Gerry Lopez Demos How to Survive a Big Wave on an SUP

Renowned surf and SUP photographer Grant Myrdal took these recent photos of Gerry Lopez on his stand up paddle surf board in some big waves off of the Oregon Coast. Grant owns the copyrights to these photos, so please contact him if you'd like to use these images in any way. (Or have Grant take some photos of you!)

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Fin Hits Rocks in Shallow Water

Hi - I normally SUP surf on Long Island, but also flatwater SUP on the Hudson River. This morning I took my stand up board to a local creek, but found that it was too shallow for my fin. Do you sell very shallow (short) fins? Or can you tell me how an SUP handles in flat water with no fin?
Interested in your thoughts.
Great to hear that Bend is a SUP meca. I lived in Vida, OR when I was a kid and went to Three Sisters, lava house, etc... love it up there.

Mark

Hi Mark,
The smaller the SUP fin the less tracking you will have. That's OK for maneuverability but not for going straight. If we're expecting to hit bottom a lot, we use the Super Flex Fin on our accessories page for $56. It's 9" and is also available in a 7" on special order for $52. Hitting rocks is no-problem with this fin, you'll barely notice.

Aloha, Randall Barna

Purchase your stand up paddleboard gear from us at www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com
We appreciate your support. Thanks!

Stand Up Paddle Boarding Beginner Tips

Stand up paddle boarding is much easier to do than it looks. You'll be surprised how easily you'll be able to balance on the paddle board your first time. Of course the type of stand up paddle board you try your first few times must be a stable board that is the proper size for your weight for you to have a successful paddleboarding experience.

Here are some examples of the types of paddleboards that are easy to stand and balance on:

Paddlers over 170 lbs. will be most stable on a SUP Board that is 11'6" to 12'6".
Suggested boards are: Generator 11'6" by Surftech , Hobie 12' ATR, Aquaglide Amundson 11'6, Randy French Softop by Surftech.

Paddlers under 170 lbs. will be especially stable on a larger board, but also can get a smaller board in the 10' 6" to 11' 6" range for maneuverability and ease of handling.
Suggested boards are: Hobie 11' 2", Aquaglide Amundson 11' 3", Hobie ATR 10'6".

Here are some SUP stand up paddle boarding safety and technique tips:

Safety-First be honest with yourself about your swimming ability. Outside of surf zones the Coast Guard is requiring life jackets on all paddlers. We recommend this waist pack life jacket.

• Never leave your board, if you lose the paddle you can paddle it with your hands easier than swimming, also the wind can blow it away faster than you can swim. Always paddle up-wind first, it is way more difficult than down wind. Do not get caught a long distance down wind, you may not make it back.

• Stay attached to your board with an ankle leash if you are on a lake or ocean. DO NOT use a leash on a river as it may snag and hold you down.

• Your paddle is your friend – keep it in the water as much as possible. You can push the blade forward or back to keep from falling, and even lean on it or pull up on it momentarily to keep from falling. Never let go of your paddle.

• Foot position – Stand in the middle of the board, too far forward will sink the nose, too far back will drag the tail and be slow. You generally want to stand centered with both feet about shoulder width apart and facing forwards for long distance paddling on flat water. But when the surface is choppy or you’re in waves you’ll want to adopt surfer's stance with your dominant foot forward just as in normal surfing.

• Buy our new Coiled SUP Leash so that it stays on top of your SUP board, reducing the chance you'll snag anything under the water. Attach your surf safety leash to your rear foot.

• Paddling – reach forward with your paddle and put the blade in almost vertically, close to the board. Stroke back, visualizing pulling the board forward in the water. Don’t try to extend the stroke too far past your legs, that angles the blade too much and pulls the board edge downwards. Your blade is angled forwards for two reasons–to make the blade more stable in the water (as you’ll see if you try to stroke with the blade backwards) and to improve the release of the blade as you pull it up. Stroking too far backwards defeats that smooth release.

• Happy feet – You need to learn that your feet are not bolted to the board. As your balance improves you can move around the board more. In flat water paddle boarding you need to imitate this learning by forcing yourself to move your feet around. Shift from centered to fore and aft stance. Move your back foot more towards the tail then back centered again. In chop your learning will be automatic–when you master sideways chop you’re bound to be moving about on the board.

