Improver SUP Touring
Ready to take your SUP touring further? Develop the skills, knowledge and equipment understanding needed for longer adventures. Follow each section to improve your preparation, make better equipment choices and understand how board design can improve efficiency and performance on the water.
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Section 1: Developing Your Touring Skills
Build the practical skills and knowledge needed for longer SUP adventures. Learn how to prepare, dress and pack for different conditions, look after your equipment and make safer, more confident decisions on the water.
Prepare for bigger SUP adventures with a practical look at the kit you’ll need for an overnight trip, helping you pack effectively without forgetting the essentials.
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SUP Touring & Exploring Overnight Kit and Packing Checklist
Prepare for bigger SUP adventures with a practical look at the kit you’ll need for an overnight trip, helping you pack effectively without forgetting the essentials.
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Will talks about what to wear on a SUP adventure paddling across Scotland on the Caledonian Canal. With sun, rain and colder temperatures having the right gear is key to having a safe...
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What to wear on a SUP adventure crossing Scotland
Will talks about what to wear on a SUP adventure paddling across Scotland on the Caledonian Canal. With sun, rain and colder temperatures having the right gear is key to having a safe...
More InfoDon’t let winter end your paddling season. Discover practical ways to keep getting on the water while choosing the right opportunities and adapting your sessions to colder conditions.
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Don’t stop paddling / Ideas to keep you paddleboarding this winter
Don’t let winter end your paddling season. Discover practical ways to keep getting on the water while choosing the right opportunities and adapting your sessions to colder conditions.
View VideoTouring can be hard on your equipment. Learn some simple ways to clean, dry and care for your paddling gear so it performs properly and lasts for longer.
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How To Care For Your Gear / Tips To Keep Your Winter Clothing & Equipment Lasting Longer
Touring can be hard on your equipment. Learn some simple ways to clean, dry and care for your paddling gear so it performs properly and lasts for longer.
View VideoWhen conditions keep getting in the way, staying motivated can be difficult. Explore ways to adapt your paddling plans, find achievable sessions and keep progressing when the weather isn’t cooperating.
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How To Stay Motivated When the Weather Is Against You
When conditions keep getting in the way, staying motivated can be difficult. Explore ways to adapt your paddling plans, find achievable sessions and keep progressing when the weather isn’t cooperating.
View VideoA small practical skill that makes packing away much easier. Learn how to correctly roll an inflatable SUP fitted with a US fin box without making the board unnecessarily bulky.
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Tips on rolling up an iSUP with a US fin box / How to video
A small practical skill that makes packing away much easier. Learn how to correctly roll an inflatable SUP fitted with a US fin box without making the board unnecessarily bulky.
View VideoQuick-release systems are particularly important when touring on moving water. Understand the different options available, how they work and why practising your release system should be part of your preparation.
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A Guide to Quick Release Belts and Leashes
Quick-release systems are particularly important when touring on moving water. Understand the different options available, how they work and why practising your release system should be part of your preparation.
View VideoSection 2: Touring Board Design & Performance
Understand what makes one touring board feel different from another. Explore how nose shape, rocker, length, width and other design features influence speed, stability, efficiency and handling on longer paddles.
Start at the front of the board and explore how different nose-bottom shapes interact with the water, helping you understand which designs work best for different paddling conditions.
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Which SUP nose bottom shape is best for you? Reuben explains all
Start at the front of the board and explore how different nose-bottom shapes interact with the water, helping you understand which designs work best for different paddling conditions.
View VideoTake your understanding of the nose further by exploring different iSUP profiles and rocker lines, and how these design choices influence glide, handling and performance in different conditions.
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iSUP Nose Profile & Rocker Line Explained
Take your understanding of the nose further by exploring different iSUP profiles and rocker lines, and how these design choices influence glide, handling and performance in different conditions.
Preview VideoBoard length affects far more than just how much space your SUP takes up. Compare 12'6" and 14' boards and understand what each length can offer a touring paddler.
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12'6 or 14? / Which one is best for you?
Board length affects far more than just how much space your SUP takes up. Compare 12'6" and 14' boards and understand what each length can offer a touring paddler.
Preview VideoGo deeper into board length and discover the science behind why longer boards can be faster, helping you understand the relationship between waterline length, speed and paddling efficiency.
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Why are longer boards faster? / SUP Tech talk
Go deeper into board length and discover the science behind why longer boards can be faster, helping you understand the relationship between waterline length, speed and paddling efficiency.
Preview VideoMove to the back of the board and explore tail runners and edge-release features. Learn why they’re used on some iSUPs and how they can influence water release and performance.
