Group Paddling on the Deschutes and Fitness SUP paddling.

Hi Everyone!
What happened to our weather? I've been watching till the last minute to notify for the Friday @ 4:30 paddle and it's a green light for the hardy. I paddled yesterday with winds an snow flurries! I don't expect any newcomers on a day like today but Tom Burke will host tonight to welcome and explain the routine and route. Chip Booth will be there, we rarely saw him last summer 'cause he was busy making surf films and building his own SUP boards, you'll recognize him by his colorful board and "Lava Bear" stature.

The other news is races, races, races!    June 12th is the final of a three race series "Race Around Ross Island" in Portland. Registration at 9:00 Race at 10:00 costs $30 includes t-shirt.  Check out www.gorge performance.com for details. There will be eight races on the "Old Mill Stretch" every Weds eve July and Aug. The Odell Lake Pioneer Cup July 31st. The Oregon Open Ocean Paddleboard/SUP race, (Beverly Beach to Newport downwind) August 28th.  And our "King and Queen of the Lake" series at Elk Lake - July 11th, August 15th and September 26th, free and open to everyone including all boards.  Surfboard/Sport class and  Raceboard  class.

I've had many inquiries about the Paddle Fitness outings Tues-Thurs AM @ 7:30. Watch for the green light depending on consistent, warm AM weather. Count on this for training for all these great races.

www.StandupPaddleFlatwater will soon have the Hobie 12'6" Race boards which are proven to be one of the winning-est SUP boards on the water! Also the Surftech Bark 14' wow!  Other secret stealth boards are in testing. Attached is a photo of John and I yesterday testing fast boards for the up-coming races.

Aloha,
Randall Barna
www.StandupPaddleFlatwater.com


Ask Randall: Oversteering, Paddling on One Side

Hey Randall:

When I paddle, all external factors considered and neutralized (wind, currents, chop) it seems that I track well paddling on my right and not well on my left. So at the end of every session, my right side is dead and left side is still very fresh since my strokes on the left turn me so fast I barely get any in before I'm right side stroking again.
Any ideas? Thanks for your time.

Nick, from Lake Washington Seattle

_________________________________________________

Your answer in a nutshell is asymmetry. You're doing something on one side that you're not on the other. Here are some SUP paddling tips:

• When stroking on the left side, try bending your knee on the left a little more and keep weight on the heel and toes.
• At the same time, on your right foot put weight only on the toes.
• You may not be reaching as far forward (out toward the nose)on the left side. Try reaching a few inches farther forward and finishing the stroke sooner, de-power before the blade gets alongside your feet.
  

Whatever you're doing on the right side is good. Analyze it and do the same on the left. Most paddlers would love to be able to stay on one side for more strokes instead of switching all the time. Personally I like to do about ten per side before switching.

Purchase your stand up paddles from us on our website (or visit us in Bend, Oregon) www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

SUP Windsurf Crossover Boards

Here's the deal about SUP Windsurf Crossover boards. Stand up and windsurfing are two entirely different sports. Windsurfing is very technical, and compared to SUP paddle boarding, very difficult to learn. You can learn to stand up paddle board in about 20 minutes. Becoming comfortable on a windsurf board may take an entire summer. To become an accomplished all around windsurfer can take years.

Many stand up paddle boards are designed to be windsurfed. You'll know that they are windsurfer SUP crossovers because you'll see a mast track on the center of the deck. It'll look like a 10"-12" slit.
Experienced windsurfers that want to SUP on both flat water and surf along with windsurfing their SUP board will find that Amundson Aquaglide paddle board is perfect for certain conditions:

• Small wave SUP surfing (head-high and below)
• When the winds are too strong for SUP.
• When the winds get really high you need to be on a short board. The window that these WIndsurf SUP crossover boards work is between approximately 8 to 18 mph.
• The SUP windsurf crossover boards on a lake are good for close reaches, beam reaches and broad reaches.
• Amundson Aquaglide SUP boards are great in surf.

