8
THE STATIC BRACE
SIMON NASH USES A
‘ READY ’ STANCE TO STAY BALANCED IN CHOPPY CONDITIONS
The Brace Stroke Without a doubt , the number one tool in your arsenal is the Brace Stroke . This stroke will save you time and time when out in rough water and is something you should practise until it becomes second nature . You can use two brace strokes , the Static and Dynamics strokes .
The Static Brace Based on a kayaking or canoe high brace , the static stroke is a way to offset your balance and centre of gravity by placing your paddle out to the side so you look like a tripod . This position will allow you to pull against the paddle to help stabilise the board and is a great way to brace over passing waves . The key here is to keep your top arm high and use your bottom hand to apply power when needed .
The Dynamic Brace As the name suggests , this brace is performed under movement , often during the recovery phase of your stroke . As you recover , the paddle blade remains low to the surface and often skims to provide a connection with the water . A little pressure with the lower hand will offer added stability and allow you to let the board move around whilst you stay upright . This is a great choice when paddling across the chop or waves or going through strong tidal movements ( main photo on previous page ).
With practice , you can easily switch between dynamics and static braces ; in some cases , combining both will keep you up and dry .
Stances Being comfortable with moving your feet and paddling in different stances will allow you to maximise the conditions by keeping your board in trim . I ’ ve covered the exact details on footwork and stances in previous articles , so head over to the SUP Mag UK or Haywood Sports websites to check these out .
To cover stances for building your rough water skills , you should practise using the Split , Ready and Open stances and use them in different locations on the board . These will help you handle the chop , paddling through swell or catching bumps . Over time intuition will help you react or even preempt what ’ s about to happen and which stance to use .
Staying upright One of the biggest misconceptions I see when paddlers take on rough water for the first time is thinking they must stay low to stay balanced . Whilst it ’ s true that a low , wide base offers you lots of static stability , rough water is very dynamic and so a different approach is needed . On rough water , staying upright will work better as it allows your hips and legs to stay loose and react to the board ’ s movements on an ever-changing water surface . The key here is to think about having your hips underneath you and keeping your legs loose . At first , you will try and fight the conditions , but it ’ s amazing what you can deal with by letting go and going with it .
As for paddling , the fundamentals work the same , so don ’ t try to do something different . Trust your instincts and paddle normally but in a more upright stance . If you watch a good open water paddler , you will see they look effortless and going with it is key to that .