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This video of Benni Kohl the young Starboard racer is one of the best examples of super fast cadence. It almost looks like the video has been sped up! Benni's increased paddling cadence pulls him away from the pack of paddlers off the beach, and out into the clean unchoppy waters, which sets him up for the rest of the race. The real art to faster cadence is knowing how to manage it, and understanding how long you can keep that cadence up for. This is where the more experienced racers can make their moves.
More about cadence
Some of the top questions we get asked about cadence are;
Well in simple terms it’s how fast your paddle goes in and out of the water. Some paddlers have a faster cadence (paddle stroke) and some paddlers have a slower cadence.
Your cadence is really set by a few things… your build/size, the paddle (blade) size that you are using and how fast you are moving across the water.
Generally…
- Larger paddlers will have a slower cadence due to them using bigger paddle blade sizes and having a more powerful stroke.
- Lighter paddlers will have a faster cadence due to them using smaller paddle blade sizes and having a less powerful stroke.
There is no wrong or right cadence, everyone is different. But always listen to your body. What feels best? And how do your shoulders feel when using different blade sizes and paddling with a faster and slower cadence? If unsure about your cadence it’s always best to use a smaller blade size and a slightly faster cadence, than putting more strain on your shoulders with a bigger more powerful blade.
Benni is using one of the Starboard Sprint boards - If you want to paddle fast this is the board
Look out for the video review of the 2020 Starboard Sprint on SUPboarder soon.