Author Topic: How do you turn?  (Read 9683 times)

patfly

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How do you turn?
« on: July 30, 2007, 12:50:12 PM »
How do you make major turns, like 90 or 180 degree turns to catch a wave?
I have only been out for four sessions and I have developed this. I drop one foot back a few inches, sort of squat down, and use big sweeping strokes across the nose of the board. I'm not yet too stable on the board and I imagine this looks kinda goofy, but so far it has gotten me around to catch a few waves.
Please share your techniques.
Thanks - Pat

andygere

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2007, 01:05:09 PM »
Yesterday was my first day on stand up board (Thanks Michael!), but the technique is pretty easy.  Back paddle 2 good strokes, and as the board comes around, front paddle with a big sweep stroke on the opposite side, then start digging for the wave.  The board will just pivot on the fin when you back paddle, and you'll be able to turn and burn in no time.

Rand

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2007, 05:12:24 PM »
I've got a few on the step turn. 

Before you start, move your feet to parallel (facing forward) on the central balance point of your board and  take one or two strong forward strokes.  This stabilizes the board.  Then you will simultaneously do two things:

1. twist what will become your front foot leaving the heel where it is but bringing your toes around onto the stringer. 
2. drop you back foot back a bit (how much will depend on the board) and slightly onto the side that you will take your strokes on.  This will lift the opposite rail so it does not snag when the board starts to spin.

Now weight the back foot and crouch a bit to keep your center of gravity low, and take a strong sweep stroke, and then another.  Be prepared to shift your weight back to centered, as the hardest part of this move is stopping.  Consider: once you have turned 180, you are still hunkered low on your rear foot with no forward movement to stabilize the board or to help right you.  Now fall (I couldn't resist).  Before your turn is complete reverse the initial foot/body twist.  Time your paddle strokes so that you can use the energy from the last stroke to initiate the switch and help push your balance back to centerred.

Now an opinion.  For most this is a very unreliable move.  About half the time I see riders trying it in the lineup, it ends in a fall.  This can shake the rider's confidence, but will definitely shake the confidence of the prone surfers nearby.  One paddler was trying it in the lineup today and some prone friends were (in a good natured way) calling it the "death spiral".  This is by no means a mandatory move.  More consistant for most will simply be inching back a bit and sweeping on one side.

I hope that adds to the dialogue.

Best,
Randy

« Last Edit: July 30, 2007, 05:15:29 PM by Rand »

juanp

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2007, 10:33:17 AM »
This is input from someone who made himself a standup board that goes straight really great, but is a real bear to turn. In addition to all the above moves, what really turns my ugly yellow log on a dime is what canoe people call a cross bow draw.
After you get it going forward and take a sweep stroke, reach forward and across the board with a huge shoulder turn. When you plant the paddle on the other side, the blade will be parallel to the board and will act as a rudder, serving as a stabilizing force and not slowing you down like a back paddle stroke would.  At this point, recoil from your shoulder turn and "draw" the bow towards the paddle. By the time the paddle gets to the rail, the board has probably done a 180 without slowing down much, but if you are riding a beast like mine, you can keep that same motion and skip over the board onto a sweep like you did to begin with.

patfly

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2007, 11:46:34 PM »
 ;D
Thank you for the tips. I tried the reverse strokes yesterday with good results. I will try others tomorrow - wind permitting.
Pat

Allan Cheateaux

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2007, 12:05:50 PM »
How do you make major turns, like 90 or 180 degree turns to catch a wave?

 Most of the times to the left, but sometimes to the right. ;D








sorry, couldnt be helped mate.

Blane Chambers

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2007, 11:05:43 AM »
We put up a tip section on our site.    It covers some very basic things and the part about turning is in there with pictures...   Its super fun to practice turns instead of just paddling distance all the time.   Another good thing to practice in flat water is visualize a wave coming and do the turn as quickly as you can then power stroke towards shore as if you are really catching a wave.   This is great for honing your skills.   These practices are sprints so good for conditioning too...    Most days I paddle flat water the biggest part of my workout is practicing turns quickly.    Its very fun!

http://www.paddlesurfhawaii.com/default.asp?doctype=mm&C_ID=134

xtricity

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2007, 09:08:49 PM »
I'm still confused about what the most efficient way to make a pivot turn is.  For all the turns, I'm in the surf stance and I'm comfortable controlling the front and back weight of the board.  yesterday, I tried backward paddle on one side of the board followed by a pry stroke (pushing the paddle sideways away from the board).  I can pivot the board in a short radius okay, but I think this may be too slow.  My son is a young child and doesn't know too much about paddling.  However, he does have good balance and I can see him pop the nose of the board up in the air and pivoting by bringing the paddle from the nose of the board toward the rear in a diagonal.  Since he's a young child, he's on a 7'0" board.  I'm on a 10'0".  He's definitely out-shredding me.  Is all the turning paddling done with the paddle in front of the rider?  are there any strokes where the turn is done when the paddle is behind the rider?

This is my first post and I have a few more questions.  If anyone has time, share the knowledge.

How do I paddle in a straight line?  Is there a more efficient way of keep the board going straight than switching the paddle to the other side of the board?  I'm not a canoe paddle, but I read a book that talks about a J-stroke.  There's some type of hook at the end of the stroke that lets the rider keep the canoe on a straight line when paddling only on one side.  Can this be done on a standup paddle board?  Or, is everyone switching the paddle to different sides of the board all the time?

What are some fin considerations for small waves and flat water riding?  I have a single fin board.  Right now, I have the single fin all the way in the front slot.  I've bought a smaller fin that I'm going to slot in there all the way forward.  My son is on a thruster.  I'm thinking of trying to remove the middle fin and see if he likes it as a twin. 

