PADDLER 18
PADDLER 18
Photo : Devan sinking low with the legs to manage height on the River Findhorn , Leven ’ s Gorge . Photo : Jim Miller
Below : Jim with a low brace on the River Garry , Island Rapid - Photo : Eloise Casells
WHY IT CAN BE USEFUL
It can be great to improve your balance using a low brace support or even the back brace ( long term , some paddlers think this may not be great for the shoulders – time will tell ). This can stop you from going for a swim and help keep you on the SUP . Minimising time in the water means more success on the SUP and less risk involved with swimming , hitting rocks , etc .
It can be a great temporary way of stopping you from falling off by touching a knee to a board ( some purists will call it cheating – maybe it is , but it ’ s better than being in the water !), and it can be quickly recovered from easily when only on one knee to return to a standing position .
It can minimise the distance that we fall off our SUP . Falling from a lower height generally means falling closer to your SUP and , as such , being able to climb back on quickly . This has the added benefit that less force would be generated if you fell on something – a rock , another person , whatever it might be – due to the shorter distance you would have fallen .
It can be a great way of introducing beginners into the sport . Most people , when they first start white water SUP , need to develop the required balance , and as such , by going to a knee or two or bracing , they are bit by bit building confidence and balance in moving water to be able to stand in a short time .
Jess Phillip with a square stance on the River Garry . Photo : Jim Miller
WHEN IT CAN BE A DETRIMENT
In big water going down to a knee or both knees , i . e . the full version of height management can be serious – the water can come over the nose of your board , and all of a sudden , it has a much larger surface area ( your entire body ) which it can hit and easily knock you off the board – when standing it tends to part around your legs . Strangely , you are more likely to stay on the SUP . This seems contrary to what your brain tells you in the moment , but it is the case : smaller surface area equals less of an impact knocking you off .
Going to one knee can also cause significantly more weight on one side of the board , making it much less stable and hence more likely to be flipped –º this is because you have two points of connection on one side – one foot and one knee vs the other side only having one foot . As such , around 65 % of your weight is on the single edge of the board , and if used incorrectly , this can cause more swims and flips . When going to one knee , I recommend that it be temporary and that you try to either stand back up or get the second knee down unless you want more weight on one side of the SUP .
You can become dependent on it – I ’ ve seen many people who go to their knees do it subconsciously , and it can be hard to remove it from your paddling once it is in there .