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I know there are a number of folk on here who paddle board, I have searched but not managed to find a UK based SUP forum where I can search for information etc.
Does anyone know if there is an active forum please ?
https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk
I know there are some SUP users on there and it’s always seemed friendly and helpful
If you're on Facebook, the UK stand up paddleboarding page is pretty busy.
I quite often mute it though when I've had enough of people saying, 'how do you stand up?' or endless pictures of new boards pumped up in living rooms 😊
It's good for info though (like how do you learn to stand up, for example)
It's also good when someone posts a picture where they, or heaven forbid, one of their children isn't wearing a bouyancy aid, and gets rinsed in the comments. 👍
Thanks Kayak23 but I don't use Facebook.
I'm after information on passing weirs on rivers and launching off Flamborough head on the East coast.
Song of the paddle is more useful than the FB group. It's an old school forum, like this.
Or Ukriversguidebook.
Excellent kayak/canoe-based forum but has many suppists and of course the same information applies.
Lots of river and sea guides, plus the founder of the site has written some excellent guides to paddling the Thames,Wye, Severn and Avon, for example, with lots of info on weirs (and angry swans) etc.
swans on the river = crossing field with cows
Does anyone have a link to a useful instructional video for how to paddle on one side and go straight with a paddle board?
I can kayak and canoe straight but after watching videos and attempting the same on a stand up paddle board I end up zig zagging as well as endlessly alternating sides to compensate (over-compensate)
Enjoyable days out, but I have a very inefficient technique despite some research and trying different techniques
No vids sorry buy my technique to stay straight is Keep paddle close to board then a gentle flick out board / away from the board at the end of your stroke.
keeping paddle close in reduces turning effect and the gentle flick at the end can be varied in strength to counteract any turn from the main paddle stroke.
I tend to switch sides every 5/6 strokes anyway, don't want one massive shoulder 😂
But try to keep the paddle as verticle as possible, which mean leaning over the paddle more.
You need to do an r-stroke. Start with the paddle a little way from the side of the board and in front of you with face of blade facing the board then move paddle towards the board then turn it so the face is towards the rear of board and move it along side of board as close as possible to board and as vertically as possible before removing paddle from water at end of stroke.
I can't remember why an r stroke is better on a SUP compared to the J-stroke which someone above described.
Does anyone have a link to a useful instructional video for how to paddle on one side and go straight with a paddle board?
I can kayak and canoe straight
When you say canoe, you mean a single-ended paddle right?
The principle is very similar, although I do the steering part of the stroke at the start of the stroke rather than the end.
In a canoe, you tend to do what's called a J-stroke. Paddle in at reach, close to the boat, nice and vertical, and as you draw parallel with your hips you rotate your top hand so as the paddle becomes a little like a fish tail, and a gentle push away from the boat as the stroke ends counteracts the steering effect of the stroke as a whole.
Practise and you'll hit the balance.
On a paddleboard, what you're trying to do is very similar, but for me, the steering part comes first, not last.
As I reach forward and the blade enters the water, initially I have my top hand slightly rotated so that the blade enters the water parallel to the board (fishtailesque again) with the power face, facing the board, and as the stroke starts initially I am drawing the paddle towards the board (only very subtlety) before rotating my wrist back to bring the paddle perpendicular and doing the driving part of the stroke vertically along the board.
That type of stroke in kayaking is called a hanging draw if you hold it, and a draw stroke otherwise. It's what you can use to make steering movements and to snap into eddies etc.
The steering part of that stroke as I say is pretty subtle, the level you put in depending on whether you want to turn or whether you simply want to travel straight.
To steer a canoe, you do it from the back. To steer a Sup, it's from the front (the fin is designed to track and resist turning) hence the hanging draw-style stroke.
This is all how I do it. Others do it differently.
I'm definitely more natural one side than the other but I can paddle straight all day either side.
EDIT - as wwpaddler has just described above. An R-stroke 👍
I can’t remember why an r stroke is better on a SUP compared to the J-stroke which someone above described.
Because...
To steer a canoe, you do it from the back. To steer a Sup, it's from the front (the fin is designed to track and resist turning) hence the hanging draw-style stroke.
You need to do an r-stroke
I do this also, but couldn't workout how to describe it! Only needs a very light draw
I don't SUP but I do sea kayak. You might find this website of some help if you intend to paddle places like Flamborough head.
This will give you useful tidal information about tides and has suitable launch places (for a sea kayak) as a red circle.
I use it a lot for sea kayaking as well other resources.
Hope it helps.
The other thing that can help you stay straight is to have a tiny bit more weight on the foot that’s the same side as the paddle. That will steer the board gently in the opposite direction to the effect of the paddle stroke
Brilliant advice, thank you
Yes, I’ve been using my J-stroke from canoes but now understand this needs to be from the front (R stroke) for a paddleboard
Much appreciated, I look forward to trying out this new technique this weekend
Make sure you film it, as you may well trip over your paddle and fall in at first 😉👍
swans on the river = crossing field with cows
I've had no problems with swans but a river full of cows made us carry our boards, a couple of weeks ago.
Initially the one stroke paddleboarders need to master is the one that sends them straight back to shore so they can put an effing bouyancy aid on.
Not aimed at the op btw,😃
You only need two things.
A dog to make it more fun.
And learn how to headstand, no one will care about your paddling style but everyone will be impressed when you float by on your head.
The general standard of paddling is so low that its quite hard to find much about technique (at least that's what I've found, I'm not on Facebook or the forums). It seems like there isn't a solid base of enthusiasts to build an actual community like here. It's much more about leisure.
I found these videos quite good for technique:
Also the MAIB report about Haverfordwest is hard but useful reading:
For what it's worth I started out paddling on only one side and then have switched to two sided paddling. It seems to be what all the racers do.
Amanda and I are both itching to get SUPs. Can we just make STW the new home of SUPs and be done with it?
Just bought a PFD .... have been managing without but as I start thinking about doing more river / sea paddling rather than just on canals, I thought it might be a good idea !
@stwhannah - just join the paddling thread. There are so many paddlers of all sorts on here, some great coaches and club folk.
You only need two things.
A dog to make it more fun.
And learn how to headstand, no one will care about your paddling style but everyone will be impressed when you float by on your head.
And instagram. 😉
Just bought a PFD …. have been managing without but as I start thinking about doing more river / sea paddling rather than just on canals, I thought it might be a good idea !
I'm far more likely to smack my head and need something to help me float to the surface when I'm on the river/canal so I always wear a PFD just in case. Even wearing it at my desk, here! 😀
I have a Restube inflatable thing - it's a hip pack and you pull a ripcord to inflate it - as well as a normal jacket type, but haven't been brave enough to try the Restube one yet. What happens if I need it and it fails? 🙁
Step one... Never buy anything from a "prepped" shop that way madness lies.