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We talk about tail runners / edge releases on your iSUP / What do they do & why?
Move to the back of the board and explore tail runners and edge-release features. Learn why they’re used on some iSUPs and how they can influence water release and performance.
Preview VideoTake a broader look at touring SUP design as Reuben and Will discuss what works, what doesn’t and where they believe brands could improve the next generation of touring boards.
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Touring board design & whats going wrong?
Take a broader look at touring SUP design as Reuben and Will discuss what works, what doesn’t and where they believe brands could improve the next generation of touring boards.
Preview VideoBring the design knowledge together and consider what really matters when choosing a touring SUP, from your intended adventures and ability to the board characteristics and equipment you’ll need.
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Things to consider when selecting your touring SUP / Pro video
Bring the design knowledge together and consider what really matters when choosing a touring SUP, from your intended adventures and ability to the board characteristics and equipment you’ll need.
Preview VideoWidth has a major influence on both stability and efficiency. Learn how to balance the two and choose a board width that suits your ability, ambitions and the distances you want to paddle.
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Want to paddle further or faster? / Choosing the best board width for you
Width has a major influence on both stability and efficiency. Learn how to balance the two and choose a board width that suits your ability, ambitions and the distances you want to paddle.
Preview VideoExplore whether adding a rigid nose to an inflatable SUP really improves performance, and understand what this design feature can — and can’t — change about the way an iSUP paddles.
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Hard Nose cones on iSUP’s… Do they work? Jonny tells all / SUPboarder Pro
Explore whether adding a rigid nose to an inflatable SUP really improves performance, and understand what this design feature can — and can’t — change about the way an iSUP paddles.
Preview VideoSECTION 3: FINE-TUNING YOUR TOURING PERFORMANCE
Now take your equipment understanding further. Explore how fins and more advanced board-design features affect tracking, control and efficiency, helping you recognise the smaller details that can make a difference on longer paddles.
Better performance isn’t always about buying faster equipment. Explore the compromises involved in board choice, conditions, ability and gear, and learn how making smarter decisions can improve your paddling.
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Considerations and compromises to become a better SUPer
Better performance isn’t always about buying faster equipment. Explore the compromises involved in board choice, conditions, ability and gear, and learn how making smarter decisions can improve your paddling.
Preview VideoStart exploring one of the easiest ways to tune your SUP. See how changing your fin can affect tracking and speed, and why fin choice can make a noticeable difference on the water.
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Fins Do Make A Difference #1 / Tracking and Speed
Start exploring one of the easiest ways to tune your SUP. See how changing your fin can affect tracking and speed, and why fin choice can make a noticeable difference on the water.
Preview VideoGo smaller and discover how fin size interacts with your paddle technique. Learn why less fin can offer advantages, but may also demand greater control and accuracy from the paddler.
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Fins Do Make A Difference #2 / Small Fins & Paddle Technique
Go smaller and discover how fin size interacts with your paddle technique. Learn why less fin can offer advantages, but may also demand greater control and accuracy from the paddler.
Preview VideoThere isn’t one perfect fin for every session. Explore how different fin choices suit different water conditions and understand why experienced paddlers may change their setup depending on where they paddle.
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Fins Do Make A Difference #4 / SUP Fins For Different Conditions
There isn’t one perfect fin for every session. Explore how different fin choices suit different water conditions and understand why experienced paddlers may change their setup depending on where they paddle.
Preview VideoBuild a clearer understanding of rocker and how the curve of a board influences its behaviour. Learn why different rocker lines suit different conditions and styles of paddling.
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SUP rocker-lines explained
Build a clearer understanding of rocker and how the curve of a board influences its behaviour. Learn why different rocker lines suit different conditions and styles of paddling.
More InfoGo beneath the board to explore the different bottom shapes used in SUP design and understand how subtle changes can affect stability, glide, handling and efficiency.
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SUP Shapes Explained / SUP bottom shapes
Go beneath the board to explore the different bottom shapes used in SUP design and understand how subtle changes can affect stability, glide, handling and efficiency.
Preview VideoMove to the rails and discover how their shape affects the way a SUP interacts with the water, helping you better understand board control and performance.
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SUP SHAPES EXPLAINED / SUP RAIL SHAPES
Move to the rails and discover how their shape affects the way a SUP interacts with the water, helping you better understand board control and performance.
Preview VideoFinish by exploring different tail shapes and how they influence water release, stability and manoeuvrability, completing your deeper understanding of how SUP design affects performance.
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SUP Shapes Explained / SUP tail shapes
Finish by exploring different tail shapes and how they influence water release, stability and manoeuvrability, completing your deeper understanding of how SUP design affects performance.
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