Author Topic: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...  (Read 12393 times)

sup-n-skirts

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #15 on: July 21, 2021, 01:29:36 PM »
Yeah, I'm going to be trying a few different blades hopefully. I've always been partial to a more teardrop shaped blade for other paddling things but I have NO idea how that translates to SUP.

On the topic of stroke and technique, I did 9 miles yesterday just cruising and working on my form and trying to be consistent, as well as trying to not reach too far forward with the shorter length, then did 3.5 this morning as a recovery. My legs are still dead and my abs are pretty sore and the lower back is doing great so trying to not reach super far forward is paying off it feels like.
One thing I've been noticing with the shorter length is that I tend to use my upper body a lot more in the power phase of the stroke, so there is a whole new set of muscles that are getting using more now.

Trying to learn a good stroke and build those habits up is a challenge, but it'll pay off in the long term at least.

If your abs are sore you must be doing something right. Trying different blades could be very beneficial. For long distance, high aspect blades made a big difference for me.
The more balanced load distribution was a good match to my paddling style and made a big difference in recovery times. Worth playing with imo.

Yeah, one place here here, 101 surf sports, is right on the SF bay so they recommend that you bring your board up to try paddles as you can just launch from their place. Needless to say I'll be trying a bunch.

In stroke and form news, I feel like I'm making more progress in staying constant with my form while paddling and getting better stabilizing the upper body. I'm also moving to using my arms/shoulders a little more to directly push/pull the blade "down" and that combined with keeping my core/hip bend more constant is helping the core. I'm sure I have many hundreds and thousands of miles to go before I really start to "get it" for my paddle form and stroke, but I'm getting there.

Also went surfing this morning. I still can't surf worth a damn, but damn if it isn't fun.

sup-n-skirts

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #16 on: July 28, 2021, 10:37:03 AM »
Well I guess this thread is slowly turning into my personal progression for power, strength and paddle stroke... I managed to get a 4.1mph average for my workout today, which is something. I'm happy about it, but honestly, its still on the slower side of things and I can't keep that pace up for more than about 4 miles. But its a sign of progression so thats awesome. I'm still on a wide (32") surf shape board with really low rails, so I'm not expecting speed really, but its nice to start getting that pace up a big.

But back to paddles, I tried a few out over the weekend and the two I liked the most were a Quickblade U-V drive 88 (or whatever) and a 89 Werner Rip Stick. I didn't really like any of paddles that were smaller than the mid 80's or into the 70's. Those smaller ones just felt like I was splashing and wasn't making any power in relation to how much the rest of me had to move to get the paddle into the water. They also didn't feel effective to use in bracing either.
This weekend I'm going try some Black Project paddles to see how those feel, but I suspect i'll go with either the Quickblade or the Werner...

sup-n-skirts

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #17 on: August 02, 2021, 10:57:03 AM »
Welp, picked up a new paddle over the weekend. Tried a bunch of quickblade paddles, and settled on this one... the one I REALLY like was a bit out of my budget at 500$... but even this Kanaha is such a HUGE step up from up old paddle that my board doesn't even really feel the same. It's awesome.

TallDude

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #18 on: August 02, 2021, 11:08:35 AM »
That's a great paddle. I have a few QuickBlade's and they last for years. My oldest one is about 11 years old and still looks new. The 90 will give you all the power you'll ever need. 
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

sup-n-skirts

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #19 on: August 02, 2021, 03:00:25 PM »
That's a great paddle. I have a few QuickBlade's and they last for years. My oldest one is about 11 years old and still looks new. The 90 will give you all the power you'll ever need.

Totally, I'm still getting used to the slightly narrower point-of-entry for a good clean catch, but its getting there. I'm really excited about this thing, haha. I opted to take the plunge and get it cut at 77" inches vs the 78" my other one was at and I think that was the right call.

TallDude

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #20 on: August 02, 2021, 03:46:01 PM »
The length between a surf paddle and distance paddle can vary a lot, but everyone likes theirs a different length. The size (thickness and length) of your board plays a big part. With longer race boards men tend to muscle the paddle and take longer/ slower paddle strokes which works better with a longer paddle. Women tend to use less muscle with a higher/ quicker cadence which works better with a shorter paddle. When I'm surfing I use a higher cadence stroke with a short paddle. I like to switch the paddle from side to side quickly when I'm surfing so a short paddle works best. But if I try to paddle distance with my short paddle on one of my race boards I'll feel it immediately in my lower back. Not good. I'm tall, almost 6'7. My race paddle for my 14' and 18' boards is 91". On my 11'6 all-arounder board I have a mid length 86" paddle. My surfing paddle is about 79". I tried to surf with a shorter one, but it hurt my back.
So I let my back pain be the determining factor in finalizing the lengths. Shoulder pain comes from too stiff of a paddle. My long distance paddle has a lot of flex. 
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

