37
FIT FOR THE
WAVE
WORDS & PICS : DIRK HERPEL YOU WANT TO GO WITH YOUR SUP TO THE PLACE , WHERE OUR SPORT IS BORN ? LISTEN UP : PAULINA HERPEL , ACTING GERMAN CHAMPION ON THE WAVE , IS GOING TO TAKE YOU WITH HER ON THE SEA .
No matter where you catch your first wave , you will have the unique feeling of weightlessness and speed for the first time . After that first taste , you want to get more and more – so get out there !
However , as always , it looks a lot easier than it is . Sure , you already standing on the board when you ’ re paddling towards the wave . There is no difficult take off like surfers have to do but you have to learn everything else , like reading and noticing the swell , getting in the right position and paddling at the right moment .
A stiff all-rounder SUP board on flat water quickly gets shaky on the sea .
So , if possible , do not take a board that ’ s too short , for the first ride on a wave . It ’ s hard enough to read the waves in the line up – the zone where the waves break .