Wow.. Anthony Vela provides a visual lesson in post-takeoff paddle handling..

[Wetstuff]

I was curious about the Mini Mod board when I came upon this video..



He clearly shows why you shouldn't pretend the paddle is gone (like I have seen on some other vids) after you make the drop.   ..there's a lot to learn in this sport!

Jim

[ogdog]

learn alot from watching this guy,  thanx for the vid.

[Mana Karma]

He's got good style, but personally I think his paddle is too long and more often gets caught up in the face or the whitewash and slows him down.  I also think he would look way better and surf even smoother with about 6 inches or more cut off that thing.  You can see he has to stand up very tall and extend a lot from the hips in order to dip his paddle and use it effectively on the face... which goes against how a surfer generates speed (low and driving off the fins into the rails).  I'm sure he prefers it that way for paddling purposes (he's a fast fast racer).  Anyway, without taking away from Vela's mad skills, I prefer the looks of surfers with shorter paddles and still using them (see Zane, Kai, Poynter, Freitas, SL, etc.) 

[Wetstuff]

M-K  ..I don't have the experience to judge, you may be 100% correct.  One thing that caught my eye - was his ability to allow the paddle to come around the tail for leverage rather than switch hands to bring it over the nose, only to switch back 2sec later. Like he is using it as a drogue. Maybe he actually wants to stall in the section... mmhm? 

It seemed efficient ..maybe that's where the length you mention comes into play?  After watching again - like you say, you can see him really reach up to plant the blade.  Interesting..       

..and he's not 14.  Other than that, I don't know anything about him.


Jim

[Mana Karma]

It definitely is slick the way he uses the blade in various positions to control his speed... paddle length in the surf is definitely a thing of personal preference... and clearly he knows what he's doing.  I was just commenting that sometimes it looks like he has to interrupt his surfing to get the paddle where he needs it... and, from personal experience, its better to accidentally "dig" the blade (too long) than to accidentally "whiff" (too short) - a delicate balance

[Wetstuff]

More paddle skills.  I don't know this person either and am not qualified to judge ..but he appears to have the gift.




Jim

[SoCalSupper]

great thread- i personally know both these guys from my Infinity connection and have surfed with them, Tommy is one of my favorite ever sup surfers-and he shreds a short prone as well, and competed with the likes of McPhillips back in his long boarding days-just a phenomenal surfer on anything his feet touch. Obviously he is no longer with Infinity-my son CD patterns a lot of his surfing from Tommy-the big frontside hacks, throwing the board up against the lip on his backside, the way he uses his paddle etc.., a great guy to pattern your surfing after if you ask me.

Vela is also extremely talented and just one of the most genuine nice guys on the planet-great stylish surfer and super fast racer as well.

As to the whole short/long paddle deal i guess mine is somewhere in the middle, i dont use the paddle very well to be perfectly honest- i rarely if ever switch hands, i dont really know why either, for some reason i just dont think about it, guess i need to work on that cuz i love the way it looks and all and i understand the function it serves, but to me too much of it just looks weird. I dont see a lot of paddle switching with a guy like McPhillips and he is a phenomenal surfer and super stylish. I guess it just comes down to personal preference, but i do see most of the top sup surf guys switching the paddle around quite a bit.
I agree with MK-i would rather dig it in a little than whiff-ive done the whiff several times and landed face first on the board!

[PonoBill]

Nice videos and fine surfing, though for my money the king of using a paddle in surf is Zane Schweitzer. He explodes off his paddle and uses it in ways I've never seen others do. I can't find a video that shows that off, guess you gotta see him in person.

Also a ridiculously poised and skilled windsurfer, though I guess that would be kind of obvious.

[Kojack]

Nice videos and fine surfing, though for my money the king of using a paddle in surf is Zane Schweitzer. He explodes off his paddle and uses it in ways I've never seen others do. I can't find a video that shows that off, guess you gotta see him in person.

Also a ridiculously poised and skilled windsurfer, though I guess that would be kind of obvious.

I would agree with PonoBill about Zane's use of the paddle.  I don't see anyone out there who appears more natural using it and who gains so much of an advantage by having an extra tool to help shape his style.

[TonyGring]

Maybe someone could post a vid of Zane. Thanks for the vid of Lloy. His cutbacks are killin.  Lot's to be said for the importance of using paddle while on the wave. I've got surfer friends getting into SUP. They ask me for advice ( what do I know ? )  Main thing I tell them is to use the paddle while riding the wave.  They don't, and they lose control of the board easily and quickly depending on the conditions.  It is classified as Kooking out and dangerous by the prone surfers. Hard to argue with that.

[lanikaipaddler]

AGREED TO ALL, cause If I wanted to surf without a blade, I'd be on a long board!

The blade is a stylistic device, so make it look pretty, don't just hold it there like a dope.

When I'm going frontside, sliding the blade around the tail and behind my back to keep my ass from falling in seems like an instinctual reaction, and I like to think it looks cool too.