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

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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

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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Thank you for buying your SUP gear from us, we appreciate your support.

Tandem Paddle Boarding Behind a Boat

Stand up paddle boards are very easy to stand on while being pulled behind a boat. Compared to getting out of the water wake boarding or water skiing, paddle surfing with a ski rope is a cinch. Stand on your board and hold the rope while the boat gradually picks up speed. It's that easy.

Of course there can be wakes and waves and other bumps to knock you off your board, but overall, it's a lot easier than you might think. And if you want to be more careful you could kneel or sit on your paddleboard.

The boat we were on didn't go very fast or make much of a wake, so we couldn't let go of the rope and free-ride, nonetheless we made it fun.

In fact, after a few passes around the lake, we were ready for some tricks. Isabella and Judy Shasek teamed up with Al Patterson for some tandem riding. They even made falling fun!!

Note: Board is a Takayama 11'6" and the adult's waist life jackets are the trim and don't get in the way of paddle surf tricks.

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Thank you for buying your SUP gear from us, we appreciate your support.

Women Love the Core Workout of Stand up Paddleboarding

Laying on your floor doing crunches is no fun compared to the core workout you get when you stand up paddle board. And, engaging your core while balancing and paddling improves your overall fitness and balance skills for other sports.

Stand up paddling is a low impact core workout that is great for men and women. I love to go paddling with my friends and chat while getting a great workout in nature surrounded by water.

So how do you maximize your core movements while paddling? When first learning to paddle it's natural to think of paddling as an arm exercise. To get the most power as you paddle you must engage your core.

Here are some ideas to help you maximize your core strength when stand up paddleboarding:

1. Bend slightly at the waist when you paddle and be sure your knees are soft or slightly bent.
2. Pretend there is a small ball at the top of our diaphragm and in your imagination start compressing that ball so that your core crunch starts at the top of your abs.
3. Because you will be paddling on different sides, your obliques will also be part of the movement. Paddle both sides of your body as evenly as the conditions allow.
   

The photo above is of two Bend, Oregon athletes paddling at Elk Lake, Oregon: Dagmar Erickson, a world title holder Nordic skier and Susan Hopkins, an all-around athlete. Susan is on a Laird 12'1" gloss stand up board. Dagmar is paddling her kayak.

You can rent stand up paddle boards near Bend, Oregon at Elk Lake Resort, Oregon, about a 35-40 minute drive from Bend on the beautiful Cascade Lakes Highway. Read more about Elk Lake and other Places to Paddle near Bend, Oregon.

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

Nose Ride on Crescent Lake

Ready to try a nose ride? Stand up paddleboarding got you down? Al Paterson has the answer. And it looks like fun. Al is on a SUP stand up paddle board behind a boat on Crescent Lake, Oregon. You can read about Crescent Lake paddling or other places to paddle near Bend, Oregon. I asked Al a few questions that might interest anyone else ready to cross nose-ride off of their bucket list.

How fast is the boat going?
15 - 20 mph.

What's your board length?
This SUP board is an 11'6. A shorter board will let you work the wake better with a bigger bow wave. The longer board was great for his little wave.This boat didn't have a big wake so that I couldn't really let go of the rope as I wasn't carrying a paddle.

What speed did the boat start at to get you going?
One mph is all you need.

Any other tips?
Ride with a short rope and start right behind the boat.

Thanks Al for your info -- Note from Cristina: Be careful not to do this behind a exposed boat prop.
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Buy your paddleboards and stand up paddle gear from us at www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Sarong Sailing SUPs

Flatwater stand up paddling on lakes usually involves wind of some sort if you're out past noon. My friend, Judy Shasek and I were playing around on Hosmer Lake last week and came up with a lot of things to laugh about while we experimented with our SUP boards.

Memories of catching the wind on windsurfers inspired Judy and I to take advantage of a tail wind and try some sailing. Since I often travel with sarongs (as SPF, clothing, mosquito distractor, etc.) I was ready.

I whipped my sarong into the air with a gust and Judy and I made a jib sail between us. It worked so well that we returned the next day with two sarongs and caught downwind puffs singly wherever we could. We even convinced Judy's husband, Ed to give it a try.

