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Surfing Lesson Two - Paddling on your Board

Paddling, if you don't know already, is the bit that you do when you are in the water but are not standing up and riding a wave. It's pretty much all the rest of surfing!

It's important that you become proficient at paddling for several reasons:

• If you can't paddle well enough to get out beyond the breaking waves to the lineup, you'll never get a decent ride on a wave.
• If you're slower at paddling than everyone else, then you'll never catch a wave with other surfers when you do finally make it out.
• The longer it takes you to paddle out, the more likely you'll be to get caught by breaking waves; this will tire you more.

During this lesson we're going to have a look at both paddling and how to position yourself on your surfboard when paddling. Don't worry about all of the incoming waves crashing into you and washing you back on to the beach like a piece of driftwood. We'll learn how to deal with that in a later lesson. So, how do to paddle your board?

Paddling Position on the Surfboard

Paddling is done pretty much the same way on both a shortboard and a longboard. With a longboard you can employ a slightly different variation to the paddle, but for the moment we'll ignore that. First we'll look at the position you need to be in on the surfboard. This is probably best done with the picture below:

Position of the surfer while paddling

You'll soon get a feel for what the correct position on the surfboard is like. At first you'll find that the incorrect positioning will lead to your board popping out from under you. This will happen frequently when you first start, so it's a good idea to practice in a location where you won't knock anyone out!

• Position your body weight along the centre of the board.
• Raise your feet slightly off the end of the board.
• Maintain your body far enough back to keep the nose of the board about a couple of inches out of the water, but not so far back that you create too much drag.

It takes a little time to find the most comfortable position, and it will depend on your height and weight, and also the length of your surfboard. A longer, wider board makes this lesson much easier. Take a look at the ideal surfboard for beginners. Give yourself a decent start, and pick a day when the water isn't too choppy.

The paddling lesson continues here.

Comments

	Guest on May 25, 2011	how to DO paddle your board? i think not. how DO YOU paddle your board, you see?
	Guest on Aug 30, 2011	so its like a freestyle swim in the arms part?
	surf patrol on Aug 31, 2011	It's similar, but it's not so pronounced as a freestyle stroke, its shorter and you don't reach so far.
	Guest on Oct 15, 2011	OK so they keep toking about long and short boards how can you tell which one works for you
	Sapphire79 on Oct 22, 2011	I think surfing is one of the best way to stay fit.
	surf patrol on Oct 22, 2011	I agree, it's just a shame that there are days without waves. Have you checked out our surf fitness section?
	Guest on Mar 29, 2012	iam doing a report on this and i really want to try to surf