• Turning and Spinning–Initially you’ll be turning the board slowly by stroking away from the board, but this is the slow way around. Fine for flatwater, but too slow to surf. The faster way is to put weight on the back of the board and stroke with the paddle to pivot the board. Once you are in a fore and aft position you can start practicing this by just putting weight on your back leg. This works even better if you take a step backwards. You need to lean on the paddle a bit to optimize these moves. Once you can spin the board 360 you’re ready to surf.

Photos: Top: Isabella demonstrating a turn on the back of the board. She steps back to slightly sink the tail of her board and uses her paddle to pivot.
Bottom: Randall demonstrating an across bow turn. He's bent forward and sweeps his paddle in an arc around the front of his board.

Stand Up Paddle Flatwater

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Winter Standup Paddling

I broke my rule and went for a paddle in sub-freezing temperatures. I learned my lesson last winter that ice forms on the deck and if you move your feet, its all over. Balancing a standup paddle board is one thing but balancing the board while ice skating is disaster.

Eddy and I couldn't resist, it was the first sunny day in January and I'm sticking to my commitment to paddle in every month, and anyway it was a whopping 34 degrees! We decided to launch at Aspen Camp on the Deschutes River (near Bend, Oregon) and do the Big Eddy Rapids to Dillon Falls stretch. This is one of the "must-do" 5 kilometer paddles when you're on a paddle trip to Bend. The road was finally passable in four-wheel-drive after Decembers two feet of snow. A warm front did a rainy mush-meltdown to the current situation of icy ruts.

There's something special about being on the river in winter. There's snow on the banks and ice chunks floating down the river. The ice sounds a harmless racket on the bottom of your board as it slides underneath. The colors of the water, forest, and lava flow (this stretch is flanked by a lava flow) were dazzled by the sun, and truly amazing!

Winter paddling isn't for everyone so here's some tips:

Confidence - You need to have such a standup paddle skill level that you're confident you won't fall in. Falling is part of the risk that makes it exciting, but you don't take risks here. It's like riding a bike confidence. You know you're not going to fall off your bike yet there's always the risk you could crash.

Standup Paddle Board Stability - You use the most stable, predictable, comfortable cruiser, period. There's no sense being "The Duke" on your 10'3" Gerry Lopez in this situation. I'm paddling a 12'1" Laird soft top this winter and Eddys on a Mistral Pacifico. This emphasizes the point, you don't want to fall in. Only go on smooth water, waves/chop decrease the stability and are caused by wind, wind adds wind-chill and decreased visibility of obstacles just under the surface, you don't want to add these variables to the danger. Know your water!

Clothing To Wear - This depends a bit on your confidence. Eddy, and I were wearing cross country ski wear, including gloves and hats. Outer layers are wind resistant and breathable. Use base layers that are moisture wicking. We often shed our outer layer jackets during the work-out of upstream and put them back on for downstream. We both wear sealed-seam wetsuit booties over wool sox.

If you lack confidence and still want to paddle then an Alaskan Ocean Survival Suit would be a good choice. At minimum a 5 mil wetsuit or dry suit is necessary because if you think you might fall in then you definitely will and these suits keep you safe when wet.

Emergency Plan - Hypothermia is the big risk and it can happen even if you don't fall in. It starts with being cold and un-controllable shivering. It progresses to lack of judgement and drunken-like state so you can't paddle. You could croak and its very serious. Never winter paddle without a partner and an emergency plan. Your partner will know you're in trouble, they can tow you back to the car, crank the heater, give you warm fluids and get you to the emergency room.

We had no problems on our sunny day in January. The water was less clear than usual due to the rains and run-off. Eddy didn't see the rock he hit with his skeg. It gave him a jolt but he caught his balance OK. We were really tempted to play on a small standing-wave that's at the bottom of Dillon Falls, but common sense prevailed. We'll save that for summer and warmer days.

We paddled about an hour and were on our final stretch when we noticed the ice on our decks. The sun was lower in the sky, the hills and trees shadowed the river and the temperature had dropped. We got to the take-out and were stymied on how to get off our ice covered boards without getting in the water. Usually we sprint, paddle the nose up on the bank and walk the board up to the nose, stepping gracefully onto land. Eddy went first and with the nose stabilized on shore he literally ice skated up the board! I slipped off into shallow water and only got my booties wet, so it was OK for a few minutes while we loaded he boards. Our final challenge was stacking our two icy boards on the roof rack. The boards slip around so easily it's comical. This is another reason to have a partner, to hold the boards while you hook the rack straps!