I painted these sarongs on silk and cotton and was totally grooving on how they looked filled with air and lit through with sunlight. Silk was definitely the material that won the day as a sarong sail. Silk is strong, lightweight and catches the wind easily. It also looks good on.

Judy and I got so caught up in sarong sailing that we almost re-invented the windsurfer!

Judy's husband, Ed Shasek took the photos (unless he was in them).
www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

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Thank you for buying your SUP gear from us, we appreciate your support.

Meg Chun Passes on Some Paddle Tips

Meg Chun, co-owner of Kialoa Paddles and a seasoned paddler passed on a few tips to me. When I asked her if I could make her post public she responded, "These are just things I have learned after being coached and coaching and reading and watching videos, etc. for the past 21 years. I do not consider myself an expert." Though she may not consider herself an expert, I certainly have learned something from her. I'm passing on her advice to me after I asked her the following question:
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Hi Meg -- While SUP paddling past your outrigger this week, I heard you mention the word "whirlpool" in reference to paddling (you were teaching your crew). I looked down at my paddle and saw not just one but 3 whirlpools! Yikes! Are whirlpools good or bad? I was playing with seeing what I could do to eliminate them, but before I get too into it, I thought I'd check with you to see what's up with whirlpools.

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(Meg's response)

"As for whirlpools, I need to look at this while I'm on a SUP board but here are some thoughts: The goal is to sink the paddle before you pull yourself to it. This is the catch phase of the stroke. If you begin the pull phase of the stroke before you have total catch/adhesion, air can catch behind the blade thereby causing slippage of the blade in the water and creating whirlpools.

Whirlpools are an indication of a less than perfect catch.

HOWEVER, other things do come in to play here - in particular speed of craft. Let's talk about race starts in an outrigger for a moment. When the boat is at a dead stop, well that's some low boat speed - none in fact. So when we go to do our race starts, we think of our first four paddle strokes as short and deep.

Because the speed of the boat is nil there is great, great resistance and our paddles cause big whirlpools. They have to slip through the water a bit. The paddles have to slip because we are not strong enough to propel a 400 pound boat PLUS six people forward without some slippage. As the boat speed starts to pick up, within the first ten strokes or so, we can now fully submerge our paddles and get full adhesion without slippage because the boat is up and running.

This is why it is important NOT to have a paddle that is too big. In a perfect world we would use a smaller paddle going upstream and a bigger one going downstream. Stand up paddle boards are SLOW and upstream there can be great resistance on top of that. So, you want a paddle that you can submerge and have a good clean catch with but that won't overpower you and cause you to paddle inefficiently. When I go out next time I will look to see if I have whirlpools while SUPing."
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Looking for a Kialoa Paddle? Check out our shopping cart.
Photo: Isabella holding our 2 favorite Kialoa Methane paddles with the very hot looking custom aloha print.

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com
Thank you for buying your SUP gear from us, we appreciate your support.

How to Carry Your Stand Up Paddle Board

There's no way around it, stand up paddle boards are lunkers. Through out decades of making windsurfers, the holy grail of big board weight is to be under thirty pounds. That big board building technology has crossed over to SUP stand up board manufacturing.

Here's the thing about board weight. A short stand up paddle board is not the answer to getting a lightweight board that will work for you as well as be easy to carry. Short SUP boards are meant for surf wave riding and are not the best choice for flat water stand up paddling. They may be stable (due to width), but they aren't long enough to get the glide you need on flatwater.

If you're going to spend most of your time stand up paddling on lakes, rivers, and flat(ish) ocean (bays or in the Caribbean) you're going to want a board that is at least eleven feet long. And carrying that long board between your rig and the water or portaging it if you're on a river becomes more of a workout with every step.

There are five ways to carry your SUP stand up paddle surf board a significant distance by yourself:

• Shoulder Carry -- Bend your head to one side and balance the width of the stand up paddle board on your shoulder as it leans against your head. For some of us this too much of a kink in the neck.
• Head Carry -- Balance the deck of the paddle board on your head. Having the deck of the SUP pointing down to the earth is best for wind resistance. This is the best carry for one person if it's windy because you can keep the SUP paddle board sideways to the wind.
  
