The beauty with stand up paddle boarding is the quick learning process. Any one with a modicum of balance can stand up paddle. Here are a few pointers to get you going as quickly as possible. Combine this with the Red Code and your first steps on a Red Stand Up Board will be as smooth as possible:
Our friends over at www.standuppaddlesurf.co.uk have put together a great How2 section and have allowed us to reproduce it here.
Stand Up Paddle Surfing isn’t that hard to learn as unlike normal surfing you can learn to do it on almost any body of water. To start with you will find standing up on the board and paddling will be the trickiest part. If you already surf then the wave riding part should be pretty familiar, except that you will be riding for longer and more often!
In this section we aim to give a few key pointers. The best thing about sports such as Stand Up Paddle Surfing is that you can build your own style and techniques. These pointers are just the basics to which you can add your own style and flair too. Check out the video at the end of the page too…
Getting going
For your best chance of success choose a calm piece of water with no tidal current and a day with little or no wind.When you first step on the board and want to paddle forward make sure your feet are both facing forwards and are next to each other, about shoulder width apart. This will help you pull efficiently against the paddle. If this feels really unstable then shift one foot just a head of the other, but not so much that you are in your surfing stance.
Paddling
Hold the paddle with one hand about half way down the shaft and the other hand on the T Bar grip at the top of the paddle. With a straight back and slightly bent knees reach forward and place the first 1/3 of the paddle into the water. Your aim should be to pull yourself towards the paddle rather than pull the paddle towards you. As the paddle moves past your body you should pick it out of the water and rotate the blade and bring the paddle through the air and back to the starting position. Then, repeat the stroke. If you are moving off course, swap your hands around and put in a stroke on the other side of the board. (when paddling on your left hand side your right hand should be on the T Bar grip. When you are paddling on your right hand side your left hand should be on the T Bar.)
Pro Tip: Try doing a J stroke to help steer your board without having to constantly swap sides. Imagine that as the paddle comes down the side of the board this is the vertical part of the J. As you reach the end of the stroke twist the paddle and draw the curly part of the J out away from your board. It takes a bit of practice but worth doing. Keep your head up and looking forward. If you look at your paddle you’ll probably fall into towards it.
Steering
More strokes on one side of the board will make you move in that direction. Experiment with weighting your feet in order to speed up the turn.