Never tried SUP but I'm seriously considering something like a Mana 10'6 for my 100kgs in the surf, and my wife to paddle in the river.
(opinions welcome...)
One thing I can't work out is what happens if you can't avoid a wave on your way out?
if theres no one behind me i'll try to paddle through it (but im on a 7'1 ) or just jump off, but if there is people behind me i like to sit on the board and pop over the wave!
Thanks Robdog I guess from that theres no magic technique either beat the break, try to stand up & bust thru, of if too big dive overboard & let your leggie take the strain. I imagine a 10'6 board gives your ankle quite a pull.
Never tried SUP but I'm seriously considering something like a Mana 10'6 for my 100kgs in the surf, and my wife to paddle in the river.
(opinions welcome...)
One thing I can't work out is what happens if you can't avoid a wave on your way out?
Discussed many times.
fair enough, I looked back 10 pages but I'll try the search button.
that is a great video to show different techniques, i find a mixture of timing, popping over the waves you can and prone paddling work pretty good, also helps if there is a bit of a rip or a hole, but yes you will cop a beating occasionally
Jarryd
The previous posts have covered just about everything except, turn and run. You can turn and prone in on the white water.
That usually leaves you on the inside at the end of the sets so you can turn around and paddle out in the lull before the next set.
Depending on the wave you can get to your feet and ride to the shoulder so you are better positioned for the paddle out.
Other than that, get a good leggy, take a deep breath, and go for the bottom.
The other thing is that paddling over white water is much easier than you would think. You will be amazed at how big a white wave you can paddle over once you get the hang of it. You get pounded much less than you expect. It is surfing so you still get pounded.
The previous posts have covered just about everything except, turn and run. You can turn and prone in on the white water.
That usually leaves you on the inside at the end of the sets so you can turn around and paddle out in the lull before the next set.
Depending on the wave you can get to your feet and ride to the shoulder so you are better positioned for the paddle out.
Other than that, get a good leggy, take a deep breath, and go for the bottom.
The other thing is that paddling over white water is much easier than you would think. You will be amazed at how big a white wave you can paddle over once you get the hang of it. You get pounded much less than you expect. It is surfing so you still get pounded.
That is the way i like , prone paddling as fast as you can before be pound by the soup, hold your board by hand as you used to do for duck diving with sb but give a upside stance to lift the nose of the SUP board then let the water flows along , keep stance as much as you can.
It's not always working but who succeed duck diving at first time on a sb
At least you may not be the first one to be surfing foot first
I am with Gorgo on this.
Standing up, it is much easier to understand the spot dynamics, rips, where the whitewater is strong or weak, incoming sets. And also, it is easy to make long detours to avoid being pounded altogether.
So you can avoid mst waves on your way out, or at least choose a place where the whitewater is quite weaker.
Otherwise, while being careful at first (it is easy to get injured going through the whitewater), it is a great technical challenge to learn how to punch through waves, both physically and mentally. Practice makes wonders...
If I need to duck dive I go home and get my short board because it will be better suited if I need to duck dive
Practise is the key to anything and the benefit of even just getting over 1 lot of white water in one go can mean the difference between making it out the back or getting cleaned up again. Every time you bail out or just fall off means another 20 seconds of getting back on your board, standing then paddling to gain forward momentum.
This fellas on the money:
That fella covers the basics 100% - if you look at some of the more recent videos you'll see the top guys kicking their board up over/into significant whitewaters which are impossible to go through proning or standing. The advantage of this technique is that your board 9 times out of 10 will end up fins down ready to mount. This significantly reduces the time it takes to pull board back to you, thus making much more progress possible before the next one hits you.
I've been using this technique for a while and you have to be confident that you go under at the right time - you can't leave it too late. I literally walk off the back of my board and drop in straight behind it. I wouldn't recommend it to a newbie as the chance of timing it wrong would be high. Also it's a good idea to brace your head when re-surfacing as the board is often right on top or next to you, as you come back up.
This fellas on the money:
That fella covers the basics 100% - if you look at some of the more recent videos you'll see the top guys kicking their board up over/into significant whitewaters which are impossible to go through proning or standing. The advantage of this technique is that your board 9 times out of 10 will end up fins down ready to mount. This significantly reduces the time it takes to pull board back to you, thus making much more progress possible before the next one hits you.
I've been using this technique for a while and you have to be confident that you go under at the right time - you can't leave it too late. I literally walk off the back of my board and drop in straight behind it. I wouldn't recommend it to a newbie as the chance of timing it wrong would be high. Also it's a good idea to brace your head when re-surfacing as the board is often right on top or next to you, as you come back up.
Mate could you explain this technique a bit more please. Cant say I have seen it done in the surf yet around my way on sups at least. Is there a vid of this technique?
Cheers
This looks perfect to me.If you notice his board is just below the water and he squats into the wave,
Pointy nose on the board [not the rider] would work with this approach of Kai Lenny as it will punch through the wave. The wave in the video is only small so he makes it look easy, mind you, he is a pretty decent/handy rider [!]. A rounded "mal" style nose would make it matters difficult as they'll try to lift over the whitewater. It all depends on wave size and type and whether its a beachbreak or point/peeling wave. Don't be too ashamed to bail if you have to, and only it is safe for those inshore you. And if you try belly board in on the white water, try and standup, because that paddle could cause some damage [to you] if you stay laying down on it.