• Handle Carry -- Slot handles (included in most new SUP boards) or an after market attached handle we call the
  
  Easy Handle allow you to hold the standup paddle board against your side and under your arm. The slot handles require a lot of grip strength. The Easy Handle is much easier for long carries.
• Big Board Schlepper -- Shoulder strap-sling harness gives you both a easy way to carry your paddle board and paddle.
• Paddle Shaft Handle Carry-- Attach a tie down at the front and back of your paddle board and put a loop of rope in it. Starting with the handle end of the paddle, hook the paddle into the loops and use the shaft of the paddle to carry the SUP board.

Note: In high winds have 2 people carry each board, keeping the deck flat and facing the ground and the board low.

Of course, if it's too hard to carry your stand up paddle board alone (or you enjoy company) enlist the buddy system and share the load.

Photos: 1. Isabella Barna demonstrating the head carry and Ed Shasek demonstrating the shoulder carry while portaging their paddle boards around the Tetherow Log Jam on the Pringle Falls section of the Deschutes River, Oregon. Thanks Judy Shasek for this photo.
2. Randall Barna demonstrating a side carry and Isabella a head carry at the Oregon coast.

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

Coolers on Board

The guys in our very casual stand up paddle boarding group have taken casual to a new level, they now paddle board with coolers! This is a new thing for them. On the morning of our 35 mile paddle down the Deschutes River, Oregon, three of the four guys in our group showed up with coolers. It seems as though they simultaneously and independently came up with this brilliant idea (or none of them are taking credit for it).

They claim that to rest a tired back or nurse a shoulder injury, the cooler is a useful seat that coincidentally stores a six pack of beer. Though there were a few of us non-cooler carriers that may have smiled or made the occasional possibly snide inquiry about the coolers, by the 25th mile when the guys were sharing their beer and treats, we were all grateful for their ingenuity.

Here's a few things we learned about putting coolers on top of your stand up paddle board:

• Don't tie a strap around the bottom of the board. As slim as the strap may be, it creates too much drag.
• The cooler makes your board much more tippy when you sit on it.
• The cooler may require a second trip if you have to portage your paddle board.
• Though none of our guys or their coolers fell in during the 35 mile trip as they tested their cooler-on-board idea, it seems a good idea to get a cooler with a locking lid that floats.
• To strap your cooler to your board, be sure to order a set of attachment tie-downs for your stand up paddle surf board.

Note: Thank you Judy Shasek for the cooler photos

Cooler Guys: Eddy Miller, Al Paterson, Eddie Shasek

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

• http://www.standuppaddleflatwater.com/
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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.

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

SUP Tips From Flatwater to Surf

When you can't get on the water, you can still pickup a few Stand Up Paddle surf tips from the comfort of your couch. Stand Up Paddleboarding Instructional DVD from REAL has been a popular pick with members of the Standup community. Randall viewed this DVD and says that it's great for beginners. We'd love to hear some of your comments about this DVD. Here's what the DVD covers (according to the producers):


"GEAR Board Types, Board Constructions, Fin Choices, Paddles, Deckpads, Wax, Leashes, Wetsuits, Booties, Sun Protection. GEAR SET UP Proper Wax Choice and Application, Installing your Standup Deckpad, Installing Leash and Fin, Choosing your Paddle, Paddle Sizing. THE BASICS Standing Up, Proper Stance, Holding Paddle, Paddling Technique, Using Paddle to Balance, How to Fall. FIRST SESSION Flatwater Session, Basics Review, Finding the Sweet Spot, Advanced Paddling Techniques, Turning Techniques. WAVE SESSION Flatwater Review, Paddling over Whitewater, Waiting for Waves, Catching Waves, Riding Waves, Exiting Waves, Falling in the Surf. BONUS SECTION Standup Etiquette, Jimmy Lewis Surf and Standup Paddleboards, REAL BVI Slideshows, Cape Hatteras Bonus Footage."

www.StandupPaddleFlatwater.com

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

Stance for Standup Paddling

There are two commom stance positions for standup paddling, facing the nose with a foot near each rail and the fore-aft position with one foot toward the nose and one toward the tail. Each stance has a different function.

