switch sides.

I'm trying this and reporting back. Anyone else seen this technique working?

[Ake G]

Thanks for the tutorial, Colas. You and your micro-boards are an inspiration to all of us!

Have been re-educating myself trying to get the most out of my new 8'2" L41 Simsup "XL". Just simple stuff like high cadence, short pulls....pulling the paddle out with the bottom hand....Dave Kalama techniques. All things I've never really done as much before on my longer boards but make all the difference where I'm actually surprised how much more paddling speed I can get out of my short n' wide.

[sup_surf_giant]

I tried this today!!!

I'm by no means on a short sup, 9'6....but the elements are still there at my size, plus it will help with my new 8'6 on it's way.

I applied the principal of the first stroke from dead stop being diagonal away from the board back to rail, what this did was prevent all that power from simply spinning be around and instead move me forward, once I had some momentum, normal strokes were sufficient.

Awesome stuff to keep in mind! Thank you!

[Cardiff Sweeper]

Nice write up.
From my experience, the 6'6" is easier to paddle than the 7'4". Super wide tail on the shorter board gives it more stability. 

Carry on...

[colas]

Now, if I could ask for one more thing.....what is your technique for simply standing/balancing the board when not underway, but just maintaining your position in one spot, as you wait for the next set?

With low volume SUPs, the tail is underwater. That means that if the board begins to move backwards, tragedy happens, as the tail will nosedive (well, "taildive") and will want to surface sideways, making you fall. So you should be careful to always move forwards a little bit relative to water, this is very important is there is some wind, if you face the wind, it will push you back and you will fall. So, if you want to wait without paddling, do it back to the wind. Otherwise, just slowly go in circles...

It also means that you should be extra careful to not be dragged back when going out through the waves. On a long SUP this is not a problem, on a ShortSUP, this means wipeout :-)

What helped me a lot also is when the board tilts on one side, let's say tilts to the right, to immediately flex as fast as you can the left knee in a very big way. I think that when the right foot goes underwater, your brain thinks that you are on land and your right foot went into some quicksand, so you automaticaaly put all your weight on the left leg (good) but try to straigthen it to prepare to have all your weigth on it, which is bad in our case as the stiff left leg will throw your body overboard.
So you have to consciously counter your automatic balance handling...

[colas]

I'm by no means on a short sup, 9'6....but the elements are still there at my size, plus it will help with my new 8'6 on it's way.

Yes, this technique helps also for longer SUPs. It allows you to take off in less strokes (one or two) as you can apply more power instantly, especially with big blades. Taking off in less strokes can be a nice change, as it feels more like a surfboard "drop", and you appear less of a "cheater" to prone sufers.

[XLR8]

Pretty concise descriptions!  Thanks!

[surfcowboy]

Rough wind session on the 8'-er today and I have to say, these were great tips.

I spun less and also, as mentioned, taking off deeper is the way to go on these boards. Less momentum/glide and more drop.

One other note in general. It was insanely choppy and windy. I paddled out prone most of the day and I have to put in a pitch for getting your prone skills in order if you came to this from paddling flatwater and haven't surfed before. I started by paddling prone just a bit each session but now I can get out in no time and in wind it's immeasurably easier. (And it endears you to the proners.)

[sup_surf_giant]

Rough wind session on the 8'-er today and I have to say, these were great tips.

I spun less and also, as mentioned, taking off deeper is the way to go on these boards. Less momentum/glide and more drop.

One other note in general. It was insanely choppy and windy. I paddled out prone most of the day and I have to put in a pitch for getting your prone skills in order if you came to this from paddling flatwater and haven't surfed before. I started by paddling prone just a bit each session but now I can get out in no time and in wind it's immeasurably easier. (And it endears you to the proners.)

Are you finding yourself getting more and more stable though standing up?

[alap]

colas,
about this flex in the knee for sideway balance.
I find you are right on. it is similar to staying paralel to the beach, say right side to the ocean, left side towards the beach. the roller comes and your left side is tilted to the beach and right side rises.
the natural reaction is to brace against this push and then you fall outside...
just going with the flow and straitening your left foot and bending right knee followed by bending the left knee and straightening the right foot on the backside of the wave when it passes you - solves the problem.
Very similar to what you are discussing.

[surfcowboy]

Giant, (sorry for the lag, rough work week and a mild illness)

Honestly, at my size I can stand on anything in any conditions, it's just a matter of if it's fun or not.

I'm so not out to prove anything, I'm here to have fun and surf (when I'm surfing.) If prone paddling allows me to get out easier or save energy in a wind, I'll take it.

My experience in general has been that of course things get easier over time and honestly, people need to remember that strength plays a big part. Get a wobble or indo board if you're not in the water a lot and otherwise just build those legs.

The biggest change for shorter boards is the fore and aft movement that I found new after being on a "boat".

The other advantage is that prone paddling is a new muscle group to work out and  gets me one step closer to handling a long board well, which is a long term goal for me. I want to learn to ride everything.

[sup_surf_giant]

Giant, (sorry for the lag, rough work week and a mild illness)

Honestly, at my size I can stand on anything in any conditions, it's just a matter of if it's fun or not.

I'm so not out to prove anything, I'm here to have fun and surf (when I'm surfing.) If prone paddling allows me to get out easier or save energy in a wind, I'll take it.

My experience in general has been that of course things get easier over time and honestly, people need to remember that strength plays a big part. Get a wobble or indo board if you're not in the water a lot and otherwise just build those legs.

The biggest change for shorter boards is the fore and aft movement that I found new after being on a "boat".

The other advantage is that prone paddling is a new muscle group to work out and  gets me one step closer to handling a long board well, which is a long term goal for me. I want to learn to ride everything.

Got it. Thanks for the input.

[colas]

Alena shows us the proper technique to take off on a ShortSUP: all the weight on the front foot, flexed in a "fencing" stance, shoulders projected into the slope, rear foot far behind to counter any tendency to move the body back when the board is pushed by the wave. Note that she applies this technique on all kinds of SUPs now (here a 7'6")