Check out this stretch of the Deschutes River with the Bend Paddle Trail Deschutes River Guide. All 125 miles of the river in Deschutes County are charted in stretches that show every put-in, hazard and difficulty (even potty stops). Order yours at www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com and receive a free Lakes Guide too.

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SUPs and PFDs

This is a follow-up to my post August 12,'08 "Hassled About PFD?"

The US Coast Guard recently made a determination:

"Based on the information available, the Coast Guard has determined that, when beyond the narrow limits of a swimming, surfing or bathing area, the device known as a "paddleboard" is a vessel under 46 U.S.C. 2101, and therefore subject to applicable regulations administered by the U.S. Coast Guard and its Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, unless specificallly exempted."

In essence, if the paddleboard is being used for transport on lakes, bays, or rivers, a PFD is required.

I guess we're responsible for national policy on this. I doubt that
anyone making this decision has ever been on a paddleboard (maybe never
even seen one) and certainly didn't get any input from the paddling
community. If so, the paddlers could easily explain that the PFD
requirement will not increase the safety of the sport in most cases.
Granted, a paddler could get struck by lightning or hit-and-run by a
boat and knocked unconscious. But then, the PFD would only save them if
they were wearing it and the rule says it just needs to be on-board.
Paddleboards are unsinkable. A more common sense safety rule is to wear
a tether-leash attaching you to your board and this is widely practiced
without the need of regulation.

Paddleboarding is a healthy, low-impact and environmentally friendly new
sport. The enthusiasts do it because they are so un-encumbered by
standing on top of a board instead of sitting within a boat. The feeling
of freedom and experience of the outing is incomparable. Some paddlers
choose to wear PFD,s and my point is that it should be a choice. The
expectation is that it will not be required to have a PFD because
everybody knows a board is not a boat.

The reactions from the few people that were already warned by marine patrols were brought to my attention immediately, disbelieving, distasteful, even calling it harassment.

I'm requesting that the Board consider rule making and adopt rule
language to exempt "paddle boards" from the PFD requirement. I will be
glad to testify and could provide many others to testify if it would help.

Randall Barna

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com Thank you for purchasing your SUP gear from us. We appreciate your support.
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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

Whitewater & Surf Safety - Wear a Helmet!

Rocks in the river and on the Oregon coast amp up the danger of an ordinary SUP wipeout. For safety in surf or whitewater wear a helmet. This is especially important if you're trying out your Stand up Paddle skills on the Deschutes River. The changing water levels (due to irrigation) can make yesterday's riffle today's mid-river boulder.

We have these surf helmets in stock at StandupPaddleFlatwater.com Buy the Predator Lee 8 Helmet in one of 2 colors, red or black. The Lee 8 has a sun visor that shades the sun but is not so big that wipeout hydraulics jerk your head around. It also has stronger plastic than their other helmets. And, at only $99.00 it's cheaper than brain surgery.

Buy the Predator Lee 8 Helmut and other Standup Paddle accessories on our website. We also sell leashes, locks, board bags and more.

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.

What to Wear Winter Paddling

If you live in Hawaii or some other warm winter locale, just stop complaining. Now. We've heard about your struggles with the should-I-wear-long-sleeves-today syndrome that puts islanders in a spin when the temperatures drop below 75F degrees. We have NO sympathy. Sure, you have big waves and knarly reef breaks. But if you want to see tough, come to the inland flat water land of ice and snow in the middle of winter and we'll show you tough.

Or is the word stupid? Well, whatever the word, sometimes the urge to stand up paddle hits after a 3 day blizzard. The sun comes out, the sky is turquoise blue and the water is sparkling crystal clear. It all looks so inviting. Until you put your finger in the river and realize how cold 36F degree water actually is. Step into the water and it'll feel even colder. Fall in and . . .

Since none of the above is stopping the local paddlers, here's the next obvious question. What does a paddler wear when the urge to paddle overrides every bit of common sense? First I'll tell you about what I consider to be the ideal setup. Though I have yet to convince my ideal man to wear this entire outfit, I have guilted him into a wet suit with a few "When I'm a widow (after you've fallen in)..." scenarios.

