Face planting paddling in to catch wave

[RunningBull]

Sometimes I think I paddle too hard as I try to catch the wave occasionally reaching too far and falling face forward off of my board. So my question for the cognoscenti is am reaching out too far forward with my paddle? Should I shorten my stroke?


Thanks

[The Kernel]

"Sometimes I think I paddle too hard as I try to catch the wave occasionally reaching too far and falling face forward off of my board...."

Hey, I resemble that! 

Did a nice one of those today at Dogpatch as I clamored to the nose on StandinDan's shortboard (thanks for the loaner amigo!) and attempted to claw my way into a wave that was questionable in terms of making it.  Thought I had it....then it had me.  Felt pretty graceful as I launched through the air and hit the drink headfirst.

I think occasionally it's just gonna happen, especially if you're pushing the limits at a break with mushy waves.  But yeah, shortening the stroke and working on a faster cadence might help. 

Someone else who's a technical in the biomechanics of the sport could probably offer more scientific insight.

[SUPcheat]

It seems that numerous, quick short strokes are better than long, hard strokes.  Also, "they" say the paddle should not really go past your feet.  They being various paddlers I have read about.

I would imagine the head tumbling stroke would be more like an over-reach with too much force applied along a long stroke rather than a shorter strokes with more moderate force.

[kayadogg]

Short, quick strokes to get into a wave. Long, powerful strokes are inefficient when trying to catch a wave. 4 strokes at 70% with a higher cadence will be much better than 2 very powerful, long strokes at 100% with a slower cadence. You can start by trying to only submerge about 3/4 of the blade just to get a sense for a different feel. This will force you to increase your cadence to maintain the speed needed to catch a wave. I also think that having a paddle that's too long can cause this as sometimes it will get stuck or it will catch during the recovery and throw you off. Short paddle, short strokes, less power. Think efficient, don't throw buckets of water with your paddle or splash like a madman.

[The Kernel]

Short, quick strokes to get into a wave. Long, powerful strokes are inefficient when trying to catch a wave. 4 strokes at 70% with a higher cadence will be much better than 2 very powerful, long strokes at 100% with a slower cadence. You can start by trying to only submerge about 3/4 of the blade just to get a sense for a different feel. This will force you to increase your cadence to maintain the speed needed to catch a wave. I also think that having a paddle that's too long can cause this as sometimes it will get stuck or it will catch during the recovery and throw you off. Short paddle, short strokes, less power. Think efficient, don't throw buckets of water with your paddle or splash like a madman.

Totally on target Kayadogg.  About a year ago, I had two paddles; the shorter one that I always used was about 10 square inches greater in surface area than my longer one (which I rarely used) but I had never really bothered to notice the difference in surface area.    So after my SUP pro neighbor cut his paddle to head height one day, and then after I had used StandinDan's smaller (i.e. less surface area) paddle with a shorter shaft length, I got to thinking that a faster cadence with less surface area would be better for the surf zone.  So I cut the longer one (the one with less surface area) down to head height and that became my regular surf zone paddle.  Basically, I changed to a paddle with less surface area and shorter in length.

Did it work?  Damn straight!  It was like taking off the rev limiter on an engine.  All of a sudden I could do faster, short paddling bursts and as a result made a lot more waves.  I "superhacked" my way into a wave at Patch a few weeks later and when paddling back out, an older gentlemen made the comment, "Wow, I wish I could paddle like that!", and noted something about my age.  It was funny because I'm very close to qualifying for AARP membership; the fact that I got into the wave without wiping out was mainly due to the higher cadence achieved from a shorter, smaller paddle.   

And yes, the shorter paddle usually keeps me from overreaching with a long stroke and then doing the face plant.

Now I am very keenly observant of people's paddle lengths in the surf zone; when I see someone pitching forward or doing exaggerated but slow strokes to get into a wave, my thought is that the biomechanics are wrong.  Their paddle is too long or has too much surface area. 

 

[PonoBill]

You really can't reach out too far. The really great paddlers have a reach that is just shocking. they put together every little bit of extension--by shoulder stacking, by hip rotation, by leaning, by doing something weird in their joints. If you get all the reach you can possibly get the first little bit of pull is free--it's your body reassembling itself and pulling back together. I can't manage that often, the timing is tough, but every so often I get a golden stroke, and it's always all about reach.

