SUP Mag UK lo-res free to readers July 2014 lo-res - free to read | Page 17

personally really like that split second
feeling when you realise that you have just
pushed it too far, lost your balance and are
going for an early bath.

a kayaker

After this initial session I was hooked and
headed straight back to the beach at the
earliest opportunity to have another go.
From here the descent into madness
happened and I was quickly the proud
owner of a second hand SUP board – cue the
endless jokes and taunting from my
kayaking friends.

Kayaking background
Coming from a kayaking background where
you float around in an armchair, standing
up on a SUP for the first time can be an
interesting (and often hilarious) experience.
Every ripple and every breath of wind will
have you waving your arms around
desperately trying to keep your balance
before usually plunging head first into the
drink – much to the enjoyment of onlookers
on the beach.

The rest of the summer was spent playing
around, exploring the Sussex coastline and
figuring out exactly how to use the paddle
to maximum effect. This may seem like a
silly thing to say but it is amazing how
much difference it can make having the
paddle blade at slightly the wrong angle.
There I was thinking that I was a seasoned
kayak paddler and so would have no
problem paddling and getting the board to
go where I wanted it to go – but how wrong I
was.

Once you get over these jitters though, it is
amazing how quickly progression comes
and how rewarding SUP paddling can be.
When you have found your balance, you
feel stronger with each stroke of the
paddle and your confidence on
the board increases. Of
course, the inevitable
falls do happen but
it’s all part of the
package and
just adds to
the fun
–I

17

s

t

a n d

u p

p a d d

Higher centre of gravity
Because you have a higher centre of gravity,
there is a lot more leverage transferred
vertically into the paddle as it touches the
water so you need to be a little more precise
with your paddle strokes than in a kayak.
Having the wrong blade angle as you
put power into your forward
stroke can cause the board
to move laterally and your
energy to not be used as
efficiently as it could be. In
addition to this, you should
also be aware of your foot
position and trim of the
board – and that’s
just the forward
stroke!

l

e

m a g

u k

There I was
thinking
that I was
a seasoned
kayak
paddler
and so
would have
no problem
paddling
and
getting the
board to go
where I
wanted it
to go but
how wrong
I was.