As SUP surfers, it is important to know how to use your paddle to advance your surfing ability. In this SUPboarder Pro video Beau Nixon breaks down paddle technique and how to improve your rotation during turns, generate more power and perfect your timing so you can efficiently and effectively use your paddle in the […]
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seanross
4 years ago
great video! Hope I can get wet again before summer slow waves are upon us…
Thanks Sean. Hope you were able to take away a few things to try. We are all dying to get wet… Hope to see you on the water when we can get back out there!
fuzvardo
4 years ago
Great instructional video , some great tips on paddle use and body position , I’m going to try and get more rotation into my body when backside surfing . I’m finding that when I cross my paddle at the top of the wave when backside riding it’s mostly out of the water but I guess I’m just not compressed enough to get the paddle into the water and pivot around it for re entry ? Many thanks
Hi! Thanks for the comment. It is very common not to have the paddle in the wave during your backside top turn, especially if you are riding a bigger board. It does depend on what type of waves you are riding – if you are riding faster waves, then your paddle doesn’t necessarily need to go in the water during top turns as you need to be able to generate speed quickly down the line. But if you’re surfing slower waves, you can really use this technique to get you back into the critical section of the wave again. You’re… Read more »
I’m going to try pulling on the bottom hand of the paddle and pushing more with the back foot. Would you say on a backside turn you would initiate the transition from bottom to re-entry about half way up the wave?
Hi. Thanks for the comments. Yes, I would agree – initiating your re-entry about half way up the way is a great place to start! That half way point up the wave is the time to start switching your paddle across your body, applying more pressure to your back foot to present the bottom of the board to the lip and rotating around to see where you want to land. It’s always good to have at least a little bit of speed coming into the turn as well to make for an easier transition from your bottom turn to re-entry.… Read more »
fuzvardo
4 years ago
Beau thanks for the previous tips , been trying more vertical frontside top turns but I need some help ; 1) on the bottom turn do you go across the wave at speed then really get low and lean into the wave while looki gin at the lip ? 2) is it 60% back foot and 40% front foot on the bottom turns in terms of weight distribution ? Many thanks for your help Beau 3) I’ve also noticed that some people slow down halfway down the wave then commit to the bottom turn and project themselves up to the… Read more »
Glad you’re looking to improve some more! Happy to help out. The bottom turn is one of the most important moves as it sets up your whole turn and the wave ahead. 1) You’re right in saying that you should be gaining speed before performing your bottom turn. Stay high and drop down the wave face when you’re ready to perform your bottom turn into re-entry. Sometimes though, you don’t want to be going too fast (see number 3)). Getting low can help in certain situations – eg. when the waves are bigger/faster for more control + when you want… Read more »
Cheers Beau I will try those things . When you say plant the paddle per the back of the wave on the top turn , at the moment I take a paddle stroke near the top and keep it in the water to lay back on , is that what you mean ? Also I forgot to ask about digging the paddle into the wave face when initiating my bottom turns . At the moment it is feathering the wave face , I’m wondering if I need to dig it into the wave more to pivot round the paddle to… Read more »
Hi Frazer, What I am referring to is when you are about 2/3 up the face of the wave about to perform you vertical re-entry, reach your paddle up and over the lip of the wave and plant in the back of the wave. A good example of this is at about 4:36 in the video above. You will see the reach and planting of the paddle in the back of the wave. Planting the paddle in the face of the wave would be for a carve or cutback turn. But to get more vertical, you need that paddle over… Read more »
Robin Konieczny
3 years ago
Great tutorial, keep em coming, are there any flat water exercises you can do to help the surf turns ?
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great video! Hope I can get wet again before summer slow waves are upon us…
Thanks Sean. Hope you were able to take away a few things to try. We are all dying to get wet… Hope to see you on the water when we can get back out there!
Great instructional video , some great tips on paddle use and body position , I’m going to try and get more rotation into my body when backside surfing . I’m finding that when I cross my paddle at the top of the wave when backside riding it’s mostly out of the water but I guess I’m just not compressed enough to get the paddle into the water and pivot around it for re entry ? Many thanks
Hi! Thanks for the comment. It is very common not to have the paddle in the wave during your backside top turn, especially if you are riding a bigger board. It does depend on what type of waves you are riding – if you are riding faster waves, then your paddle doesn’t necessarily need to go in the water during top turns as you need to be able to generate speed quickly down the line. But if you’re surfing slower waves, you can really use this technique to get you back into the critical section of the wave again. You’re… Read more »
Cheers Beau , I will let you know how I get on
Good tips.
I’m going to try pulling on the bottom hand of the paddle and pushing more with the back foot. Would you say on a backside turn you would initiate the transition from bottom to re-entry about half way up the wave?
Hi. Thanks for the comments. Yes, I would agree – initiating your re-entry about half way up the way is a great place to start! That half way point up the wave is the time to start switching your paddle across your body, applying more pressure to your back foot to present the bottom of the board to the lip and rotating around to see where you want to land. It’s always good to have at least a little bit of speed coming into the turn as well to make for an easier transition from your bottom turn to re-entry.… Read more »
Beau thanks for the previous tips , been trying more vertical frontside top turns but I need some help ; 1) on the bottom turn do you go across the wave at speed then really get low and lean into the wave while looki gin at the lip ? 2) is it 60% back foot and 40% front foot on the bottom turns in terms of weight distribution ? Many thanks for your help Beau 3) I’ve also noticed that some people slow down halfway down the wave then commit to the bottom turn and project themselves up to the… Read more »
Glad you’re looking to improve some more! Happy to help out. The bottom turn is one of the most important moves as it sets up your whole turn and the wave ahead. 1) You’re right in saying that you should be gaining speed before performing your bottom turn. Stay high and drop down the wave face when you’re ready to perform your bottom turn into re-entry. Sometimes though, you don’t want to be going too fast (see number 3)). Getting low can help in certain situations – eg. when the waves are bigger/faster for more control + when you want… Read more »
Cheers Beau I will try those things . When you say plant the paddle per the back of the wave on the top turn , at the moment I take a paddle stroke near the top and keep it in the water to lay back on , is that what you mean ? Also I forgot to ask about digging the paddle into the wave face when initiating my bottom turns . At the moment it is feathering the wave face , I’m wondering if I need to dig it into the wave more to pivot round the paddle to… Read more »
Hi Frazer, What I am referring to is when you are about 2/3 up the face of the wave about to perform you vertical re-entry, reach your paddle up and over the lip of the wave and plant in the back of the wave. A good example of this is at about 4:36 in the video above. You will see the reach and planting of the paddle in the back of the wave. Planting the paddle in the face of the wave would be for a carve or cutback turn. But to get more vertical, you need that paddle over… Read more »
Great tutorial, keep em coming, are there any flat water exercises you can do to help the surf turns ?
Hey Robin have you seen this video? https://supboardermag.com/2017/10/28/sup-surfing-skills-flat-water-video/ it may help. Thanks