When you purchase a stand up paddle board from Randall he will guide you to the gear that suits your needs.
PHOTO: Randall rippin' it up on the Pacifico Mistral on Lake Yellowstone, in Mary's Bay.

www.StandupPaddleFlatwater.com

Standup Paddle Bend Open Challenge

Notice of Open Challenge Race for the Record.

Anyone, at any time, on any standup paddle equipment, may challenge the record!

All records will be posted on the StandupPaddleBend.com(StandupPaddleFlatwater.com) website and the Standup Paddle Flatwater (standuppaddle.blogspot.com) blog.

The Course:
The stretch of the Deschutes River known as "Colorado to Southern Crossing". The start/finish line is the imaginary line from shore perpandicular to the first (downstream) HAZARD sign near the Bend Outrigger Canoes and Alder Creek Kayak launch. The turn-around line is the imaginary line across the river indicated by the Mt. Bachelor Villiage fence line.

Start from a standstill position, nose behind the line, and a timing person will give the start command with ready, set, go. The stopwatch begins on go. An independant, impartial timing person, with stopwatch, is required as witness and official timer.

The upstream paddle is approximately one mile and you may choose your channel. You must cross the turn-around line with the whole board, and paddle back to the start/finish line. The official finish is when the nose of your board crosses the start/finish line.

Classes and Categories

Categories
Each record will include the Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM) that the Deschutes river is running that day, as published in the Bend Bulletin (on the weather page). As records begin to fall due to reduced current we will start another "CFM" category.

Classes will be as follows:
BOARDS- Unlimited, 14' and under, 12'6" and under, 11'6" and under, 10'6" and under. Rudders, foils and multi-hulls are only allowed on Unlimited.

AGE & GENDER- Men and Women, 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-83, 84-86, 87-89, 90 and over.

Record Submissions

Submissions must include: Date, CFM, Name and address, gender, age, Witnesses/timers name, board brand/model and length, paddle brand/model. And, last but not least, TIME. Send to randall@footform.com

Be the first in your class to take the challenge, you're guaranteed to set a record!

Randall Barna StandupPaddleBend.com

Hassled About PFD? - ask Randall

Hi, I was paddling on the Nehalem River estuary the other day and imagine my suprise when the Tillamook County Sheriff stopped me and gave me a warning for not having an approved PFD and whistle (like I was a boat)! Do you guys have any experience or advise you'd like to share? I called the director at the State of Oregon for water activities law enforcement and he said there was a policy that seemed vague about requiring a PFD and whistle if I was in flat water, though not requiring them in a surf zone. I'm puzzled and irritated that I was singled out for this application of a silly rule (I don't see any adults wearing PFD's and whistles on your website. Is Dechutes County more enlightened than here on the coast?). I've been surfing in Oregon for 43 years and boating longer than that and this is the first I've heard about any rule or policy like this. Your comments please.
Regards, David, Manzanita, Oregon

Hi David, This subject is like de-ja-vu all over again. We went through the same thing in the 80's with windsurfing. We windsurfed for years without PFDs and then someone decided that they should be required so they started enforcing it. Finally enough windsurfers complained to the marine board and maybe even the legislature and they changed the rule. I believe it states that anything considered a water toy and that you are on top of, opposed to sitting within, is exempt from the PFD rule. In Bend there are thousands of people floating down the Deschutes through downtown and the Old Mill district. City buses shuttle them back to the start. If they're on an air mattress, PFDs aren't required. If they're in a $10 toy raft PFD is required. Inner tubes are another grey area since your butt is in, however, technically you're on top since it has no floor. In the old windsurfing days, the ironic thing with the old PFD law is that you didn't have to actually wear the PFD, you just needed to have one "on board". We would bungee cord a PFD to the nose and be legal, which was absolutely ridiculous!

Real safety is a concern but this PFD requirement gets into a human rights and freedom issue like requiring adults to wear bike helmets. This helmet issue recently came up and was proposed to go to the legislature and was immediately squashed by a huge outcry in objection.

