Board Length Too Long For Cross Bow Draw Stroke

[liv2surf]

I SUP surf in ocean waves on a 9'6" x 31 152L surf shape (pointy nose, pulled in tail). I am 5'10. I find that the cross bow draw stroke can be very important to position myself for an oncoming wave if my board is pointing the wrong way and the waves proximity makes strokes on one side of the board insufficient to get around.

I find that the nose of my 9'6 is in the way of this cross bow draw stroke. I can make it work.... but I have to really consciously avoid hitting the nose which cause delays. I think a 9'0 in same shape or a blunt nose may be necessary for this reason.

I am 185 lbs, pretty advanced surfer, SUP for 5 years.

Curious about others' thoughts on this.

[OkiWild]

I brought a lot of the bow draw and rudder strokes with me to SUP from sea kayaking, and I use it all the time on 10' boards. You get used to lifting the paddle out and over the board without hitting it.

That said, nothing turns the board quicker than a step back with a sweep stroke. 

[Badger]

Paddle length makes a difference. Back when I used longer paddles, I had no problem sweeping around the nose on my 9'4. Since going to a shorter paddle, now I can just barely get it around the nose on my 8'10.

On longer boards, I have to lift the paddle and put it back in on the other side as I sweep around the same as OkiWild does.

[singingdog]

Practice. Whitewater slalom C1 paddlers and open boaters use cross bow draws all the time in highly dyanamic situations where time really matters. It can be done very effectively.

[PonoBill]

It's a common stroke for 14' and unlimited race boards. I've never actually used a cross bow draw on a board I could bring the paddle across without lifting for the nose so I'm a little confused. Cross bow draw only works if the board is already moving at a good clip, I don't understand how you're using that to get into position for a wave. It seems like a fairly slow turn. Are you perhaps referring to a cross sweep, where you twist and reach to the off side, then sweep the paddle across the bow and keep sweeping to turn? I use that some for surfing, though a pivot turn is faster if you're comfortable with your foot that far back.

If you're talking about a sweep, then lifting the blade across the bow without banging stuff is relatively easy to program into your skull. But you have to practice it when you don't need it so you can concentrate on the movements instead of rushing to make a wave.

[surfcowboy]

I’d offer (as was said) that on that size learning to step back deep and paddling on one side. Faster than anything else and fun to practice in shallow water.

[liv2surf]

Thanks all for great comments!! I'm glad I asked. OK, I see the general consensus is it absolutely can be done with a 9'6" board and longer in very dynamic situations. Some mention lifting the paddle out on a longer board and the effect of paddle length. I can almost do it without taking paddle out ....but it is slower and clumbsier... but totally works. I think it slightly hampers my wave catching efficiency by maybe 20%. Importantly, I was reminded by a couple of people that nothing works better than step back with a sweep stroke. I really need to invest more time learning how to do this in real surf conditions. I can do it reasonably reliably on flat water but am not as good with it and intimidated by it in real world surf conditions with more surface chop. I'll work on it. I spend most of my time on the wing foil parts of Standupzone but riding waves with a standard SUP is something I really like to do when the waves are on and the wind is not.

[Badger]

I gave up on pivot turns. They look cool but take a lot of practice and balance. I'm happy just doing the cross over turn. I use it when getting lined up for a wave or at the end of the wave to turn and paddle back out.

This video covers it pretty well. Robert slows it down to show how it's done but the complete stroke can be done fairly quickly. The smaller the board, the quicker it will turn. My 7'6 turns on a dime.

[PonoBill]

As usual, robert's video is excellent. The first turn he shows is the classic cross bow draw, which relies on momentum and the blade as a rudder to turn smoothly without losing as much speed as a reverse sweep--pushing the blade in well ahead of you and angling it a bit acts more like a rudder than a brake. You don't necessarily sweep across with a draw stroke. the draw is critical for big wind downwinders--it's the quickest way to change direction in a bump, and once you're good at it it can brace you. In the beginning it will probably toss you off the board more than brace, but with just a little practice getting used to the force it's a handy crutch in sloppy conditions.