There’s no shame in lying down on your SUP if you really need to get out through the waves. This technique will mean you are in more control of your board and are able to navigate through the whitewater.
Nice tips here Beau – I will try this time next session, im normally getting the blade under my chest which limits me from trying this, but can look at changing my technique for sure! Tips from the top 😉
Awesome Will! Look forward to hearing how you get on with it. I have posted an image that hopefully gives you a better idea of how to prone paddle with the paddle under your shoulder.
seanross
4 years ago
I’ll give it a try (in small waves of course). I guess I’ve also never put the paddle under my arm before. Maybe add a screen grab of how that looks in the comments would be good, as I usually tuck it all the way underneath me.
Hi Sean! thanks for the comment and look forward to hearing how you go with it. I have added an image in the comments that hopefully gives you a good idea of how to prone paddle with your paddle under your shoulder. It does help moving the paddle up and down the board to find the most comfortable position. Please do let me know how you go!
Naturian
4 years ago
Do you guys ever lose the paddle after a wipeout? Do the paddles ever get lost? does it float away? : ) Another Great Video… Ps: What size Paddle do you use?
Hi Nic, thanks for comment and question. In short, yes sometimes we do lose the paddle – but not often. The more you SUP surf, the more comfortable you get with holding a paddle in the waves and wiping out with it too – it becomes natural. But at first, it is hard to hold the paddle during a wipeout as it feels so weird. It just something that always needs to be in your mind when you fall off. If you do lose it, 99% of the time it won’t go too far away from you and you’ll be… Read more »
Hi All, one of the readers has asked for a screen grab of how to prone paddle with your paddle under your your shoulder. I have attached an image here showing roughly how to do it, but it does depend on a few things. The blade of the paddle should be roughly in the middle of the board, or across to the opposite rail of where the paddle sits under your shoulder. The handle just rests in the water – not on the board – and your shoulder presses down slightly on top of the shaft to hold it in… Read more »
Kia ora, nice one, usually do the blade under chest with shaft sticking out front trick but that’s not conducive to popping over the whitewater. Have also tried the under shoulder technique but hit and miss, usually miss. These nuances and tips are great , will try again, maybe this arvo, nice little 1 ft swell down at the local….
Hope these tips do help you! Please let us know how you get on.
Jordan-na
4 years ago
That’s a neat technique! I will have to try it out. But wouldn’t it be easier to prone paddle towards the wave and then do a full body pushup just before the whitewater hits, just like the surfers do?
Yes! So long as the whitewater is small enough to push up over. That technique is usually reserved for smaller waves – just make sure you direct the nose of the board directly toward the whitewater or it will knock you off.
T457118
4 years ago
Awesome! This has not been covered by anyone or any other sup forum so thanks. I’ve tried to prone paddle out but tend to get wasted by even small whitewater. Didn’t know about the need to get so well forward on the nose, and never knew what to do with the paddle. Some great detail covered here, thanks Beau.
Glad we could help out. It really helps getting all of your weight forward or the wave just knocks you back.
Shawn
1 year ago
Does this work on larger surf (8’ faces+) with a lower volume board? The larger winter surf seems to be making it much more difficult to get out through the whitewater. And I just got a lot volume board that doesn’t seem to want to pop me over the top of the wash while on my knees.
Hi Shawn, great comment. There comes a limit on the size of the wave where it just gets too big for us to pop over it. I generally start to bail when the waves get overhead in height. Sometimes a 4-5ft face is possible to pop over, but if there is some power behind it – I’ll kick my board over the top of the wave like in this video: https://supboardermag.com/2016/01/19/how-to-sup-videos-surf-the-board-kick/ I’d say the waves you are trying to get over are just too big. On a lower volume board, it will sink into the turbulence a little more and… Read more »
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Nice tips here Beau – I will try this time next session, im normally getting the blade under my chest which limits me from trying this, but can look at changing my technique for sure! Tips from the top 😉
Awesome Will! Look forward to hearing how you get on with it. I have posted an image that hopefully gives you a better idea of how to prone paddle with the paddle under your shoulder.
I’ll give it a try (in small waves of course). I guess I’ve also never put the paddle under my arm before. Maybe add a screen grab of how that looks in the comments would be good, as I usually tuck it all the way underneath me.
Hey Sean
Yeah we will add that pic for sure. Give it a go 🙂
Hi Sean! thanks for the comment and look forward to hearing how you go with it. I have added an image in the comments that hopefully gives you a good idea of how to prone paddle with your paddle under your shoulder. It does help moving the paddle up and down the board to find the most comfortable position. Please do let me know how you go!
Do you guys ever lose the paddle after a wipeout? Do the paddles ever get lost?
does it float away? : ) Another Great Video… Ps: What size Paddle do you use?
Hi Nic, thanks for comment and question. In short, yes sometimes we do lose the paddle – but not often. The more you SUP surf, the more comfortable you get with holding a paddle in the waves and wiping out with it too – it becomes natural. But at first, it is hard to hold the paddle during a wipeout as it feels so weird. It just something that always needs to be in your mind when you fall off. If you do lose it, 99% of the time it won’t go too far away from you and you’ll be… Read more »
Hi All, one of the readers has asked for a screen grab of how to prone paddle with your paddle under your your shoulder. I have attached an image here showing roughly how to do it, but it does depend on a few things. The blade of the paddle should be roughly in the middle of the board, or across to the opposite rail of where the paddle sits under your shoulder. The handle just rests in the water – not on the board – and your shoulder presses down slightly on top of the shaft to hold it in… Read more »
Kia ora, nice one, usually do the blade under chest with shaft sticking out front trick but that’s not conducive to popping over the whitewater. Have also tried the under shoulder technique but hit and miss, usually miss. These nuances and tips are great , will try again, maybe this arvo, nice little 1 ft swell down at the local….
Hope these tips do help you! Please let us know how you get on.
That’s a neat technique! I will have to try it out. But wouldn’t it be easier to prone paddle towards the wave and then do a full body pushup just before the whitewater hits, just like the surfers do?
Yes! So long as the whitewater is small enough to push up over. That technique is usually reserved for smaller waves – just make sure you direct the nose of the board directly toward the whitewater or it will knock you off.
Awesome! This has not been covered by anyone or any other sup forum so thanks. I’ve tried to prone paddle out but tend to get wasted by even small whitewater. Didn’t know about the need to get so well forward on the nose, and never knew what to do with the paddle. Some great detail covered here, thanks Beau.
Glad we could help out. It really helps getting all of your weight forward or the wave just knocks you back.
Does this work on larger surf (8’ faces+) with a lower volume board? The larger winter surf seems to be making it much more difficult to get out through the whitewater. And I just got a lot volume board that doesn’t seem to want to pop me over the top of the wash while on my knees.
Oops.. meant to say it’s a *low* volume board so it doesn’t seem to pop over wash
Hi Shawn, great comment. There comes a limit on the size of the wave where it just gets too big for us to pop over it. I generally start to bail when the waves get overhead in height. Sometimes a 4-5ft face is possible to pop over, but if there is some power behind it – I’ll kick my board over the top of the wave like in this video: https://supboardermag.com/2016/01/19/how-to-sup-videos-surf-the-board-kick/ I’d say the waves you are trying to get over are just too big. On a lower volume board, it will sink into the turbulence a little more and… Read more »
Ok, great, thanks!!