PADDLER 85
ONE OF THE MANY HUGE BENEFITS OF SUP
Is this ingrained in us from when we learnt ? Or is there more to it than that ? So , one of the huge benefits of SUP is the ability to move more easily on the craft than any other craft – but this also comes with a downside when swapping sides in certain circumstances . When we first learn to SUP , we usually learn in the square side on stance – this allows us to change from one side to the other easily , and we don ’ t have to move anything other than the paddle .
Once we start to paddle more complex white water environments , we tend to adopt a surfing stance with our feet in an offset stance , as it is often referred to . This makes swapping sides slightly trickier as we also need to move our feet to get into position to paddle efficiently on the other side . But this also makes the cross deck slightly trickier , and we would also want to move our feet still if we wanted to maximise efficiency .
A DOMINANT SIDE
Let ’ s explore this , once we start to paddle far more challenging rapids and more complex whitewater , or simply paddling at whatever our max capacity is , we tend to favour a dominant side . Much like surfing , skateboarding or snowboarding you tend to have a preferred foot forward where you feel more balanced .
In whitewater SUP , this is the exact same – once you start to push the sport , you find your preferred side – now imagine you are in a gnarly rapid and don ’ t wish to fall but need to put some strokes in on the other side to move that way / turn or avoid an obstacle …
THE CROSS-DECK STROKE
Swapping the paddle side takes slightly longer and means moving your hands on the paddle and back to your dominant side . Swapping feet is probably a no-go in the moving water as it ’ s likely too gnarly for us to want to lose our balance – cue the crossdeck stroke , and when it comes in really handy . It is quicker ; you don ’ t have to move your feet if you are only doing one or two strokes so long as you haven ’ t got a crazy wide surfing stance on the board anyway – yes , not moving your feet makes for a less efficient stroke , but when it is only half strokes you don ’ t notice much of a difference .
One of the most common occasions we lose balance in white water SUP is on the eddy lines – again , imagine you are in a big gnarly rapid and need to make an eddy but don ’ t want to swim it . This means keeping your dominant foot position for balance , and again , the cross deck now comes in handy . We often see SUP slalom paddlers using cross-deck strokes to make eddies and turn around the gates efficiently – it saves time and minimises your loss of balance on the board .
So , we might cross-deck because your paddle stroke is on the side you need for balance / more control as you cross eddy lines or need to drive through a feature . You can more easily control the edges of the board in the manner you wish – i . e . making an eddy you want an upstream paddle side edge as you carve across the line – this lifts the downstream edge and allows the board to glide across the eddy line .
Cross deck demonstrations . Paddler Jim . Photo : Eleri Spencer
Cross deck demonstrations . Paddler Jim . Photo : Eleri Spencer
Demonstrating body position to edge without swapping sides . Paddler James . Photo : Eleri Spencer
PADDLER 85