Here's my what-to-wear-when-ice-water-paddling suggested wardrobe:

1. Wetsuit or drysuit. Yes, your cotton hoodie & down jacket are cozy, but they'll only help drown you if you happen to fall in.
2. Neoprene booties.
3. Life jacket.
4. Leash yourself to your board.
   

Try for at least 3 out of 4 on the list and get out of your dressed-to-drown gear. At least this way, we won't have to read all the good stuff about you in an obit.

Kids On-Board Safety Tips

Paddling as a family develops great friendships and healthy kids. Kids love the freedom of paddling. When we first hit the beach my daughter and her friends first priority is getting out on the Standup board. They put on their life jackets and make sure they have enough money for ice-cream cone trips to the lodge across the lake, then they're off playing for hours. They even bring the dog!

Here are a few safety ideas before you give your kids the paddles:

• Soft-top or padded decks are best for families. The surface is softer and not slippery for wet feet or dog claws.
• Choose a lake or body of water with a speed restriction so they won't be in danger of being hit by a jet-ski or fast boat.
• Put life jackets on them.
• Make sure one of the kids keeps the leash on at all time. When they jump in the board can shoot away from them. The leash keeps the board closer to at least one of the kids.
  
• Teach them paddle safety. If they drop the paddle and the board goes away from them, swim to the board first. Don't try swimming with the paddle.
• If the water temp is at all on the cool side, put wet suits on them. Their little bodies lose heat quickly. A wet suit will keep them in the water for hours.
• Keep them fed, hydrated and sun-protected.

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Senior Standup Paddling - You're Not Too Old for this Sport!

Do an internet search on Standup Paddling and you'll find plenty of photos of gorgeous guys carving big waves and battling the surf. What you'll have a harder time finding is pictures of seniors getting water-time on a stand up paddle board. Well, don't think your time is past for learning to paddle. Stand up paddling on flat water is easy. You can learn in less than thirty minutes if the water is smooth and your board is stable. A stable board is long and wide with a lot of flotation.

If you still have doubts, here's a photo of Janelle Willett, 67 yrs. young. She's enjoying her first stand up paddle boarding lesson from her son Matt Willet. Thanks Matt for the photo.

Here are a few of the benefits of Standup Paddling:

• Standup paddling is a low impact exercise.
• Wear a heart monitor and you'll know when you're paddling fast enough to get an aerobic workout.
• Falling is safer in this sport than many others.
• Whether you're social or solitary you'll love this sport. Paddle with friends or find solitude on the water.
• Buy a board with built-in carrying handles so it is easier to handle.
  

. . . . and best of all -- get on a stand up board and you'll make friends of all ages!

If you're interested in getting a friendly standup board for your conditions and abilities, contact www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com for board sales advice.

If you're visiting Bend, Oregon be sure to read our blog entries of the Places to Paddle Circa Bend, Oregon.

Flatwater Wind Waves on Yellowstone Lake

Standup paddling on inland waters is not about boring. My family and I went on a camping trip to Yellowstone last summer and brought along the standup boards. We put the boards on top of the van and left Bend, Oregon traveling east through the Eastern Oregon high plateau desert, Idaho and into Montana. Gas stations guys and diner staff along the way would nod towards the east and ask us if we knew the ocean was "back that way."

When we got to Yellowstone, we went to the Ranger station and got tags for our boards. (Required for any watercraft.) We parked at the North end of Yellowstone Lake and after about 45 minutes on the water we noticed a dark wind-line on the lake in the distance to the South. It took about five minutes until we were hit with a line of wind that built to a 15-20 mph steady blow within 10 minutes. We turned back towards the shore and paddled with the wind to our backs.

Our daughter noticed that the wave chop was becoming waves that looked surfable. Pushed by the 24 miles of open water, the waves were 12” to 24” by the time they reached Mary’s Bay. The gradual shallow slope of the bay created waves that we could ride for quite a way. Wind generated, the waves were close together and unpredictable. We found that we could walk the boards out faster than we could paddle them. Standing on the lake bottom we’d push our boards into a wave and quickly jump to standing position. We surfed for a couple of hours. A bull bison came down to the shoreline and watched us awhile before rejoining his herd as it meandered down the road to the west. READ MORE. . . .

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