Many people want to become better at paddle surfing and focus mostly on what they are doing on the wave. However, one of the best ways to become a better stand up paddle surfer is by improving your sup paddling technique.
This stand up paddle tutorial video focuses on the sup technique necessary to paddle with more rhythm. This video is a part of our SUP Technique 101 series that will help you become a better all around stand up paddle and therefore, a better sup surfer.
The act of stand up paddling is all about efficiency and technique. If you are paddling in jerky motions, without flow and rhythm, you will be using more energy than needed. Flowing, rhythmic stand up paddling will help you conserve energy, paddle more efficiently and therefore catch move waves!
During the course of a sup surf session, you will be paddling hundreds, maybe even thousands of times. If each of these strokes is not efficient, then you will fatigue faster, be more susceptible to injury, and paddle slower. This all translates to a shorter sup surf session with few waves surfed.
See! Stand up paddling technique can and will make you a better sup surfer! Watch this video, and our entire SUP Technique 101 series, to improve your stand up paddling technique and your sup surfing.
]]>Stand up paddle stroke technique is one of the most important aspects of being a well rounded sup surfer. Many sup surfers think that their improvement will come from what they actually do ON the wave.
This is not true!
95% of our paddle surfing guests would see the biggest improvement in their sup surfing by improving their fundamental stand up paddle stroke technique. It may come as a surprise to many sup surfers to realize this.
How do you get better at sup surfing? You learn, practice and repeat. If you are smart you’ll get professional coaching in addition to reading and watching videos.
Another key to sup surf improvement is to get into the surf and catch waves! Wave = reps of practice. Practice makes a better sup surfer.
However, if you’re not catching many waves, it’s hard to get reps to improve!
So…..you need to work on reading the waves and the technical skills to get to the right spot and paddle for the wave. Getting to the right spot and paddling hard enough is all about stand up paddle stroke technique!
Now you see where we’re going here? Back to the fundamentals. Improving your sup stroke technique will allow you to paddle faster and stronger to get to the right spot to catch the wave and to get reps to become a better sup surfer!
Now that you see why the fundamentals are so important, subscribe to our YouTube channel here and stay up-to-date on our sup stroke technique tutorial series under the ‘playlists’ and read the info on our blog.
If you really want to take your sup surfing to the next level, come down to Nosara for a week-long, all-inclusive sup surf trip! Contact us and we’ll be happy to host you.
]]>Many sup surfers think that the way to improve their stand up paddle surfing is by getting better at what they do ‘on the wave’. However, we have found that the most significant sup surfing improvement can come from what you do before you’re actually on the wave.
Stand up paddle techniques like refining your paddle stroke, turning fast and effectively and using your hips for power will make nearly all levels of paddle surfers better.
If you can catch waves in a better position then you’ll likely be on better waves to practice your actual sup surfing progression. You’ll also catch more waves! The way you can get to better waves is through paddling efficiently to catch the wave. The ability to paddle efficiently comes from good stand up paddle stroke technique.
One of the keys to good sup surfing stroke technique is engaging your hips for power.
Watch the video above to learn how to use your hips when stand up paddle surfing. Using your hips will allow you to produce more power, prevent injury and sup surf longer!
Who doesn’t want that?
]]>It’s not everyday that we get perfect glassy sup surf conditions at this spot. However, during a camp in April the tide, swell, and wind aligned for our paddle surfing guests.
As you can see from the video, this is a special sup surfing spot that offers a long right point break with no one else out. One of our favorite aspects of hosting sup surf camps is helping clients learn to sup surf, progress and score epic conditions with no one else in the water.
Our team is dedicated to teaching and reading the forecast to help ensure our clients get in the best sup surf conditions with little to no crowds.
We’d love to help you progress your sup surfing and enjoy conditions like those in the video above. This spot only looks like this about 5% of the time. When all the conditions line up, it’s epic!
]]>We had the pleasure of hosting world longboard champ and pro sup surfer, Colin McPhillips this past spring. Colin has been an inspirational sup surfer for us here at Blue Zone SUP. His positive attitude and laid back style make us stoked to surf with him every time he comes down.
Watch as Colin and coach Chase enjoy some typical spring sup surf conditions during one morning session in February. You can see the offshore winds are blowing making for some perfect paddle surfing waves.
Notice the longboard style that Colin shows in his approach to sup surfing. Longer, more drawn out lines are typical moves from Colin. The fact that he surfs a longer sup surf board at 9′ helps him to glide out to the shoulder and surf more out of the pocket. This got us thinking about sup surf board design a lot and our desire to try longer, thinner boards for the added glide and smoother feel.
]]>Paddling out through the surf on a sup surf board is one of the hardest parts of sup surfing. Paddling out becomes especially difficult when the waves get bigger.
Use the techniques in this video and listed below to learn how to paddle out by working smarter, not harder.
However, don’t be fooled! Paddling out on a sup surf board takes effort!
Many sup surfers can benefit from higher cardio endurance and simply being in better physical shape. While you should use the tips in this video, remember that no amount of paddling out strategy can compensate for being able to paddle hard at the right times.
Watch the video above to learn these key points:
Standing up on your sup surf board can be a unique challenge, especially as you move to increasingly smaller boards. This video breaks down how to most efficiently stand up on your paddle surf board regardless of it’s size. However, if you’re surfing a small sup surf board, you’ll find these techniques extremely valuable.
Check out the video above or read the outline below if you prefer to see things in writing.
Stay tuned for more tutorials on bracing and all things sup surfing. Send us a message to get set up with our all-inclusive sup surf retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica and we’ll get you progressing in paddle surfing with key insights as show in this tutorial. Happy paddling!
]]>Backside paddle surfing is often neglected by sup surfers at the beginning to intermediate stages of the learning process. However, if you can deliberately practice going backside early in the learning process, it will pay dividends further down the road.
Just think, you can double your wave count potential by sup surfing on your backside!
In the beginning it will feel extremely uncomfortable to sup surf on your backside. With a little persistence you’ll be confidently going backside in no time. Use the sup surfing tips in the video above and set yourself up for successful backside paddle surfing.
In this sup surfing tutorial video you’ll learn:
The J-stroke sup surf paddling technique is the single most useful paddling tool for a sup surfer. This technique will allow a sup surfer to paddle out more easily, catch waves in a better position and generally improve their sup surfing. Watch this sup surf tutorial to learn how to use what we believe is the #1 sup surf paddling technique tool.
All of the footage from our sup surf tutorial videos is taken from the breaks that we use during our Blue Zone SUP Surf Camps. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest paddle surf tutorials and contact us to reserve your spot in our next camp in Nosara, Costa Rica.
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