This is my opinion on safety and the PFD issue:

1. PFDs should not be required on standup paddle boards. They should be treated the same as surfboards, windsurfers, air mats, etc.
2. In open water with current or wind use a leash. When wearing a leash you are always tethered to a personal flotation device, the board! Every board has way more flotation than any Coast Guard approved PFD.
3. Respect the elements and water, assume risk, and use good judgment. Regardless of flotation, sh-- happens!
Randall Barna
standuppaddleflatwater.com

Building a Quiver of Boards

Dear Randall: I am looking for a SUP. I weigh 240# and am 5'10 tall. I surfed for 30+ years and was very good at it but have not been in water for several years. I am a little out of shape but up to the challenge. I am 58 years old. I am looking for a good paddling board that I can also surf smaller waves on. Some shops are saying I should get a 11'+ to 12' board. One guy showed me a 10'3" Lopez and told me that a 11' board was way too large and that the Lopez would suit me much better. He seemed to be experienced. The people selling the larger boards looked more like typical sales people... What are your thoughts? Thanks....John

John,
If you own a quiver of boards a 10'3" Lopez is definitely sweet. I'm also 58 yrs old and I have a Lopez SUP board, but I also have a 12' Ron House that I paddle every day on flatwater and an 11'6" Takayama Surftech that I surf most of the time. I pull out the Lopez when its glassy and fast. If you're building a quiver I recommend starting with the biggest board first. You'd be surprised by the capabilities of a 12' board in the surf and with a bigger board you have fewer unexpected falls and a much faster glide.

Another way of looking at my board quiver is that they're not just mine! My wife Cristina paddles the 11'6" Takayama and my daughter the 10'3" Lopez as their everyday paddlers. When we do get a rare trip to the beach, the surfs up and I often have my choice of the whole quiver!

If your heart's really set on the Lopez, I have a 10'3 Lopez in stock, its got a custom North Shore deck pad and goes for $1579. Plus freight down to San Diego. NO sales tax in Oregon! All the pricing is on the StandUpPaddleBend.com website.

Aloha --- Randall Barna

Buy paddles
Gloss and Soft top boards
Accessories like deck pads, surf leashes, board locks, etc.

Photos: Isabella, Cristina and Randall with our quiver of boards.
Jack Gillen with his quiver in Hawaii.

Jack Gillen with part of his quiver

Standup Paddle Board Construction

Hi Randall, I have a couple of questions. The Ron House and Lopez has a fiberglass coating. Should I be worried about the gunnels (rails) getting beat up from the paddle? Why are sandwich boards shunned by surfers?


There is validity to both construction methods. Even if a new technology is better, it doesn't always mean that people will adopt something new if the old way works "well enough". Surfers are often depicted as wild renegades but actually they are quite conservative and resist change when it comes to their boards.

With traditional surfboard construction the board feels solid under your feet and you feel the water texture as you ride along. Sandwich construction feels hollow and less connected with the water.

Other than the traditional "feel" there are many advantages to the sandwich construction and many top surfers have embraced them. These boards are more resistanst to dings and are duplicated very exactly from board to board. If a pro surfer loses a board on the airlines they can get another at a local shop and it's the same board.

Because traditional surfers are used to traditional fiberglass boards, they have developed the habit of treating their boards carefully so that they don't get too many dings in the fiberglass. I put Paddle Guard edge-guard on the paddle blade edges to avoid paddle dings. If you do get dings, surfers also know how to patch them. It's a high-maintenance thing if you're not a surfer.

Most people new to standup paddling, with no experience in surfboard ownership, should get a sandwich construction board such as our Surftech-Lairds, Takayamas, and Infinitys. Also, Pacificos and Amundson Aquaglides.

Check out the Stand Up Paddle gear that's right for you at http://standuppaddlebend.com/Standuppaddlebend/Standup_Gear/

Ask Randall: Are Wetsuits Needed?

