advantages of knee paddling?

[timeframe]

i see lots of dvd's with people knee paddling, what are the advantages/disadvantages of this?

[garbarrage]

harder for sharks to get a bite....

[parrysurf]

I have never owner a log big enough for my fat ass to pull off the knee paddle. would seem to be a bit more leverage from a higher paddle position.

[pkbum]

I've seen some skinny ass old people do it and they fly by real fast.

[justloafing]

I've seen some skinny ass old people do it and they fly by real fast.

[greenpimpernel]

great way to paddle out , or take off on small waves, any thing over 3/4. foot your likely to go straight down the mine, also looks ungainly on bigger waves.

[alexgirl]

never tried it.

[billie_morini]

paddling while kneeling uses different muscles and is used sometimes because of that. Out at 38th Street in Santa Cruz it looks like a lot of people do it for the fun of it.

[Surfing-Innovation]

I do it sometimes - just to give my shoulders and neck a bit of a rest. I also find that it means I can see sets coming a bit easier so can avoid getting caught inside a bit better.

But if you're a big person (AKA fat or just plain heavy) then you can end up with a big compression ding in the deck of your board

[micko]

I know what you mean about giving your shoulders a rest. I've done it a few times when I've had really big ass boards when I've been travelling and using rentals, once on a 10' tufflite and another time on a 9' foamy, and its great for mixing it up a bit.

Ive just moved up from a shorter board because of the waves round here, but to my suprise my new 9'6" glass board dont knee paddle well at all. It doesnt sit flat in the water, the nose kind of sticks out when I knee paddle it. Its 23' and 3', and a kind of 60s shaped 3 stringer model so figured it would glide like a glidey thing. So i'm interested in what you reckon about the dimensions required for good knee paddling. Im 6'1" and about 78kg.

[crepuscular]

paddling while kneeling uses different muscles and is used sometimes because of that. Out at 38th Street in Santa Cruz it looks like a lot of people do it for the fun of it.

i thinks it makes the surfer less tiring when paddling out because you are using most of your body instead of just the arms; you'll see surf life savers use knee paddling a lot, just ask them why

[twerked]

i knee paddle the 9' softops we use for lessons when we have down time. i can only do it for so long though, i have wretched knees and they hurt after about 10 minutes or so of paddling. a lot of people go to their knees it for paddle races. a bit faster i guess, but also makes more of you to get caught up in the wind

[isaluteyou]

all the lifeguards knee paddle not sure to the advantages

[tree4]

I'd do it if I could, but as a beginner, putting my centre of gravity up too much just makes me fall off.

[twerked]

^depends on your board too. some just aren't wide/thick/stable enough to knee paddle, even though they're long

[matt2000]

i have tried it on my 9' and finds that it syncs the exhale/inhale dig down/straighten up cycles much better, and it keeps the lungs relaxed more since you are not putting your weight on it. On the other hand, laying flat tends to crane the back of the neck, bad for your posture in the long run (same feeling as bicycle racer looking up). The only negative about kneel paddling is that it hurts my knee caps. So i haven't found the best of both worlds yet.

[intrus]

Anyone know the name or make of the knee paddling board used by Gerard Butler in "Chasing Mavericks"? I want one of those.

[esonscar]

Dunno . . . I use my hands.

EDIT: Oooh my bad . . . just read
"billie_morini wrote:
paddling while kneeling uses different muscles and is used sometimes because of that. Out at 38th Street in Santa Cruz it looks like a lot of people do it for the fun of it." sooooo . . . .

I guess you can use your core (stomach and lower back) as a strong pivot . . . I never have to be honest . . . I just always paddle laying down . . . and have never been out-paddled . . . mind yo I used to swim for three to six hours each day so maybe that helps a bit. I reckon paddling when kneeling would hurt the knees like hell too !

Courses for horses methinks.

[greg2935]

I think it depend on how stable the board is, I have a 9'6'' Many Returns board and it is simply not stable enough to be able to knee paddle. This is because with the higher centre of gravity in that position makes the board pivot easier, and the board will flip as soon as it hits anything not in line with the board. Catching waves with the board is also interesting as you have to move either backwards or forwards depending on the wave shape. Really easy to turn though . I've knee paddled on a 9' foamie; not sure my knees could handle anything less soft

Greg

[GandS1964]

Pretty much all of us knee paddled in the longboard 60's. You can tell an old surfer by the surfing knobs on his/her knees. In places with cold winters, we all got bloody knees in the spring (and sometimes on the upper feet if you don't curl your toes when you kneel). The real advantage is decreased need for great upper body strength since you use your whole upper body to pull. I find prone very tiring (I'm 62). Also, it's easier to get up when you're just learning.