Just curious to hear people’s opinions on stand up paddle surfing? I hear alot of positive’s & negative’s on the sport. Seems like a good idea if you enjoy surfing and paddling.
I had the lucky opportunity to try stand up paddle style with Brian K and Dave Parmenter last year in Japan. It was a real good work out, full body.
I think if you made it part of your training you would be faster and stronger. Its fun too, I will be including it in my training before next season for sure.
I do it almost daily in the surf. I also do downwind stuff…. I’m totally into it! Haha!! The negatives I’ve seen are guys that go out to a crowded spot and try to take over and get all the waves. That sucks. Now days we straighten guys out and try to “dominate” a spot just because they have the paddle power. When I surf I go early and when the crowd fills in I move on to another reef even if the waves are not as good…
I also build my own boards and boards for others who do it. I’m selective on who gets one because it will only make you more of what you are. The paddle advantage is so great if you are a nice person, you will become even nicer as you will have the ability to give more waves away. If you’re a wave hogging jerk, well…… I won’t make a board for you and the boys will probably come talk to you real soon….
Overall its a gnarly workout. Waaaay harder than it looks. I remember seeing guys doing it thinking it can’t be that hard but even on a huge stable board you get sore all over. I surf/paddle everyday even if no waves around and its a killer workout everytime… Haha! Now I’m building performance type SUP boards that are 10’-6” down to 9’. The materials and design concepts allow us to actually surf waves instead of just glide like you would on a huge “learning” board…. Off the tops, carving cutbacks, floaters, and even ride in the barrel in control…
I’m doing a standup paddle board comparison in Maui starting February 15th. Probably mostly at Kanaha—depending on the wind. I’m looking for testers that would be willing to devote at least one day, and preferably three. You don’t have to be an expert, in fact I’m looking for beginners, intermediate and advanced as well as longboard surfers who have never tried SUP or don’t do it often. If you can help, leave me a comment on the “Big SUP Board Comparison page of the Ponohouse blog: link
I’d also like to test standup paddles sooner or later, but I haven’t been able to come up with a methodology for comparing paddles. If anyone has ideas I’d expect it to be you folks.
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Bill Babcock www.ponohouse.com/ponoblog blog about living and playing in Maui www.allAluminumTour.com blog about racing my vintage car at all the classic race tracks in North America and the custom Airstream trailer I built to haul it.
The learning curve is fast if you follow a few good tips.
1) stay in the flat water till you feel more comfortable.
2) build up that core before going in the surf.
3) Practise moving the board around and simulate different situations, turns-kick turns etc.
4) Start in small clean conditions, away from others. Build on your skills and core strength before moving into more challenging conditions.
5) check out that DVD by C4 Waterman- great tips and tech.
6) donʻt forget number 1.
I’ve been SUPing (mainly flat and open water) for over a year now (coz there is no surf where we live at Hervey Bay within the protective waters created by Fraser Island.)
Seems to me that 2 things affect how tricky first time SUPers find the sport.
1. If you paddle outrigger canoes, you bring the know-how of what to do with a paddle to SUP. That staight away improves your propulsion in SUP, which improves your stability, which gives you confidence, which makes you think “wow…I’m loving this!”
2. If your first time out, you try a nice stable board with a flat flat deck, you’ll probably do really well. If you are given a convex decked big modified surfboard, as opposed to a purpose made SUP board, you’ll find it tricky. The rails will rock, and it will feel really tippy.
The last thing is just give it time. In the early stages, I reckon you can actually feel your brain making countless calibrations about where the ‘tipping point’ is…storing data for the next time, so that your ‘muscle memory’ is being honed all the time….Next thing you know, you go out on a really bumpy day and come back with dry hair and shorts!!
Be patient, and dont expect it to be all about speed and power first up. Relaaaax, keep your eyes to the horizon, engage those abs, let your legs work underneath you like inbuilt shock absorbers and enjoy!
What is a good starter board, not for surfing, but for learning with an eye for moving on to offshore paddling? What are these boards like and how do they handle on Hawaii Kai runs? Do you carve swells like a long board moving foward and back as needed, maintain a neutral stance looking for the long rides like an OC1, or paddle agressively like a surf-ski up and over, switching from one swell direction to another?
43 Posts
Well ,
I had the lucky opportunity to try stand up paddle style with Brian K and Dave Parmenter last year in Japan. It was a real good work out, full body.
I think if you made it part of your training you would be faster and stronger. Its fun too, I will be including it in my training before next season for sure.