The best way I've found to discipline myself to do short strokes is to do EXTREMELY short strokes--just a tap--and then get the blade out of the water, reach hard, and tap again. If you're trying to get into a bump on a downwinder or a big wave surfing, then a BIG reach, a short tap, and then do it again, quick as you can will get you into a lot of waves. Tap, tap, tap, tap. The first guy I ever saw do that was Randy Royse, and I was about to tell him he was doing it wrong, when I noticed he was catching every wave he went for--and I wasn't. Once you've trained your head that this is true you can relax and vary your stoke more.

If you pay attention to how you are falling that will give you some clues too. Most people fall to the paddle side, and that generally means they are pulling themselves off the board, usually by stroking past their feet. If you're doing a face plant it's probably from scooping water, not over-reaching.

[supsurf-tw]

I like to think of strokes a gears in a transmission. Short with bottom hand farther down is low gear and a longer, more reachy stroke is high gear.

[supthecreek]

Rubull... I pull my self off the board all too often. But....I have figured out what I am doing wrong, and that's a start
Since I almost always paddle on my left side to catch waves, that will be my example.
                                            disclosure... I dig too deep, too hard... I know ... wrong. I am trying to be dainty now.

anyway....
In an effort to reach way out and get a solid bite, I lean more on my left foot (forward foot, if in surf stance)
Just as the wave lifts the tail, I like to be in a power stroke...
As I dig and lean, I push the forward, left curve of the nose into the water and sink it just a bit....
the curve of the nose, pushes the board slightly to the right..... I am forward and leaning to the left.... Voila' - faceplant over the front left corner. Easy peezy.

Sooo... I watched the best wave catchers.... they were all doing this whimpy ass little pat, pat, pat stroke.... and catching every wave. bastards!

[mrbig]

+1 PB. Smallest blade shortest shaft - faster tapping - MORE waves. BIG blade long shaft el stupido. Don't ask me how I know!!

[The Kernel]

I like to think of strokes a gears in a transmission. Short with bottom hand farther down is low gear and a longer, more reachy stroke is high gear.

Perfect description Tom....I vary my grip exactly as you stated in order to utilize the best "gear" for a particular purpose; final drop into a wave needs quick, short strokes in low gear, while a casual paddle back out might use a higher gear with slower stroke.  One of the local pros taught me that a while ago, and now I do it so unconsciously that I neglect to mention it when discussing stroke mechanics.

[PonoBill]

I see a lot of people that work hard on their stroke, doing everything right, but when they go for a wave or a bump they get excited and start doing long "powerful" strokes that really aren't. The feeling of power you get at the end of a long stroke is all the force you're applying to pull the tail down and the nose up.

[RunningBull]

Awesome feedback. Everytime I try short high cadence paddling someone more experienced tells me to get my paddle deeper in the water. But thanks for help

[TallDude]

Growing up skateboarding in pools and anywhere, I learned to bend my knees and lower my center of gravity as I transitioned from one plane to another. Even though I've surfed since I was a kid, it's different paddling into a wave laying down. With skateboarding, snow boarding or skiing you deal with the pitch change standing up. If I drop into a pool on a skateboard standing up tall, I will get my face planted into the concrete. Standing tall skiing or boarding over a break-over, you will be out of control after the transition.
As I paddle into a wave, I do as Creek said with my front foot way forward. Both my knees are bend and I'm lowering myself. The longer it takes, meaning sometimes a late drop, will leave me very low at that point. This also helps you accelerate down the face and make a hard bottom turn. As you drop you start to extend your legs which drives the speed. As you head back up the face you compress which is built up energy. If you take a high line you can generate a lot of speed by slowly extending your legs. You can further your speed by trimming your board, meaning moving forward on your board.
A shorter paddle helps because you should be lower when you catch the wave. Your reach should be limited to keeping your center of gravity from moving to far fore or aft.

[1tuberider]

I've pulled myself off my board a few times. I just get so excited and scratch so hard and then
face plant. Gotta remember to    breath in thru the nose and out thru the mouth.

For me this usually occurred when I am making last minute decisions. Breathing is a calming exercise.

[RunningBull]

Tall dude,
I find bending my knees and staying low is one of the keys to catching waves and not falling off. I can even catch waves barely paddling by getting in a lateral sumo stance and staying super low.