Author Topic: Do you paddle your surf sup w/ a surfing stance instead of a foot on each rail?  (Read 7456 times)

magentawave

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I was watching a video of Mo Freitas sup surfing and noticed that he seems to paddle with a surfing stance instead of the usual foot on each rail. Apparently he weighs 165 lbs and is riding a 7'-2", 7'-4" and 7'-6" in the video below. But check this out...  his boards are only 23" wide and 3.75" thick.

Do any of you guys paddle your surf sups with a surfing stance? Please let me know if you are and how much you weigh and the dimensions of your boards cuz I'm wondering if paddling super narrow 23" wide boards means that you have to paddle with a surfing stance??

This Mo Freitas kid sheds by the way...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rigxxq8W2fc&feature=autoshare
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

madmax

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I am in parallel stance waiting for a wave.  Paddling over WW and into a takeoff I'm in surfer stance.

Subber

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In the video you can see him paddling in surf stance starting at 5:50.

I think the shorter the board the more you are required to be in surf stance in non-calm conditions
to handle the bow and stern pitching up and down.  It also gets your weight more centered in the middle of the board
if it is a very narrow board.

About a month ago I took out a 9' soft surfboard  - 24" wide and was able to stand up paddle it
(in calm ocean conditions - not in the surf).  I just got the idea to try it - my normal board
is 10'6" and 29 3/4" wide - so this was much much smaller.  I could barely stay up but, after a bit, I could
stay up for about three minutes a shot and I was in surf stance - I don't think I could do it in parallel stance - at least not
without more practice.  Part of the deal was just making the transition from laying down to standing up.
I was amazed I could Stand Up Paddle such a narrow board since I've really only SUP'd the SUP I own.

Normally on my regular board (which is tippy for its size), I usually paddle parallel stance until I am lining up for a wave - then,
I switch to a modified surf stance. If it is choppy I stay in parallel until I catch the wave.
« Last Edit: October 21, 2014, 02:51:41 PM by Subber »
Jimmy Lewis Black & Blue Noserider 10'1"x31"x4.25," 164 liters, 24 lbs, 1 box
Pearson Laird Surftech Longboard 10'6"x23"x29.75"x18"x4.375," 154 liters, 24 lbs, 3 boxes
Takayama Ali'i II Surftech 11'x21.375”x28.5”x17.25”x 4.25,” 162 liters, 26 lbs, 3 boxes

surfcowboy

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Yes, anything that's at all short/narrow will require a staggered stance. I won't call it surf stance since that's sideways.

The main issue for me is the fore to aft trim needed in chop so it's not just for side to side balance for me. Ride one and you'll find your way there quickly. 

magentawave

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My normal paddle stance on my 8' x 30" board is both feet on the rail with left foot forward and toes of my back foot in line with the heel of my front foot. Lets face it, all that width is a detriment when surfing and I think that in order to do the kind of maneuvers I want to do will require a much narrower board with pointier ends and that probably means having to paddle with a surf stance. Corran Addison told me that he paddles with a "karate" stance" because his boards are narrow and have domed decks. I think I'm going to take my board somewhere where its really flat like Mission Bay and experiment paddling with a surfing stance just for the heck of it to kind of prepare myself for a narrower board.

Yes, anything that's at all short/narrow will require a staggered stance. I won't call it surf stance since that's sideways.

The main issue for me is the fore to aft trim needed in chop so it's not just for side to side balance for me. Ride one and you'll find your way there quickly.
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

PonoBill

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I try to never put both feet on the rail. Even paddling a 17' downwinder board I try to keep my feet towards the middle of the board. Anything else freezes you in place, because any weight shift makes your board rock. In a side-by side stance, I try to touch my heels together. In a "surf stance" I try to keep my feet close to the centerline, front foot across it, pointing at one o'clock, back foot wherever.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

magentawave

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Huh, you paddle with your heels touching? Are your feet in a "V" pattern? What am I missing here cuz that seems bizarre and impossible on a small surf sup...

I try to never put both feet on the rail. Even paddling a 17' downwinder board I try to keep my feet towards the middle of the board. Anything else freezes you in place, because any weight shift makes your board rock. In a side-by side stance, I try to touch my heels together. In a "surf stance" I try to keep my feet close to the centerline, front foot across it, pointing at one o'clock, back foot wherever.
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

Biggreen

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I think surfcowboy is spot on. Short and narrow does pretty much need a staggered stance.  Now that I'm down to 7'5" in length, it's the trim fore and aft that's just as important.

And remember magenta, Pono surfs those big waves in Hawaii. That heel together thing could involve some sort of mantra just before his absolution in the waves...but what would in my case be just before my annihilation.

magentawave

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I'd still like to read exactly how his feet are positioned in that 'V' cuz it doesn't make sense to me yet.  ???

I think surfcowboy is spot on. Short and narrow does pretty much need a staggered stance.  Now that I'm down to 7'5" in length, it's the trim fore and aft that's just as important.

And remember magenta, Pono surfs those big waves in Hawaii. That heel together thing could involve some sort of mantra just before his absolution in the waves...but what would in my case be just before my annihilation.
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

headmount

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I'm not so good at paddling around like in a full surf stance but I do have a slight one and even a slight one seems to allow quicker movement to the tail once you drop in.

Having your feet on the rail when paddling around increases the oscillation potential of any weighting glitches you might have.  I definitely a tendency to weight one leg more than the other so I keep that leg more centered.  Standing on a smaller board is like an examination of how your body works.  Check it out and adjust.

What the others have said about narrow is also what I'd say.  Wide and your feet are in concrete.... i.e. the famous Greg Noll Waimea bay stance.  Maybe stable for given moments but resistant to changes.

PonoBill

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Huh, you paddle with your heels touching? Are your feet in a "V" pattern?

Yup. Quack, quack. It's only when I'm paddling with my feet side-by-side.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

magentawave

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Well I'm still trying to figure out how that stance of your can work.  ???

Huh, you paddle with your heels touching? Are your feet in a "V" pattern?

Yup. Quack, quack. It's only when I'm paddling with my feet side-by-side.
Pluto Platter: 7-10 x 29.25 x 4.25 x 114.5 liters

stoneaxe

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I'm always in a semi-surf stance and tend to weight my rear foot. I'm regular so left foot fairly straight and slightly left of center, back foot my heel is just right of center and turned out. Not quack, quack but somewhat of a V.
Bob

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