Dusk Patrol

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #21 on: August 02, 2021, 04:22:38 PM »
Congrats and great choice, AND awesome that you had the chance to try a variety.
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

PonoBill

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #22 on: August 02, 2021, 04:28:35 PM »
The kanaha blade was one of the first Quickblade paddle designs, and my first serious paddle many moons ago. Good blade.
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.

burchas

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #23 on: August 02, 2021, 04:56:22 PM »
Congrats! Solid paddle, Timeless design 8)
in progress...

justsomeguy

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #24 on: August 03, 2021, 10:16:35 AM »
For both my flat water & surf paddles I put a few wraps of electrical tape on the shaft where I want my lower hand to be.
Makes it easy to be certain I'm holding paddle the same on both sides. You don't have to look (or guess), can easily just feel it.
Super easy to peel off and move if you are trying to find the right position for you.
Fanatic Allwave LTD 9'4"x33"x173L
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+ a few prone surfboards nobody here cares about :)

sup-n-skirts

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #25 on: August 03, 2021, 11:39:31 AM »
For both my flat water & surf paddles I put a few wraps of electrical tape on the shaft where I want my lower hand to be.
Makes it easy to be certain I'm holding paddle the same on both sides. You don't have to look (or guess), can easily just feel it.
Super easy to peel off and move if you are trying to find the right position for you.

I've never been a big fan of marking paddle shafts, then again I've never had issues keeping my paddle form consistent from side to side, so I consider myself to be fairly fortunate in that regard. The right spot just feels right, ya know?

Argee

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #26 on: February 11, 2023, 05:07:31 PM »
I don't generally post, mostly lurk around, but had to condone this idea of the smaller paddle for surfing.  I finally did it after generally adapting to a 105 square inch Danny Ching Scout that was a gift, but my shoulders ache if I surf too much.  I finally cut down a cheap paddle until it felt good, estimated it to be 89 square inches.  Bought an Abahub carbon shaft / plastic blade in the same shape and size (but with a trihedral), advertised as 91 square inches.  It works great. Though a little bit heavier than the Danny Ching I generally don't notice it over a one hour surf session.  My cadence is more rapid, I feel like I am maneuvering better both while catching and while surfing, and it was only $52.00.  I'll probably upgrade it to something lighter, in awhile, and maybe go even smaller.
- many different surfboards
- A couple different SUP boards
- one kayak

Dusk Patrol

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #27 on: February 12, 2023, 07:55:25 AM »
Argee I don't know how much of a trihedral your paddle has, but I found the grabbiness of the blade is a huge factor.  I originally got a Werner RipStick at 89 sq inch, thinking that would be plenty small, but its shaped so much that I changed to the 79 sq inch version, and it has been perfect.
BTW ..."old" Ventura surfer at 49? Ouch dude... : )
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

Night Wing

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #28 on: February 12, 2023, 11:06:55 AM »
I'm a male with a small skeletal bone structure. More akin to a female in bone size.

I've just turned 73 years old and I'm 5'8" in height. My weight bounces between 140 pounds in the summertime to 145 pounds in the wintertime.

I'm right now at 145 pounds since I'm sedentary right now because I'm recovering from spinal surgery on my right lower back. (My spinal surgeon told me I'll be good to go for anything I want to do on Mar 16th.)

With my bone structure and weight, I'm not a fan of the "men's" regular diameter paddle shaft. With my small hands, I gravitated towards a "woman's" smaller diameter paddle shaft.

With the above said, I have two sup paddles. They are both designed for a woman. The paddles are a two piece Naish Alana adjustable paddle with a 75 square inch paddle blade.

Since both my right and left shoulder joints have been surgically repaired, the Alana 75 paddle works great for me whether I'm surfing one of my sups or flat water paddling one of my sups.
Blue Planet Duke: 10'5" x 32" x 4.5" @ 190 Liters (2 Dukes)
Sup Sports Hammer: 8'11" x 31" x 4" @ 140 Liters
SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

Argee

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Re: Paddles! Surf vs flat water...
« Reply #29 on: February 12, 2023, 06:51:47 PM »
Yes, Dusk Patrol, the fairly small trihedral probably makes it grab a bit more, plus the tip is a little bit curved, which I think helps as well.  I imagine that the higher-end blades have even more improved grab as well.  For me, only SUP surfing once or twice a month for an hour, the Abahub is a good solution.  My main point was that the smaller blade improves cadence and maneuverability, plus now my shoulders don't hurt.

I have been surfing for 49 years, started when I was 14. Women open doors for me, so yeah, I'm old.
- many different surfboards
- A couple different SUP boards
- one kayak

 


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