Author Topic: Tips for Beginners  (Read 49972 times)

cantSUPenough

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #30 on: May 30, 2015, 12:21:01 AM »
Use your paddle for stabilization - think of it as the third leg of a stool.

When you paddle through a wave: go straight through (not at an angle), build up speed and plant the paddle into the wave and drive through - the paddle will help you stay upright.

On a right-hand break, the person catching the wave (or already on the wave) on your left has right of way - i.e., please get off the wave.  The reverse is true for a left-hand break. If you don't know what I am talking about, please don't go surfing until you do  ;)

If you fall off when surfing, do your utmost to control your board - it can hurt people.
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Paddleboardshop

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #31 on: June 07, 2015, 10:39:25 AM »
I believe one of the best things to start with in the beginning is getting comfortable shifting your weight to the back of the board to make sharper turns and keeping your balance .

Wetstuff

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #32 on: June 12, 2015, 08:56:59 AM »
Robert,  A big thanks from us in the rear bleachers.  There's a 5yr old video on starting in surf I recently sent to a friend. 

Jim
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blueplanetsurf

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #33 on: June 13, 2015, 03:48:17 PM »
Robert,  A big thanks from us in the rear bleachers.  There's a 5yr old video on starting in surf I recently sent to a friend. 

Jim
I'm glad to hear that, thank you Jim, we will keep them coming.  I'm surprised how popular the older videos are, I guess the youtube video suggestions favor the older videos. 

For all Zoners interested in our videos, please subscribe to our youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/user/blueplanetsurf

Aloha, Robert

P.S. Are you the same Jim that used to make Wet Stuff rash guards for Blue Planet back in the 90's?  If so, do you still make the warm fleece shirts?  Those were perfect for the colder days in Hawaii.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

Wetstuff

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #34 on: June 14, 2015, 09:52:47 AM »
Ya Robert, me... it's funny, I still get the occasional call usually from someone in the NW; "You got any of them left?" When Malden Mills (fleece people) went Chap. 11 ..Skeiko Rubber started bringing in cut pieces of Lycra and were able to offer a good, 5-panel rash guard for $5.  ..the death bell started to ring loud and clear. 

I have had thoughts...If there was a decent resource for 4-way fleece  Naaah!   Nice of you to remember. Thanks.

Jim
Atlantis Mistress .. Blue Planet MultiTasker ..   Atlantis Venom

HopkinsSUP

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #35 on: July 07, 2015, 06:17:31 AM »
I think you can't beat getting out on the water at every opportunity.  Experimenting with new ideas and refining the old ones.

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #36 on: June 01, 2016, 04:04:10 PM »
We are putting together an 11 part series of videos with Stand Up Paddle tips for beginners.
I'm teaching one of our customers, Verena Mei, the basics.  Verena is a race car driver originally from Hawaii, she recently moved back to Oahu and took up SUP and has been a quick learner.  Here are the first 6 videos of the series, going over the basics, the next 5 episodes go into more paddle technique tips, I'll post them as we publish them.
Please let us know what you think of the "How to Stand Up Paddleboard with Verena Mei" series:

https://youtu.be/dAHtJLam45g

https://youtu.be/KOL2SZNswzI

https://youtu.be/l9_F-Md5px0

https://youtu.be/RSmYvU5c3H4

https://youtu.be/Lfa1YBD4Kic

https://youtu.be/OiFOwsYscV8
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

PonoBill

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #37 on: June 01, 2016, 08:16:42 PM »
Race car drivers make lousy SUP paddlers.
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TallDude

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #38 on: June 01, 2016, 08:37:15 PM »
Good series Robert. I'm sorry to say Verena is way more attractive than you. She does a great job in your videos. I really liked the 'how to fall' video.
It's probably something that growing up in the surf I just never really thought about it in depth, or to break it down as you did.
 
On a little more intermediate level.  I try to always fall into the deepest water which is on top of the wave, rather than towards the shore and in the shallow water. I was surfing couple of months ago and the tide was dropping. I rode a wave a little to close to shore. As it was closing out I could see the reef maybe a foot below the surface. I jumped as high as I could over the top of the wave and landed on my stomach with my arms blocking my face. I basically bounced softly, flat on the reef and just scraped my knee. I new I was going to hit bottom. All my weight was evenly distributed softening the impact.

 I see people surfing and diving forward off their boards. It's like a suicide dive. A friend of my did that in high school and I can still picture him walking around school wearing a halo with the screws into his head. Don't dive head first off your board and try not to hit the bottom on your back either. Another guy a grew up with has been in a wheelchair ever since he hit the bottom on his back surfing years ago.  So lay back and roll face down with your arms protecting your head and face. It's not just the bottom you need to worry about, it's also the board. I always try to fall towards the back or over of the wave, that is always the opposite direction your board is going, and that's what you want.

« Last Edit: June 01, 2016, 08:39:16 PM by TallDude »
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

PonoBill

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #39 on: June 02, 2016, 09:05:49 AM »
I always tell people "be one with the surface, fall like a starfish". But in an uncomfortable situation people resort to what they know, which is usually wrong.
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.

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #40 on: May 11, 2019, 12:40:11 PM »
This is an older thread but our "How to Stand Up Paddle" beginner videos continue to be very popular on youtube, so we decided to make some updated versions.  This is the first one where I try to go over the basics in 5 minutes but later realized that I left out how to steer the board.  Comments are welcome, we have a few more "how to SUP" videos in the works.
https://youtu.be/ES2mShoQ3_Q
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #41 on: June 01, 2019, 06:06:24 PM »
Here is another new beginner video, the top 10 beginner mistakes, how (not to) stand up paddle. 
The #1 mistake: not wearing a leash
Special thanks to DJ for letting me use his "more no leash drama" footage as a cautionary tale, starts at 10:20

https://youtu.be/yD5AUo7S7Cg
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #42 on: July 06, 2019, 02:13:56 PM »
Here are a couple more tutorial videos on how to turn the board:

https://youtu.be/O0As8-AMe6g

https://youtu.be/jIpkzGDrT9k
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

LoudounSUP

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #43 on: June 28, 2020, 11:42:55 AM »
Hi everyone - I'm new to the forum and new to SUP (just finished my 2nd week). I've read through this post and have found several tips to be extremely helpful for a novice (thanks). For the moment, I'm focused on straight line speed (cruising speed) and finding that dialing in a consistent stroke takes many miles (its really hard!). My 3 big issues at the moment are charting a straight line, stroke rate, and paddle-water contact time during each stroke. For stroke rate, I'm finding my rhythm to be a bit slow. Around 30 strokes per min when just relaxing and 40 strokes per min when pushing hard (and staying on one side).

One area of confusion (for me) is that I keep hearing "don't paddle past your feet", here is a clip from Kai Lenny @ 2:24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=71&v=YQZdRX1L37k&feature=emb_logo

After trying this, I felt that there was some good power being left behind. As a contrast, this short 38 second clip clearly shows an efficient stroke that maintains water contact well past "the feet": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elK6_zwW8FM&feature=emb_logo

So, which is correct or are they basically doing the same thing and its just a matter of semantics?
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blueplanetsurf

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Re: Tips for Beginners
« Reply #44 on: June 28, 2020, 12:36:13 PM »
The blade angle is inefficient once the paddle is past your feet.  If you pull to your feet, the blade will travel past your feet during the exit and that's what you are seeing in the video.  If you pull past your feet the negative angle will push water up which compresses you down against the water, which is not efficient.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

 


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