“ If you can , take the opportunity to try or hire different kit options , as it will help you understand what ’ s possible and what your limitations might be on your kit .”
Padding with the swell or downwind
Similarly , if you ’ re going with the swell or bumps , you want to be paddling in the trough or just as the following wave catches you . You will feel the back of your board lifted slightly ; this is the perfect time to apply power . With luck , you may even start to ride that bump . If it passes you , be ready to brace as it flows underneath you and avoid paddling uphill into the back of a wave . This will cause the nose to bury and put you in an unstable position .
Let the nose bury
This technique is counterintuitive , and much like the other skills we have looked at , understanding when to let this happen will become instinctive over time . Most boards have lots of volume in the nose , either through a specific shape in hardboards or general width with iSUPs . As you ’ re paddling along , especially downwind , the nose might dip underwater with the first foot or so covered . If you ’ re trimming your board correctly , your board ’ s design will keep it stable , and in time , the nose will pop back out again . You just have to manage your position and allow it to happen .
Leaning back
Before running to the back of your board , try leaning slightly back first , shifting your centre of gravity towards the board ’ s tail while keeping you stable . The key here is to feel like you ’ re still putting pressure through your toes and your legs and knees are forwards whilst your upper body leans back through arching your back .
Small steps
Smaller , quicker steps will give you better control if you need to move back as the wave gets steeper or you feel the board ’ s nose want to dive and stall your momentum . That is all about keeping your board in trim , so practice moving your feet quickly but in small steps in what I call remaining in your box . This means you can only stand in a small square around your body , so imagine standing in a small box where you cannot move your feet outside . If you want to move back or forward , you can only take small steps to keep yourself stable .
A note on kit choices
There is a whole word out there of specially designed open water boards , fins and paddle choices to help you deal with rough conditions . That said , your day-to-day kit is more capable than you might think , with some skill and time to learn how they deal with different conditions . If you can , take the opportunity to try or hire different kit options , as it will help you understand what ’ s possible and what your limitations might be on your kit .
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