Standup - Is it easy?

[1chef1]

Aloha,

I found out about this site about 1 month ago, replied with questions about the basics.  Now I am the stoked owner of a used Jimmy lewis AA, 10'4".  I have watched this sport daily driving to Lahaina for years, thinking it looks pretty easy and what a great workout.  Went out the first time with a very experienced waterman, "Kimo",  I have been out of the game for a few years and just on the way to  recovery after surgery.  First time, way harder than it looked.  I loved it, thinking it was going to be way easier than surfing. Granted surfing now is part of me, but still weak.  Paddle boarding gives me a new hooked feeling only after a few hours. 

I cannot wait to go this Friday for my second round.. I know I will be paying the dues and being the green one in the water, whatever  to the people who question the stand up style, what a great new vibe to get into, not like I am going to be hanging in the lineup, just feelin it. I know I will totally get into to this quickly. The vibe in the water was cool, people knew you were green, lots of good laughs and praise.

So, from a rookies point of view, first time hard, but so cool.

50 and round two.

Aloha

John

[Rogue Wave]

Any good sport has challenges, otherwise it gets boring very quickly.

SUP has the perfect blend -- dead easy to learn in flat water, and incredibly difficult in the waves.

It's the perfect sport for everyone (maybe I'm a bit biased ha-ha).

Lee

[1tuberider]

Easy for a waterman.

I spent a week in the gorge and on none windy days I paddled.  Takes about 20 hours to get basic paddle skills.

Got home and directly into the surf zone.  As previously mentioned standing is a different perspective and figuring out how to position and turn around to catch waves takes a little time. 

Don't expect surfing skill overnight.  Skills may come a little quicker on the sup but your not going to be skillful as life long surfers.  They already know the surf zone and how to read and ride the waves. Until your skills keep you and others safe, I would stay out of crowded lineups. 

You still gotta pay your dues.

[Lobes]

I was actually a bit surprised at how easy I found SUP to learn. I only fell once in my first 2 paddles and that was after I had caught a wave and dint know how to get the 12' board off it 

I've got a strong watersports background but I'm a kook surfer and only above average wakeboarder. I attribute my speed at picking it up to my strong background in alpine skiing. I raced competitively for several years and am as at home on a pair of skis as I am anywhere. The first thing that struck me with SUP was the neutral stance is identical to parallel skiing. Using the same technique I used for edge control in skiing I could use to move the rails of my SUP. Likewise I could take pretty much any sort of chop by just bending zee knees. LoL

Working on surf stance and catching waves has taken me a bit longer but when I'm in the parallel stance I've never felt uncomfortable on any SUP from day 1. And that includes some dodgy old converted windsurfers too.

[WB_BB]

I had the same experience as most that have replied. I have surfed forever and do well in board sports in general, so I thought this would be a cake walk.

When I first took my SUP ( 10' C4) in the waterway it was pretty easy and I did not have much of a problem with it. I expected it to be the same in the ocean. Man was I wrong, it was a choppy that first day and I spent more time in the drink then prone surfing and I was frustrated. I felt like I was on a tight rope! I took it out the next day and it was a little calmer and I did much better but catching the waves was a little of a problem. In about 2 more sessions I got the catching waves thing much better but was doing little more than pointing and shooting to surf. I now am working to surf it better. It is different for me because I am always been on a short board so I have not had to walk the board so much to turn, carve etc.

Anyone have any suggestions on getting better with this?

[diesel]

I had the same experience as most that have replied. I have surfed forever and do well in board sports in general, so I thought this would be a cake walk.

When I first took my SUP ( 10' C4) in the waterway it was pretty easy and I did not have much of a problem with it. I expected it to be the same in the ocean. Man was I wrong, it was a choppy that first day and I spent more time in the drink then prone surfing and I was frustrated. I felt like I was on a tight rope! I took it out the next day and it was a little calmer and I did much better but catching the waves was a little of a problem. In about 2 more sessions I got the catching waves thing much better but was doing little more than pointing and shooting to surf. I now am working to surf it better. It is different for me because I am always been on a short board so I have not had to walk the board so much to turn, carve etc.

Anyone have any suggestions on getting better with this?

If you have only surfed shortboard then it takes some time to learn how to surf a big board.  It was even hard for me when I surf short and longboards.  These boards are really big.  The trick is to find the sweet spot on your board.  There is a spot right over the fins where your board will pivot if you put your weight on your back foot and lean into the turn with your back foot over this sweet spot.  You have to experiment and fall off a number of times to find the spot.  Maybe practice towards the end of the wave so you don't waste the wave.  As you get to the end of the wave try doing a full rail carve and see if the board will turn.  No worries if you fall off, then do it again the next wave until eventually the board the board will come around hardand you will pull the cutback then you get em.  That my 2 cents. 

[WB_BB]

I had the same experience as most that have replied. I have surfed forever and do well in board sports in general, so I thought this would be a cake walk.

When I first took my SUP ( 10' C4) in the waterway it was pretty easy and I did not have much of a problem with it. I expected it to be the same in the ocean. Man was I wrong, it was a choppy that first day and I spent more time in the drink then prone surfing and I was frustrated. I felt like I was on a tight rope! I took it out the next day and it was a little calmer and I did much better but catching the waves was a little of a problem. In about 2 more sessions I got the catching waves thing much better but was doing little more than pointing and shooting to surf. I now am working to surf it better. It is different for me because I am always been on a short board so I have not had to walk the board so much to turn, carve etc.

