High winds SUP

[diveChick]

I was planning on heading out today for some SUPing but it is WINDY so I looked up the winds on my Navionics app. It's even windier on the west coast (FL) where I wanted to head!
 

20kts where i am now and >30 kts on the west coast. 

What kind of winds do you SUP in? What's your limit?  Any suggestions for handling winds like that? I've never tried in winds more than about 12 kts.  Is this normal SUP for some people (maybe I'm just being a wimp)?

[Badger]

It all depends on the location. I hate paddling against any kind of chop. Wind isn't so bad. It's the chop that makes it work.

So I look for a shore with a lee to paddle along that is sheltered from the wind and that can be quite nice. Still windy but no chop. Sometimes it's even glassy.

.

[beached]

paddling in 20+ mph winds is not fun. end of story.

[1tuberider]

High winds = great downwind
High winds not so great for paddling around.
High winds in surf can be fun but tiring. Going out depends on surf shape and your desperation.
High winds for a beginner is ok if it blows you back to your launch but not so if it blows you to Cuba.

[Badger]

I wonder how Lake Okeechobee is for downwinders. Looks like some nice long runs.

[FloridaWindSUP]

In Florida, if you want to SUP on windy days, it's best to go in a narrow swampy river with big overhanging trees on the side that block the wind. The Imperial River in Bonita Springs is a good example of a spot that stays sheltered even when it's windy.

Worst place to go is open water like a big bay or the ocean, because the wind is stronger and the waves have more room to build up there. As others mentioned you can sometimes still go in open water if you stay along the "lee shore." You have to know which direction the wind is blowing from to know where the lee shore is. Like if it's blowing from the south, the only flat water and light wind will be right along the south edge of the lake (the lee shore).

Today is a better windsurfing or kiteboarding day. 

[SUP Sports ®]

I was planning on heading out today for some SUPing but it is WINDY so I looked up the winds on my Navionics app. It's even windier on the west coast (FL) where I wanted to head!

20kts where i am now and >30 kts on the west coast. 

Any suggestions for handling winds like that?

That's why windsurfing was invented...;-)

Downwinders are one thing...but, paddling into a double digit headwind isn't a whole lot of fun...
If your SUP has a mast track, you can have some awesome fun with windSUP...with or without waves...downwind and upwind...
Wind is a natural resource that can be tapped into for expanding your fun range and time on the water...
We are building a Hammer windSUP right now for a wahine paddler/sailor to use up on Lake Michigan...

http://blog.surfingsports.com/2015/04/hammer-windsup-2.html

This is a light onshore day...even a beginner with a couple of lessons will move faster on a windSUP than the fastest downwind paddler on the planet...;-)



Once you progress, you can really tap into the beauty of windSUP out in the waves...



Of course, if you progress into higher winds...short board style sailboards take over from there...

[Badger]

As others mentioned you can sometimes still go in open water if you stay along the "lee shore." You have to know which direction the wind is blowing from to know where the lee shore is. Like if it's blowing from the south, the only flat water and light wind will be right along the south edge of the lake (the lee shore).

Actually, a "lee shore" is a nautical term referring to a shore to leeward of a ship. Many vessels have met disaster being blown onto a lee shore.

A body of water protected from the wind by the shoreline is simply called a lee.

.

[Area 10]

If I only went out in 12 knots or less, I'd get to SUP about 5 times a year. 12 knots is a light breeze. Downwind paddling is where it is at as soon as it gets over 15 knots or so, and especially over 25. You can do upwind and downwind circuits in up to about 20 knots before it starts to take too long to go upwind to make the downwind section worth it.

Downwind SUPing in winds over 25 knots is about the most fun you can have on a SUP. You just have to work out the logistics first. But, really, just get out there and do it. The windy difficult days are such fantastic training they aren't to be missed. You can't always predict perfectly what the wind is going to do, so you do have to be comfortable in, say, 20 knots in case the wind changes on you sometime. 30 knots or above is different though. That really is for downwind only, and people with a bit of experience. It's tricky even to carry your board in 30 knots, unless it is very small.

[surf4food]

paddling in 20+ mph winds is not fun. end of story.