The front-facing position is most stable to stabilize side-to-side tippiness of the board. Before you get the board moving through the water or when its moving slow it's most tippy and having the feet out on the rails controls this type of instability. This stance is also symmetrical for standup paddling on each side and allows a good reach forward with the paddle. This achieves early powering of the stroke. This stand up paddle stance is very efficient for long distance, stability and straight tracking of the board.

The photo of Jerry Bess in the top photo shows this position.

The fore-aft paddling position is for when the board has gained more speed on the water or if you want to control the stand up board in a nose down or tail down oriention. Once the board is moving faster, side-to-side instability isn't an issue. The rushing water lifts and stabilizes the board. The concern now is either keeping the nose up so it doesn't dig-in, or sinking the tail for a turn. With one foot forward and one foot back you can make major weight shifts to control the level of the board. Stand up paddling isn't as efficient in this position. It's hard to change sides and theres a tendancy to continue the stroke too far toward the tail, thus turning the board. An important tip for the fore-aft stance is: Bend at the knees and ankles not the waist. Keep the weight of your butt over the board. Don't stick your butt out!

In the second photo notice Jerry has caught a wind swell and switched to the fore-aft stance to keep the nose from digging-in. He also dipped the paddle in the water for stability.

Photos courtesy of Jack Gillen and standuppaddlebend.com

Deck Traction Part 2. Padded Decks

In part 1 we covered waxing and to veteran surfers, accustomed to the culture of waxing their board, its no problem. Newcomers see the padded-traction decks as the most sensible solution.

Many of the factory-made boards are supplied with padded traction decks. Some pads wrap around the rails, some are applied on the deck only with bare rails, and a new method recesses the pad into the deck.

The padded decks that wrap around the rails are very user friendly. They make the rails easy to grab and are easy on your body if you're whacked by your board. They protect the rails from your paddle too, but if your blade is sharp you can cut or chafe the pads. You can even dent the padded rails with your car-rack straps or setting the board down on its rails. If he rails get rough it causes drag and your board will be slower and won't turn as smoothly in the waves. Damaged rail pads can be patched and sanded smooth but prevention is better. Use an edgeguard on you paddle edge and carry the board in a boardbag to protect the soft rails.

Boards with with pads attached to the entire center of the deck leave the rails bare and smooth. They are not as user friendly as padded rails but higher performance and more carefree. The edge of the attached pad can drag a little, if your rail is buried deep, catch on things or trip you. The pad can also delaminate, but it's easily repaired with glue.

A new and unique application is the recessed deck pads as seen on the '08 Laird models. The rails are bare and the pad is applied in a recess that's carved into the deck. The pads edge is not exposed to snag or drag, giving the board clean and smooth lines.

One advantage of all factory-installed padded decks is that they can be up to $500 less expensive than their full-gloss counterparts. The savings come from deleting the labor of painting, glossing and polishing the deck. Many of these boards have matte finish white bottoms which makes invisible repairs easy with white Ding-stick or Marine -tex

The higest performance deck pads are applied custom to a gloss deck board. This way there is a huge variety of brands and types of pads available which can be personalized exactly to the riders demands and color preference. Various textures, sizes and shapes of pads can really make a performance difference. Also, you can combine pads and waxed areas or XM film. XM is a clear un-padded traction application that can also be used on the entire deck if you like. Keep in mind that all this personalization comes with a price. Custom deck traction can easily cost $50-$200 depending on what you choose to do. When you consider what it costs for the highest performance bicycle its OK!

http://www.standuppaddleflatwater.com/

Beginner Tips - Turning and Spinning

Initially you’ll be turning the board slowly by stroking away from the board, but this is the slow way around. This is fine for calm flat water, but too slow for surf or wind driven waves.

The faster way to turn is to put weight on the back of the board and stroke forwards with the paddle on one side of the board to pivot the board. Put one leg in front of the other and start practicing this turn by putting weight on your back leg. This works even better if you take a step backwards. If you're not turning easily, step farther back. Depending upon the design of your board, if you step too far back it'll sink so much that you may fall off. You need to lean on the paddle a bit to optimize these moves. Once you can spin the board 360 degrees you’re ready for choppy conditions and surf.

Check out this How To Pivot Turn Video.

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.