Anyone have any suggestions on getting better with this?

If you have only surfed shortboard then it takes some time to learn how to surf a big board.  It was even hard for me when I surf short and longboards.  These boards are really big.  The trick is to find the sweet spot on your board.  There is a spot right over the fins where your board will pivot if you put your weight on your back foot and lean into the turn with your back foot over this sweet spot.  You have to experiment and fall off a number of times to find the spot.  Maybe practice towards the end of the wave so you don't waste the wave.  As you get to the end of the wave try doing a full rail carve and see if the board will turn.  No worries if you fall off, then do it again the next wave until eventually the board the board will come around hardand you will pull the cutback then you get em.  That my 2 cents. 

Diesel,
I appreciate the info I will try it this weekend. ( if we can get any sort of a wave in)

[Blane Chambers]

When I started it was on a Munoz 12 footer which is narrow with a rolled bottom.    For me it was VERY HARD!    My feet were killing me, my balance horrible.    I sucked at it and honestly thought it wasn't for me.     

At the time on the North Shore no one was around doing it that I could watch or get tips from.   Bonga Perkins was the only guy I knew personally who did it and he gave me pointers but I never got to paddle with him or watch anyone till much later.     In the mean time I paddled in waves on my knees and stand up in the in Haleiwa flat water.    So yeah, it was really hard for me.

[PonoBill]

You couldn't pick a better guy to get you going than Kimo--great guy. say hi for me.

Aloha,

I found out about this site about 1 month ago, replied with questions about the basics.  Now I am the stoked owner of a used Jimmy lewis AA, 10'4".  I have watched this sport daily driving to Lahaina for years, thinking it looks pretty easy and what a great workout.  Went out the first time with a very experienced waterman, "Kimo",  I have been out of the game for a few years and just on the way to  recovery after surgery.  First time, way harder than it looked.  I loved it, thinking it was going to be way easier than surfing. Granted surfing now is part of me, but still weak.  Paddle boarding gives me a new hooked feeling only after a few hours. 

I cannot wait to go this Friday for my second round.. I know I will be paying the dues and being the green one in the water, whatever  to the people who question the stand up style, what a great new vibe to get into, not like I am going to be hanging in the lineup, just feelin it. I know I will totally get into to this quickly. The vibe in the water was cool, people knew you were green, lots of good laughs and praise.

So, from a rookies point of view, first time hard, but so cool.

50 and round two.

Aloha

John

[awe]

Just keep on paddling

[diesel]

When I started it was on a Munoz 12 footer which is narrow with a rolled bottom.    For me it was VERY HARD!    My feet were killing me, my balance horrible.    I sucked at it and honestly thought it wasn't for me.     

At the time on the North Shore no one was around doing it that I could watch or get tips from.   Bonga Perkins was the only guy I knew personally who did it and he gave me pointers but I never got to paddle with him or watch anyone till much later.     In the mean time I paddled in waves on my knees and stand up in the in Haleiwa flat water.    So yeah, it was really hard for me.

Blane,  I am curious about how long till all your muscles got acclimated to the sport where you were not hurting real bad?  For me, I have only been full on surfing the boards about six months but it is brutal.  It is the toughest sport on my body to date that I have gotten into.  I have been surfing all types of boards for 20 years, raced OC-1 for 5 years, high school football, volleyball, soccer, track.  I am more sore over my whole body from SUP than when I used to do full 2.5 hour racing runs from Makapuu to Ala Moana.  It is a trip how much workout you get surfing the SUP.  I love it and am pushing thru the pain.

[CHill]

Also started on the Munoz 12' and as Blane said it was very hard, would piss me off so much would put the paddle on the beach and just surf the board. When I finally got it figured out was able to jump on a board made to SUP and it was like standing on a sidewalk, would never get rid of the Munoz its a great board and it will keep you humble

Chris

[boardshorts]

It reminds me of learning how to snowboard; fall off a lot at first, but with a realtively shallow learning curve.  Then...bigger steps to get better.  I am still "pointing and shooting" on the wave as WW_BB and feel this is my next progression level.   Love this sport.

[outcast]

Started 2 months ago...200lbs on PSH 10'6" AA
Amazingly frustrated first 6 sessions, but then i didn't even try flat water, and used homemade paddle.  Trying to charge OH and just getting pounded over the falls in unusual ways didn't help.

Worst thing for me is that i was competitive cyclist, and my quads were way too tight to get the jiggle-hula thing going at first.....i've laid off the road riding, but I'm suprised that i haven't heard  much on this forum from cyclists... It's a real problem for that muscle group.     Suspect now that i have the feel, can ramp up the miles again, but that aspect was a huge shock, and painful cramps in our cold water.....

Going out with Water Kook didn't help!  he had head start, bigger board, lighter,
and better athlete.  Plus apparently very large epiglottis!

All that having been said, two months later, i just want something scary big

[Pierre]

after started windsurfing at 15
surfing at 18
I found SUP easy to start even at 43.
But if I was not a surfer and windsurfer before it may have been another story.