Unless it's a downwind run and you have the skills (which I admit that I don't yet).

[Eagle]

15 kts is just enough to DW on a SUP.  20 kts is better -> and 25 kts about right.  Over 25 kts requires more concentration and safety because if you fall off - you may lose your board if you happen to detach by accident.  The most fun on a SUP is had when your board releases -> and planes freely to the wave ahead.

To get the most fun and ease planing on a SUP - use a 14' board with a surf nose with rocker -> not a displacement nosed board with low rocker.  You will have to arrange a start and finish shuttle plan.  Without a shuttle - try first to paddle upwind in 10 kts -> then turn DW to get the sensation of riding along with the waves.  My wife started to DW in winds about 10 kts - and is now ok in a 20 kt breeze by herself.   

[hbsteve]

I like paddling into the wind and chop.  A staggered stance helps.  You have to figure what works best for you.  Today the wind was about 8-10, coming right down the harbor entrance with an incoming tide.  I usually make it to the end of the jetties in 15-17 minutes.  Today it took 26 minutes.  I had a good workout and fun heading back in.
I DO NOT like cross chop.

[robon]

I paddle in every type of condition and wind finding/predictability technology in my part of the world is highly unpredictable, so I just go with it. It can definitely be annoying when you just want a chill day on calm water and end up having to battle a head wind and/or cross chop and quartering swell. Especially on distance paddles when you are a long ways from your start point with no option for an early pick up. I have been blown off the water many times. With that said, I recommend practicing on windy days and it can be surprising how much head way you can make against the wind, and it can be fun...for a little while. Only going out when it is calm really limits your learning curve, and sooner or later, everyone gets caught in trying conditions, so it is beneficial to get out there in all conditions.

Practice intervals straight into the wind for an predetermined distance, and then turning around to ride the swell back and repeat, is not only a great work out, but builds both upwind and downwind skills. One of the things many paddlers hate the most, can be the most beneficial overall, which is learning to paddle in quartering swell and cross chop. It is much easier to paddle into head on swell/chop for the most part than paddle in conditions where you are getting hit from the side or various angles from the side. If you can't keep your balance in side or head on chop, it becomes exhausting really quick, which can mean trouble. As I mentioned above, sooner or later everyone ends up getting caught in bad conditions during a touring or training session that probably starts out calm, and learning to handle your board in as many scenarios as possible makes life that much easier when conditions get rough. It can actually mean the difference in getting back to your starting point, or blown out to sea, or across the lake, whatever. Possibly life saving.

[supthecreek]

Hi DiveChick!
Good info here.
Everyone seems to assume you meant paddling.
Any chance you meant SUPsurf?

Either way, it's doable, in the right circumstances.

Safety first.
You can SUP surf in high winds with practice, but the board becomes a hatchet if you fall wrong and it blows back at you.
Plus if your leash breaks.... bye bye board.... and maybe you.

Flat-water is fine IF you have a headland or waterway, with a tree line on one side, that you can paddle next to to hide from the wind.
In New England, those wind speeds are regular, so I have mastered "trip planning"
Find the calm side, paddle into the wind on your way out.... so you have it with you on the way back.
Or:.... like they said.... leave a car at the destination, drive another car with a fellow paddler to the launch, and enjoy an easy one way paddle trip, with the wind at your back the entire way.
It doesn't need to be a "downwinder".... you can stay semi protectec along a shoreline, but enjoy the winds help.
Again.... not too far out.... the board can dissappear in an instant if the leash breaks. (wear a leash!)

Wind can be used, avoided or dangerous. Planning is the difference.

[Quickbeam]

Interesting topic. I wonder if anyone has paddled against wind in an inflatable? I have a Red 12’ 6” x 30” Race board and have paddled against the wind a couple of times. Was very, very difficult paddling. Would a hard board be easier to paddle against the wind?

Just for clarification, I also have a 12’ 6” x 25” fiberglass race board, but haven’t yet paddled it in the wind. Will be trying that this summer. But if a fiberglass board would be better than the inflatable against the wind, I might have to think seriously about getting a touring hard board. Thought I could use my Red for touring, but it was seriously hard work going against the wind the couple of times I tried it.