SUP Surfing How To: Getting Through the Surf
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Join the Blue Planet SUP Team for some technique tips on getting your paddle board out through the waves, unlike surfers who can duck-dive SUP paddlers need to use some different techniques to avoid getting stuck on the inside!
Some of the techniques covered in the video:
Ty explains how to pop the board over the wave while diving under it. Also covered: how to avoid waves by using the channel or rip, paddling hard to make it out through the surf before resting outside to avoid getting stuck in the impact zone.
Also: pointing the board straight into the whitewater, having enough forward momentum to get over the wave, getting into surf stance to pop the nose up over the wash, then leaning forward again and finding balance by using the paddle on the back of the wave. If you can’t make it out standing up, lay on the board with the paddle blade under the chest so you can use both hands to paddle and to hold onto the rails of the board when going through a wave. Fabrice advises against paddling on your knees as it’s hard to shift your weight and the board can be pushed backwards by the wave and slam into you. So, when starting out it’s good to start practicing these techniques in smaller waves and breaks with a clear channel before trying it in bigger surf. Be safe and have fun, Aloha!
