Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) Basics Beginners Guide
What’s SUP?It’s stand up paddle boarding, one of the world’s fastest-growing water sports. stand up paddle boarding is a cross between kayaking and surfing. It’s suitable for virtually any water environment, from open ocean, to quiet lakes and estuaries. Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) offers a fun way to play on the water, with the added benefit of a full-body workout. And, since you stand at full height on your board, it gives you a unique vantage point for viewing what’s down under the water and out on the horizon.
Before you head out on the water for the first time, it’s helpful to know a little bit about SUP gear and basic technique. To get started paddle boarding, you’ll want to learn:
How to get geared up to SUP; you’ll need your board, of course, plus just a couple other essentials.
Basic SUP paddling techniques; just a few skills will ensure you don’t end up paddling in circles.
A few helpful tips for your first SUP outing.
Video: HOW TO STAND UP PADDLE BOARD-SUP BASICS
Get Geared Up to SUP
Good News:You need just a few key pieces of equipment to enjoy stand up paddle boarding.
Stand up paddle board: Your first time or two out, you may want to rent gear or borrow from a friend. After that, if you decide you love to SUP and want to do more of it, consider buying your own. Paddle boards come in all shapes and sizes. The most common construction method is epoxy and fiberglass wrapped around an EPS foam core, with one or several fins to help the board track in the water. A stand up paddle board is much thicker than your average surfboard. Paddle boards typically range from 8 to 12 feet in length, 28 to 32 inches wide, and 4 to 5 inches thick. If you’re just starting out, the best thing to do is select a wider, longer and thicker board. This will offer the greatest stability to learn the paddle board basics on a flat body of water. As you gain experience, you can progress to a smaller board.
Paddle: Stand Up Paddles come in a variety of constructions including: plastic, aluminum, wood and carbon fiber. A SUP paddle looks a bit like a stretched-out canoe paddle with a tear-drop-shaped blade that angles forward for maximum paddling efficiency. The correct length paddle will reach up to your wrist when you stand the paddle up in front of you and raise your arm above your head.
PFD (personal floatation device) :If you use your stand up paddle board beyond the limits of a paddling , surfing, or recreational use, the U.S. Coast Guard requires you to have a USCG-approved life vest.
Safety whistle and light: The Coast Guard also requires that you carry a safety whistle to warn other boaters. If you expect to be out after sunset, be sure to have a light on board.
Proper clothing: During the summer months on a warm body of water, most people choose to wear some combination of a swimsuit, board shorts, and a short- or long-sleeved rash guard for sun protection. For cool conditions where hypothermia is a concern, wear a wetsuit or dry suit.
Leash :A SUP leash keeps your paddle board attached to you with a Velcro strap around your ankle (or calf). Leashes come in a variety of sizes, and the general rule is to use a leash around the same size or slightly smaller than your board. In the event of a fall, currents and winds can quickly sweep your paddle board away from you – and in the ocean, your board becomes a lethal weapon when carried with the force of an ocean wave. Always remember to use your leash!
Sun protection: Wear sunscreen, sunglasses and sun-protective clothing.
Basic SUP Paddling Techniques
With only a little instruction, most beginners are able to stand up and start paddling shortly after taking a SUP out for the very first time. To get you started, here are some tips on:
- Standing up
- Balance
- Falling and getting back on
How to Stand Up on your Paddle Board
Always start out in calm, flat water and keep in mind you could be falling! So unless you’re in the tropics, a wetsuit may be a good idea.
- Get the board out into in water so the fin is free from hitting the bottom
- Start out on your knees and take a few strokes on each side of the board
- Slowly, stand up with one foot at a time and stay in the middle of the board with your feet parallel to the stringer – about shoulder width apart
- Keep a slight bend in the knees and your core centered over the board
Staying Balanced on a SUP
Once you’re standing, there are a handful of things you can do to maintain your balance on the board:
- Position your feet so they are parallel, about hip-width distance apart, and centered between the edges of the board.
- Keep your toes pointed forward, knees slightly bent and your back straight.
- Keep your head and shoulders steady and upright, and shift your weight by moving your hips.
- Your gaze should be level at the horizon. Avoid staring at your feet.
Falling and Getting Back On
Despite your best efforts to stay balanced on your board, you’re going to fall in the water at some point. Even experienced paddlers take the plunge from time to time, so if you’re feeling a little wobbly, don’t worry about it and remember that SUP is a watersport, so it’s okay to get wet.
For those inevitable times when you lose your balance:
- Aim yourself to the side, so that you fall into the water and not onto the board. Falling onto the board is more likely to cause an injury.
- Try to hang onto your paddle while falling. If you get separated from it, retrieve your board first and get back on, then paddle with your hands to get the paddle.
- Position yourself next to your board and near the center.
- Grab the handle at the center of the board with one hand.
- Let your legs float up to the surface behind you, then kick your legs while pulling on the handle to slide yourself onto the board.
Basic Strokes: Forward Stoke
There are a few basic philosophies on paddle technique, but all revolve around using your paddle as a lever. Your top hand will be driving the lever and the bottom hand will act as the fulcrum point. So with that in mind, we provide the following strokes and tips:
- Keep your bottom arm straight and relatively still
- Pull your top arm toward your body to extend the paddle forward
- Rotate your top shoulder forward and extend your reach
- Insert the paddle into the water as far forward as possible and bury the paddle into the water
- Rather than pulling you paddle through the water, think about pulling past your paddle
- To stay in a straight line, take a few stokes on one side then switch to a few strokes on the other. Always remember to switch the position of your hands when your paddle changes sides
Basic Strokes: Turning with the Forward Sweep Stroke
- To turn left, place the paddle in the water on the right side. At the same time, turn your torso to the left side
- Keep a low stance and pull to the right, towards the tail with the paddle, while twisting and leaning to the left with your torso. You’ll feel the board shift to the left quickly
- Basic Stokes: Turning with the Reverse Sweep Stoke
- To turn right, place the paddle near the tail and pull toward the nose while shifting your torso to the right — this will spin your board’s nose to the right hand side — the more you bend your knees, the easier it will be to turn the board
Beginners Beware: Don’t make these common mistakes
- Always hold the paddle with one hand on the top of the handle and the other on the shaft — a lot of people always want to hold the paddle like a broomstick, with both hands on the shaft — don’t do it!
- Keep your feet parallel and spread shoulder width apart. Everyone wants to get in a surf stance, but that makes paddling on the flat water ten times harder. Plus, you will fall. Save your surf stance for the surf, and keep your feet parallel with toes pointed toward the nose.
- Make sure your grip on the paddle is shoulder width apart — short grips will give you a powerless stroke.
- Dip the blade fully into the water and take a long stroke, letting your large back muscles do the work. Many people put the full brunt of the stroke in the arms. Let your big back muscles do the brunt of the work.
Tips for Your First SUP Outing
Before you grab your board and head to the water for the first time, here are some simple tips for planning your SUP outing:
- Choose a small, calm body of water, like a lake or pond, that’s free of lots of obstacles like boats and buoys.
- Look for a sandy beach or another place you can wade into the water to easily launch your SUP.
- Choose a sunny day with little to no wind.
- If your route requires that you paddle into the wind, do so on your way out so you can get a boost from the wind on the way back when you’re getting tired.
- Go with a friend so you can keep an eye on each other.
- Plan to paddle for about one hour on your first outing.
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