Hi Julie, apologies for the very long delay responding, somehow we missed your question. Paddle height is a very complicated one, because there are so many variables at play. Board thickness and board width both play a part, as does the actual style of the paddle itself. Small/short bladed paddles need less length than long-bladed paddles. For the full story on paddle height check out our article at www.supboardguide.com/how-to-choose-a-sup-paddle/
Retired in Thailand, put my kayak to the side and just bought a paddle board. This video is absolutely professionalism at its best. An amazing tutorial in perfect confidence. Thankyou sir.
Great question! It's because the board is essentially pivoting around the fins (or in actual fact, a point somewhere between you and the fins, which is the centre of lateral resistance). It takes much less force to move the nose with the paddle at the front, but you don't actually get so much movement. When you push out at the tail you're getting much more pivot out of the turn, so it takes more force but gets more results. It's actually harder to explain than it is to do. As soon as you try it you'll feel the difference and understand.
Is it possible to enjoy this sport if it’s difficult to put much weight on your knees? I’m a senior citizen and in pretty good shape, but my knees aren’t what they used to be.
@jedison3414 great question. Short answer, yes. Get a board with plenty of width so that can stand up easily and quickly, and you actually need to spend very minimal time on your knees.
Hehe, well spotted! This is why it's always better to actually have an instructor on the water with you. Trying to shout directions from a hundred metres away (the camera very much foreshortens the distance) is never the best way, as important little details like this just aren't visible. (Until you view the footage afterwards, anyway...☺).
Hi Denise, apologies for the delay responding, somehow we missed your question. Paddle height is a very complicated one, because there are so many variables at play. Board thickness and board width both play a part, as does the actual style of the paddle itself. Small/short bladed paddles need less length than long-bladed paddles. For the full story on paddle height check out our article at www.supboardguide.com/how-to-choose-a-sup-paddle/
Do you mean, why do we use it with the blade angled forward, rather than back? The answer to this is because then the paddle blade is at a positive or neutral angle for most of the stroke, whereas if you have the blade angled back, it's at a negative angle for most of the stroke. Check out our video on how to improve your paddle technique for more explanation of this
@riceathome9072 because if a person can't do it on the land, they will never get it on the water. The land-based section of teaching someone to paddleboard is hugely valuable. It allows the person to find their way through the process, and gives them the best possible opportunity to actually process and understand what the instructor is telling them, via all the various different learning process (as per the VARK model; people learn by watching, by hearing about it, and by doing it), and just as importantly, it allows the instructor to learn about the student. How their body works, how mobile they are, what problems they are likely to encounter. Taking people straight onto the water and then trying to tell them what to do is vastly less efficient - and a whole lot less safe.
I’m wondering how someone would get back on if they fell off while in deep water. Would be interesting to see. Does it take more than an average level of fitness to pull yourself back on?
Very good question. For a normal sized, normal fitness person, it's not a problem. You grab the handle in the middle, kick your feet high, and just pull yourself onto the board. However, for a larger person, and/or on a thicker (6") board, and/or with a buoyancy aid, it can get progressively harder. To the point where some people do find it hard, sometimes even impossible. There are various devices and tricks to facilitate getting back on, but the best advice is simply to experiment in shallow water first. If you can scramble on OK in chest deep water, then great, now try it without touching the bottom. But if you can't get on in chest deep water, then you really should't paddle any deeper until you've sorted this out.
Hold your breath for a few seconds with your face down in the water such that your body floats parallel to the paddleboard. Then slowly move both your feet over the paddleboard and climb on to it.
Firstly, it's important to understand that your balance and ability to deal with sideways waves will get better over time and practice. However, concentrating on keeping your head up, so you're not looking down, and most importantly of all, keeping paddling, will make a huge difference. You get a major amount of stability from your paddling - when your paddle is in the water during the power phase of the stroke, it is effectively acting as a third point of contact, helping you stabilise and balance. The size of your board will also have some impact on this; if you're on too narrow a board then side chop is much harder to deal with. But as said, practice is the best thing, while keeping your head up and maintaining your paddling. Hope this helps, best of luck!
I've haven't SUP'd yet, but I suspect that if you simply told them to look where they want to go when paddling and "focus on the horizon" when standing up, things will become a lot more intuitive. Also, just as when kayaking, you want to pull yourself to your paddle, not pull the paddle back.
SUP Question Of The Day - What is something you wished you knew your first-time paddle boarding? Let us know in the comments below! 👇👇
Loved your instructional video, can you tell me how long to make the handle? My hubby is 6'2" and Im 5'2"
Hi Julie, apologies for the very long delay responding, somehow we missed your question.
Paddle height is a very complicated one, because there are so many variables at play. Board thickness and board width both play a part, as does the actual style of the paddle itself. Small/short bladed paddles need less length than long-bladed paddles. For the full story on paddle height check out our article at www.supboardguide.com/how-to-choose-a-sup-paddle/
Retired in Thailand, put my kayak to the side and just bought a paddle board. This video is absolutely professionalism at its best. An amazing tutorial in perfect confidence. Thankyou sir.
Very helpful tips! The "duck stance" was always my issue.
I just bought a blackfin xl… great to see it in this tutorial.
Great tips, thx. Def going to try the drill
Great 👍 job, thanks!
Excellent, very helpful. Nicely explained.