Later
Koka
Wed, 07/19/2006 - 10:41pm
23 Posts
I do it almost daily in the surf. I also do downwind stuff…. I’m totally into it! Haha!! The negatives I’ve seen are guys that go out to a crowded spot and try to take over and get all the waves. That sucks. Now days we straighten guys out and try to “dominate” a spot just because they have the paddle power. When I surf I go early and when the crowd fills in I move on to another reef even if the waves are not as good…
I also build my own boards and boards for others who do it. I’m selective on who gets one because it will only make you more of what you are. The paddle advantage is so great if you are a nice person, you will become even nicer as you will have the ability to give more waves away. If you’re a wave hogging jerk, well…… I won’t make a board for you and the boys will probably come talk to you real soon….
Overall its a gnarly workout. Waaaay harder than it looks. I remember seeing guys doing it thinking it can’t be that hard but even on a huge stable board you get sore all over. I surf/paddle everyday even if no waves around and its a killer workout everytime… Haha! Now I’m building performance type SUP boards that are 10’-6” down to 9’. The materials and design concepts allow us to actually surf waves instead of just glide like you would on a huge “learning” board…. Off the tops, carving cutbacks, floaters, and even ride in the barrel in control…
Its soooo much fun!!! Just surf with Aloha….
Fish Make Da Finger Stink
Fri, 07/21/2006 - 1:13pm
10 Posts
I’m doing a standup paddle board comparison in Maui starting February 15th. Probably mostly at Kanaha—depending on the wind. I’m looking for testers that would be willing to devote at least one day, and preferably three. You don’t have to be an expert, in fact I’m looking for beginners, intermediate and advanced as well as longboard surfers who have never tried SUP or don’t do it often. If you can help, leave me a comment on the “Big SUP Board Comparison page of the Ponohouse blog: link
I’d also like to test standup paddles sooner or later, but I haven’t been able to come up with a methodology for comparing paddles. If anyone has ideas I’d expect it to be you folks.
Bill Babcock
www.ponohouse.com/ponoblog blog about living and playing in Maui
www.allAluminumTour.com blog about racing my vintage car at all the classic race tracks in North America and the custom Airstream trailer I built to haul it.
Mon, 11/12/2007 - 10:00am
51 Posts
Looks really interesting, but with a tough learning curve. I see people out there struggling with it.
Sat, 11/24/2007 - 9:44am
43 Posts
The learning curve is fast if you follow a few good tips.
1) stay in the flat water till you feel more comfortable.
2) build up that core before going in the surf.
3) Practise moving the board around and simulate different situations, turns-kick turns etc.
4) Start in small clean conditions, away from others. Build on your skills and core strength before moving into more challenging conditions.
5) check out that DVD by C4 Waterman- great tips and tech.
6) donʻt forget number 1.
regards,
Koka
Sat, 11/24/2007 - 1:43pm
7 Posts
I’ve been SUPing (mainly flat and open water) for over a year now (coz there is no surf where we live at Hervey Bay within the protective waters created by Fraser Island.)
Seems to me that 2 things affect how tricky first time SUPers find the sport.
1. If you paddle outrigger canoes, you bring the know-how of what to do with a paddle to SUP. That staight away improves your propulsion in SUP, which improves your stability, which gives you confidence, which makes you think “wow…I’m loving this!”
2. If your first time out, you try a nice stable board with a flat flat deck, you’ll probably do really well. If you are given a convex decked big modified surfboard, as opposed to a purpose made SUP board, you’ll find it tricky. The rails will rock, and it will feel really tippy.
The last thing is just give it time. In the early stages, I reckon you can actually feel your brain making countless calibrations about where the ‘tipping point’ is…storing data for the next time, so that your ‘muscle memory’ is being honed all the time….Next thing you know, you go out on a really bumpy day and come back with dry hair and shorts!!
Be patient, and dont expect it to be all about speed and power first up. Relaaaax, keep your eyes to the horizon, engage those abs, let your legs work underneath you like inbuilt shock absorbers and enjoy!
Sun, 11/25/2007 - 7:46pm
51 Posts
What is a good starter board, not for surfing, but for learning with an eye for moving on to offshore paddling? What are these boards like and how do they handle on Hawaii Kai runs? Do you carve swells like a long board moving foward and back as needed, maintain a neutral stance looking for the long rides like an OC1, or paddle agressively like a surf-ski up and over, switching from one swell direction to another?
Mon, 11/26/2007 - 8:47am