MINIMIZING RESISTANCE

The first step to improving your paddling is to remove all forms of resistance from your technique.

Any unnecessary drag will slow you down, and zap your energy.

Let's jump in and cover all of the ways to minimise resistance when paddling.

THE ANGLE OF YOUR BOARD

Quick analogy for you.

If you were in a swimming pool and were asked to push your surfboard as far as possible, you'd firmly push the board, and it would glide over the surface.

And it's this same gliding motion that we want to emulate when paddling.

And that first starts with the angle of your board.

Too far forward, and your board will nosedive as you catch the wave. Too far backward and you'll create massive resistance just like the wake of a boat beneath your board as you paddle.

The angle your board should be at is level to the water surface as much as possible. In surfing we call this the 'Sweet Spot'.

The sweet spot will vary from board to board, and will depend on your size and weight. So when you next hop on your board be sure to find that sweet spot before you start to paddle.

LEG DRAG

Another common mistake a lot of people make is the old leg drag. This happens when you let your legs drag on either side of your board when you paddle.

Doing this will slow you down considerably.

BOARD WOBBLE

As you paddle, the tendency can be to shift your weight from side to side.

This side to side movement causes your board to wobble, creating unnecessary drag.

Try to keep your board as still as possible when paddling at all times.

SIDE TO SIDE

A common mistake that people make when paddling is allowing their board to move from side to side.

This side to side motion creates unnecessary resistance, slowing you down as a result.

WRAPPING IT UP

As you can see there are a fair few things that could be holding you back when you paddle, causing drag and zapping your energy as a result.

If you find yourself doing any of the above, work to eradicate them from your paddling as soon as possible.

MINIMIZE RESISTANCE

YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN TO ACCESS THIS COURSE

BEGINNER

THE START OF SOMETHING NEW...

GOTTA HAVE POP!

SPEED

TURNING

THE SUBTLE ART OF NEGOTIATING WAVES

PADDLING

BOARD DISMOUNT

BOARD MANAGEMENT

CATCHING WHITEWATER WAVES

NEXT STEPS...