Not to paddle with the spoon side
Why is the turn initiated at the tail tighter than of you would push the paddle out at the front?
At 7:50
Great question! It's because the board is essentially pivoting around the fins (or in actual fact, a point somewhere between you and the fins, which is the centre of lateral resistance). It takes much less force to move the nose with the paddle at the front, but you don't actually get so much movement. When you push out at the tail you're getting much more pivot out of the turn, so it takes more force but gets more results. It's actually harder to explain than it is to do. As soon as you try it you'll feel the difference and understand.
Is it possible to enjoy this sport if it’s difficult to put much weight on your knees? I’m a senior citizen and in pretty good shape, but my knees aren’t what they used to be.
@jedison3414 great question. Short answer, yes. Get a board with plenty of width so that can stand up easily and quickly, and you actually need to spend very minimal time on your knees.
I tried standing up while bracing on the pier. When I added my last leg, I fell backward into the water 😢.
Her leash is caught under the tail fins. Everything else was grand 👍
Hehe, well spotted! This is why it's always better to actually have an instructor on the water with you. Trying to shout directions from a hundred metres away (the camera very much foreshortens the distance) is never the best way, as important little details like this just aren't visible. (Until you view the footage afterwards, anyway...☺).
Is there a left-handed paddle or same as right as you paddle on both sides of board?
Hi Karen. The paddle is symmetrical in profile so it works equally well on either side of the board.
How long does my paddle need to be
Hi Denise, apologies for the delay responding, somehow we missed your question.
Paddle height is a very complicated one, because there are so many variables at play. Board thickness and board width both play a part, as does the actual style of the paddle itself. Small/short bladed paddles need less length than long-bladed paddles. For the full story on paddle height check out our article at www.supboardguide.com/how-to-choose-a-sup-paddle/
Why do you use the paddle that way
Do you mean, why do we use it with the blade angled forward, rather than back? The answer to this is because then the paddle blade is at a positive or neutral angle for most of the stroke, whereas if you have the blade angled back, it's at a negative angle for most of the stroke. Check out our video on how to improve your paddle technique for more explanation of this
Teaching on land is not intuitive, why not teach on the water?
@riceathome9072 because if a person can't do it on the land, they will never get it on the water. The land-based section of teaching someone to paddleboard is hugely valuable. It allows the person to find their way through the process, and gives them the best possible opportunity to actually process and understand what the instructor is telling them, via all the various different learning process (as per the VARK model; people learn by watching, by hearing about it, and by doing it), and just as importantly, it allows the instructor to learn about the student. How their body works, how mobile they are, what problems they are likely to encounter. Taking people straight onto the water and then trying to tell them what to do is vastly less efficient - and a whole lot less safe.
Great video on an intro to SUP class and very thorough. 🤙
I'd say, what you missed teaching, was getting back on the board in deep water.
Excellent instruction. Thank you!
I’m wondering how someone would get back on if they fell off while in deep water. Would be interesting to see. Does it take more than an average level of fitness to pull yourself back on?
Very good question. For a normal sized, normal fitness person, it's not a problem. You grab the handle in the middle, kick your feet high, and just pull yourself onto the board. However, for a larger person, and/or on a thicker (6") board, and/or with a buoyancy aid, it can get progressively harder. To the point where some people do find it hard, sometimes even impossible. There are various devices and tricks to facilitate getting back on, but the best advice is simply to experiment in shallow water first. If you can scramble on OK in chest deep water, then great, now try it without touching the bottom. But if you can't get on in chest deep water, then you really should't paddle any deeper until you've sorted this out.
Hold your breath for a few seconds with your face down in the water such that your body floats parallel to the paddleboard. Then slowly move both your feet over the paddleboard and climb on to it.
@@billdawes123Very wise advice. Appreciate this!
I saw another video where the boarder pulled themself up from the back of the board and worked themself up
Brilliant
How to counteract the impact of sideways waves. thanks for any tips you may suggest
Firstly, it's important to understand that your balance and ability to deal with sideways waves will get better over time and practice. However, concentrating on keeping your head up, so you're not looking down, and most importantly of all, keeping paddling, will make a huge difference. You get a major amount of stability from your paddling - when your paddle is in the water during the power phase of the stroke, it is effectively acting as a third point of contact, helping you stabilise and balance.
The size of your board will also have some impact on this; if you're on too narrow a board then side chop is much harder to deal with. But as said, practice is the best thing, while keeping your head up and maintaining your paddling.
Hope this helps, best of luck!
Its fun to point out so many mistakes I did my first time after watching these.
Weren’t the students holding the paddles backwards in the video when they were on the water?
@GTLee9 No, their paddles are very much the correct way round. Think of the paddle like a spoon, and you're pulling ice cream out of the tub with it.
What a gentleman 🎉
.more videos!😊
I've haven't SUP'd yet, but I suspect that if you simply told them to look where they want to go when paddling and "focus on the horizon" when standing up, things will become a lot more intuitive. Also, just as when kayaking, you want to pull yourself to your paddle, not pull the paddle back.
🎉🎉🎉🎉thank you from lima,peru
The music woke my dog. It is about 10 times louder than the yapping.
He's a terrible instructor omg
YOU ARE A TERRIBLE PERSON. MUCH WORSE.
As a beginner, I thought his instructions were spot on.