Learn To Surf Class 2 - Develop Your Paddling Skills
The art of paddling
Before reading this article, you should have read the first article on choosing a board, and have a sturdy old larger board ready to go.
You want a larger board because it will not sink down and create resistance or drag in the water.
Whether your surfboard is big or small, you now have to get a feel for it, before tackling the moving waters of the surf.
Getting practice in a calm section of water, like a sheltered bay will help you get your position right on your board, so when you head out through the surf you don’t have to shift your weight around so much, because your comfortable with your position before hand.
When you feel your comfortable to head out in the smaller swells. Walk your surfboard out to about knee to waist height. Then lie on the surfboard so your weight is central, keep your chest just above the middle, then when your ready, and the board feels stable, level out your surfboard by leaning forward and start paddling.
Do not lay to far back on the board, because the tail will drag in the water and slow you down.
Once you get to choppy water and whitewash, keep your chest raised off the board as much as possible, it will help the nose of the board rise over the little stuff. If that nose goes under you will loose momentum, and possible even get pushed backwards.
When paddling, keep your hand cupped, and use deep strokes, this will push you faster through the water. The more strength you put in, and more resistance you feel, the quicker the board will move.
While you might use more energy on your strokes, you will get out faster, and have to deal with less sets of waves, so in reality you will use less energy overall.
You feel comfortable and your paddling well, now you need to get through the larger waves, so watch out for the next installment, rolling your board over and duckdiving.
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