4 Tips to improve your stand-up paddling

Discover our advice to improve your technique in endurance, balance, and paddling technique!

Thanks to advice from Itiwit, now you know how to put together your SUP and paddle. But now you've finished this beginners' phase, you're starting to feel a little bored, or you get tired quickly and want to avoid this. These two signs indicate that it's time to move onto a new phase in your SUP training. Discover 5 tips to improve your endurance, balance, and paddling technique!

#1: Perfect your paddle entry and stroke

Once you've mastered paddling, you might still be making a few mistakes in your technique while you're out on the water. Take a few minutes to analyze your movement, correct it, and improve your efficiency.

Check that your paddle goes into the water gently, without splashing.

To get a good reach, lean forward, pivot your hips, and move forward the shoulder of the arm that is placed lower on the paddle. The arm at the top of the paddle must pass in front of your face so that the paddle is vertical in the water, which will optimize your stroke.

To bring your paddle back, pull with the bottom arm, and push with the top arm. Like a lever! Your paddle — perpendicular to your board — must be at its maximum depth in the water when it passes the middle of your SUP.

stand up paddle board paddling technique

#2:Optimise your paddle exit

An important marker: when your paddle moves past your body, the movement loses most of its propulsion power. It's better to push before this!

Another tip:bring the paddle out when it comes level with your feet, giving it a 1/4 turn. This reduces the effect of the blade being caught by the wind, and helps you to move forwards in a straight line.

# 3: Strengthen your muscles

You've corrected and optimised your paddle movement? Now it's time to turn it up a notch !

For more power, work on strengthening your muscles: by doing front planks on the ground, or even on your SUP on the water; by working your abs while holding your paddle at arm's length, with your hands apart: this will strengthen your abdominal muscles, giving you a stronger paddle stroke!

#4 : Gaining endurance on your stand-up paddle

The final stage in your SUP progress: endurance work through interval training. Alternate phases at 80% of your capacity, and active rest phases.

Start easy, then increase your distance and time, with a 2 hour outing, then a half day and a full day. And why not a long-distance tour?

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