My last question.  Is everyone paddling for the wave in surf stance?  Or, do some people paddle in parallel stance, then immediately switch into surf stance when they feel the swell pick them up?

Thanks.  I'm just getting started here.  It's a ton of fun.

Rand

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2007, 06:57:27 AM »
Welcome to the board, paddler!

Quote
I'm still confused about what the most efficient way to make a pivot turn is.  For all the turns, I'm in the surf stance and I'm comfortable controlling the front and back weight of the board.  yesterday, I tried backward paddle on one side of the board followed by a pry stroke (pushing the paddle sideways away from the board).  I can pivot the board in a short radius okay, but I think this may be too slow.  My son is a young child and doesn't know too much about paddling.  However, he does have good balance and I can see him pop the nose of the board up in the air and pivoting by bringing the paddle from the nose of the board toward the rear in a diagonal.  Since he's a young child, he's on a 7'0" board.  I'm on a 10'0".  He's definitely out-shredding me.  Is all the turning paddling done with the paddle in front of the rider?  are there any strokes where the turn is done when the paddle is behind the rider?

First off, let us know your height and weight, as that will help us in determining how "big" your 10 footer is for you.  In general, forward sweep strokes are going to be the most reliable for pivot turns.  These certainly can end up behind your body (and usually do).  when you are in surf stance, backwards strokes will drive the tail underwater, so unless you are working on a squirt style freestyle turns, these will not be primary strokes.  The pry stroke you are talking about, also can work, but is difficult to do with your upper body over the stringer, soooo....   In short the two most reliable turns early on are going to be a parralell stance forward sweep (slower, but very effective and reliable) and the step turn (detail in a post below). 

Quote
How do I paddle in a straight line?  Is there a more efficient way of keep the board going straight than switching the paddle to the other side of the board?  I'm not a canoe paddle, but I read a book that talks about a J-stroke.  There's some type of hook at the end of the stroke that lets the rider keep the canoe on a straight line when paddling only on one side.  Can this be done on a standup paddle board?  Or, is everyone switching the paddle to different sides of the board all the time?

A little pull in at the end can help, but for the mostpart, it is switching sides.  To increase the amount of strokes you can take on each side before a switch, it helps to edge the board slightly on the paddle side (especially during the glide portion of the stroke).

Quote
What are some fin considerations for small waves and flat water riding?  I have a single fin board.  Right now, I have the single fin all the way in the front slot.  I've bought a smaller fin that I'm going to slot in there all the way forward.  My son is on a thruster.  I'm thinking of trying to remove the middle fin and see if he likes it as a twin. 

What design of fin is on the board now?  Picture possible?  In general, a swept back, flexy, smaller fin in the front of the box will tend to loosen up a board, while more upright, stiffer, larger fins that are further back will aid in tracking.  Huge generalities, all.


Quote
My last question.  Is everyone paddling for the wave in surf stance?  Or, do some people paddle in parallel stance, then immediately switch into surf stance when they feel the swell pick them up?

No.  This depends a lot on the wave and the condition, but for smaller, slower waves, starting parralel is likely going to be easier for you.  Positioning your shoulders a bit forward (so that your weight is more on the balls of your feet) helps pressure the nose, and is a really positive stance for wave catching.  A few good strokes, and you're in.  There is a ton that could be written here, on taking off, and this might require a thread of its own, but in short, don't rule out parralel for take offs.

I hope that helps,

Randy
« Last Edit: August 13, 2007, 07:00:35 AM by Rand »

xtricity

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2007, 07:57:49 AM »
Randy, thanks so much for your help and sharing the Aloha spirit.  It really means a lot to get some advice from an experienced guy like you.  I'll try out some stuff and write more later.

Mahalo

shapeshifter

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2007, 03:44:27 PM »
while paddling in knee to waist high swells yesterday i discovered a pretty simple way to maintain a straight course against a current that comes from an angle or for making minor direction changes while retaining a full and consistent stroke. the best description i can give it is something like an oblique technique of paddling because it's sort of an indirect redirection.

depending on which way you want to turn you should be paddling on the opposite side of the board towards the direction of the turn. taking full strokes, one starts out by twisting the paddle out so the outside edge (farthest away from the board) is forward of the inside edge (the side closer to the board). so at the start of the stroke... if you want to turn to starboard (right) you would be paddling on the left side with the paddle angled at 10 & 4 o'clock respectively. to turn to port (left) you would paddle on the right side of the board with the paddle angle at 2 & 8 o'clock respectively. as you drive through the stroke you'll want to twist the paddle to the more natural 3 & 9 o'clock position causing the stroke to flare as the paddle gets "wider" against the water. what i found was happening by doing so i was able to redirect the flow outward (away from the board) pushing the nose of the board away from the side with the paddle, then continue to push on forward in that direction by finishing off with a "straight paddle" follow through.

not sure if thinking oblique comes naturally for others... no doubt it's something already in existence. i've tried to turn the board towards the paddle but this didn't work primarily because it would be like trying to push water under the board which conflicted with the flow beneath it.

so try it and see how it works on your obliques, and please let me know if it's just my imagination.

always at your service,
alan
whoever invented the hole... knew nothing.
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Chan

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2007, 05:41:27 PM »
I have not SUP’d in strong currents (other then channel rips, which I just let pull me out), however, I have ferried across strong currents in a kayak.  This requires maintaining a slight up current angle.  I imagine it is similar on an SUP.  As far as thinking obliquely, I try to avoid it as it can lead to circular reasoning. 

shapeshifter

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Re: How do you turn?
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2007, 06:25:38 PM »
lol! yeah... it always seems to come around to that.
whoever invented the hole... knew nothing.
...ooooO...................
...(.......)......Ooooo....
....\.....(.......(.......).....
.....\.__)........)...../.....
...................(__./......

 


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