Do you wear a wet suit all year long on the Deschutes and on the upper lakes?
Peter

Peter, I wear a wetsuit when its in the 30s or 40s. Otherwise just trunks and a quick-dry paddle shirt. You're working out so you stay pretty warm, like a runner would. The main difference from dressing like a runner is that if you did ever fall in, you want to wear something you can swim in, and not die from hypothermia when wet.
Randall

Ask Randall: Leash Length

Dear Randall,
I paddle a 12' board. Why do you sell 10' or 12' leashes when everybody else is selling 6' or 8' leashes? Doesn't the extra length cause drag in the water?
Tim

Dear Tim,
The only time I've noticed drag is when I get seaweed or lakeweed hung up on my leash. That's a small annoyance considering what can happen if your leash is too short. Besides, a little water weed shakes off easily when you jerk on your leash cord.

The purpose of the leash is to save your life or somebody elses, don't get hung up on drag. The three situation when you need a leash are:

• Surf
• Wind
• Current

Guess what happens when you're ready to nose ride your 12' board and your leash is only 6' long. Even if you're not in the surf, it's fun to try a nose-pivot turn in flatwater. Either way you need the length in your leash.

Even more important is the wipe out factor. How close do you want to be to your 12' board when you're tumbling with it in the surf? I'll take a long leash any day.

For the best stand up paddle leashes on the market, visit Stand Up Paddle Flatwater.

Board size, salt vs fresh water

Sent VIA Standuppaddlebend.com contact, a question from the Mid-West...
I am very glad to have found your website. I live in central Ohio, haven't had much time to get to the beach, and I have been keeping up with stand-up since I started seeing the pictures of Laird years ago. I do not own a board but as I was shopping for one I came upon an issue that needed resolved before purchasing. Do I need to buy a longer board for fresh water (lake, reservoir) than I would for salt water? Is the density of the water a huge issue with the board length vs. rider weight ratio? Please advise.
thanks, Brett W

Brett, Board sizing is a very complicated issue. The simple answer is obvious, fresh water doesn't float a board as well as salt water. I use the same board in salt water and fresh but I paddle in boardshorts in freshwater. I wear a wetsuit in our cold ocean waters. A wet wetsuit adds a lot of weight so I've never noticed a difference in salt water flotation. If you wonder how heavy your wetsuit is when wet, soak it and put it in a plastic bucket on the bathroom scale. With the extra weight in mind, boards made for Oregon have always been a little bigger than Hawaii.
Keep in mind that volume is what determines flotation in a board more than length. Length, width and thickness should all be considered. The best board-shapers have figured out where to put the volume in the board. Where you stand (therefore weighting the board) should be a sweet spot that doesn't cause the nose to plow or the tail to drag. The extra cost is worth it for a board shaped by a reputable shaper and if re-produced, replicated exactly.
I like bigger, high volume, boards for flatwater. 11' to 12.5' and 29" to 31" wide.
Any other comments out there?
RB

Deck Traction - Wax & Sawdust Part 1.

Slipping off your board? A lot of standup boards come with a glossy deck and need something for traction. The traditional surfboard way is with a bar of wax. You rub it on the deck of the board until it builds up little bumps. This needs re-waxing regularly to restore the wax gripiness and the bumps. This way is very inexpensive and it leaves a nice patina on the deck of the board that shows your actually using it. It also allows the beautiful graphics of the board to show and aesthetically is very pleasing. I've got a board hanging on the wall as home decor. It has a lot of meaning to me, a Bill Barnfield that Bill gave me as his best man present in 1970. My wife said,"why don't you clean of that icky wax." My response was,"no way. . .the wax is part of that boards character.

But, wax has its downside. In hot climates it can melt and drip off the board or worse, onto your car! If you carry your board on your head fin-up you will get wax in your hair. If you stack boards on top of each other the wax transfers to the bottom of the other boards. If you lay a hot board wax side down in the sand it embeds the sand in the wax and you have a mess.

To remove wax the best way I've found is with sawdust. (or foam dust if you are around a board shaper) Grab a bunch of sawdust and rub it on the wax. If the wax is warmed in the sun it works better. The wax will stick to the sawdust and the more you do it the cleaner the board will be.

http://www.standuppaddlebend.com/