The previous posts have covered just about everything except, turn and run. You can turn and prone in on the white water.
That usually leaves you on the inside at the end of the sets so you can turn around and paddle out in the lull before the next set.
Depending on the wave you can get to your feet and ride to the shoulder so you are better positioned for the paddle out.
Other than that, get a good leggy, take a deep breath, and go for the bottom.
The other thing is that paddling over white water is much easier than you would think. You will be amazed at how big a white wave you can paddle over once you get the hang of it. You get pounded much less than you expect. It is surfing so you still get pounded.
Gorgo, I'd like to cover one more aspect... so it's busy out there with you and other surfers between the shoreline, next minute as your paddling further out the first of a bomb set breaks 30m further out! Mindful of the golden rule NEVER DITCH YOUR BOARD! Yeah... easier said than done with a SUP!?
So it's time to test your 10mm super leggy to the max by diving deep (and ditch your board into the pack) just before the white water hits! Usually your board will cart you further by flailing inside... now your ready for the next few on the head and hopefully no one copped your board to the head
Alternatley... and calmly try slipping into the water, grab your leggy rail saver, point the nose to shore, take a deep breath, submerge yourself (deep as possible!) before or as the 2m+ wall of white water hits the tail, pull downwards with all your strength! As you do this, your effectively duck diving a SUP and you'll be amazed at how fast you and your board pop up the other side - ready for the next couple
I must confess that I only do this with an 8/0 x 28 x 110L Carbon and occasionally lose my grip, but I can assure you the carnage is far less than diving and ditching!
Maybe try it in a few smaller waves first and build your confidence slowly, then keep it in mind for those waves of consequence!?
NB - I once fractured two ribs trying to applying Kai Lenny's technique, but the white water was shoulder high and unfortunately I'm not Kai Lenny
Kai is a great study, but it's Kai, he's beyond normal, squat thru, or stand up and paddle over, no problem.
And yes he makes it, he takes a deep stroke just past the white water to level himself off and continue on his way.
If I need to duck dive I go home and get my short board because it will be better suited if I need to duck dive
Quitters never win and winners never quit
Alternatley... and calmly try slipping into the water, grab your leggy rail saver, point the nose to shore, take a deep breath, submerge yourself (deep as possible!) before or as the 2m+ wall of white water hits the tail, pull downwards with all your strength! As you do this, your effectively duck diving a SUP and you'll be amazed at how fast you and your board pop up the other side - ready for the next couple
... if you look at some of the more recent videos you'll see the top guys kicking their board up over/into significant whitewaters which are impossible to go through proning or standing. The advantage of this technique is that your board 9 times out of 10 will end up fins down ready to mount. This significantly reduces the time it takes to pull board back to you, thus making much more progress possible before the next one hits you.
I've been using this technique for a while and you have to be confident that you go under at the right time - you can't leave it too late. I literally walk off the back of my board and drop in straight behind it. I wouldn't recommend it to a newbie as the chance of timing it wrong would be high. Also it's a good idea to brace your head when re-surfacing as the board is often right on top or next to you, as you come back up.
2 interesting techniques, thanks fellas.
Alternatley... and calmly try slipping into the water, grab your leggy rail saver, point the nose to shore, take a deep breath, submerge yourself (deep as possible!) before or as the 2m+ wall of white water hits the tail, pull downwards with all your strength! As you do this, your effectively duck diving a SUP and you'll be amazed at how fast you and your board pop up the other side - ready for the next couple
... if you look at some of the more recent videos you'll see the top guys kicking their board up over/into significant whitewaters which are impossible to go through proning or standing. The advantage of this technique is that your board 9 times out of 10 will end up fins down ready to mount. This significantly reduces the time it takes to pull board back to you, thus making much more progress possible before the next one hits you.
I've been using this technique for a while and you have to be confident that you go under at the right time - you can't leave it too late. I literally walk off the back of my board and drop in straight behind it. I wouldn't recommend it to a newbie as the chance of timing it wrong would be high. Also it's a good idea to brace your head when re-surfacing as the board is often right on top or next to you, as you come back up.
2 interesting techniques, thanks fellas.
Yes indeed KiteBoyWave and i already involved the PeterP techniques : it's a deck attachement on the nose of my board . From this i hold the board from the nose when i get it by whitewaters .
I don't get my fingers and arm nor my head near the pointed fins. Waters flows better than fins against side wave and it's faster to mount the board at least for prone paddling.
Bring your kite from 10 o clock to 12 o clock, and , as the white water approaches shift your weight to the back foot. Straps or no straps, now there's an argument that rages on else where...
Seriously though, you'll only go out in small clean stuff first any way and just barge through. I sold all my kite gear a couple of years ago and bought one, a 10'2" by 32" JP and was 105kg at the time. It's still the only board I have and am now 88 - 90 kg. The 'ol SUP is not as much of as a rush as the kiting but it's "quietly addictive" and got me back into surfing again. Really loving those clean morning waves again!
Good luck.
This fellas on the money:
such simple advice but so helpful. I was watching thinking why is he approaching on the angle, but then he explains how you get that side stroke to paddle hard in the surf stance to get you up and over. That's why he one of the best!!