How to Improve your SUP surfing backside turns

5/ Keep in the pocket

For a good backside turn you need good speed which is best achieved by staying in the critical part of the wave.  Start your backside turn from the top of the wave right next to the whitewater and accelerate down the face always staying close to the whitewater.  This is particularly important on a slow wave where you may even surf  away from the direction the wave is breaking to maintain proximity to the whitewater.  If you don’t do this the turn becomes harder as you are turning on the shoulder of the wave which is less steep, making it much harder to generate speed. On the backside turn, speed is king, you need s much as possible

The bottom turn…

6/ Use your paddle to drive the bottom turn
In traditional surfing the upper body and head turning enables critical turns, in paddle boarding the paddle restricts the upper bodies movement slightly by locking the arms in a set position.  Therefore point the paddle to the where you want to drive the board to by twisting your upper body and pointing up to he peak of the wave.  It is also useful to use the paddle as a brace on the water to help your pivot around a point and create a faster, more critical turn.

7/ Commit to the rail
Using your paddle as a brace you can really commit your weight to the rail to drive the turn.  Keep a low wide stance to maximize control the large SUP rail.  If you feel out of control on the bottom turn your stance is most likely not wide enough.

The top turn…

8/ The paddle swing

At the top turn use your upper body and paddle to initiate the turn.  Aggressively swing your paddle and body back towards the whitewater stabbing the paddle in the wave near the tail of the board.  Time this to ensure that the board turns on the very top of the wave.  Too late and the wave will pass underneath you, too early and you will not throw buckets of spray like a pro.

PIC/ Get the time right to be fully turned as you hit the lip of the wave.

PIC/ Get the timing right and it will feel great!

9/ And repeat…
If you get all that right you should be positioned on the peak of the wave as where you started.  Keep your stance wide and low and repeat!

Use these tips to get into the pocket of the wave and throw your SUP around as much as a traditional surfboard.  As you get to grips with the techniques you begin to see the benefits using the paddle as a turning tool can bring.  Enjoy the journey!

Pictures by Sara Aghdami, Jan Sleigh and Will Rogers(GoPRO)