LE MAGAZINEHow to turn a stand-up paddle?
It’s not difficult to figure out how to turn an inflatable stand-up paddle once you’ve understood the basics. After reading this article, you’ll know the different techniques for making your turns with ease, whether you’re on an inflatable or rigid paddle.
Prerequisites: how to balance your paddle and paddle well?
Before learning how to turn and turn back on SUP, it’s essential to know how to balance on your paddle and how to paddle correctly. To start with, we advise you to practice on flat water without too much wind or current. The best position for maximum balance is to place your feet on either side of the carrying handle. Bend your knees slightly and keep your eyes straight. For more balance, you can start on your knees. To achieve stability as quickly as possible, it’s best to start paddling straight away.
How to paddle SUP
To begin, place one hand on the end of the paddle and the other roughly in the middle of the shaft. Take care to hold your paddle the right way round, i.e. with the angle towards the front. To paddle, simply dip the paddle far in front of you and bring it back towards you. Let it glide along the board, keeping your arms straight. When the paddle blade reaches your feet, you can pull it out of the water and repeat the movement. The further you paddle away from your board on the sides, the more you’ll turn.
How to turn a stand-up paddle?
The technique for turning a paddle is pretty straightforward, whether you’re on an inflatable SUP or a rigid SUP. All you have to do is paddle on the opposite side to where you want to go. For example, if you want to go right, you’ll have to paddle left and vice versa. The further the arc of your paddle away from your board, the faster you’ll turn. To make a complete U-turn, simply repeat the operation several times.
This is not the only technique for stand-up paddle turning. Depending on your level of stand-up paddling and your board, you can use three different techniques to turn SUP: the classic turn, the retropulsion turn and the surf turn.
1 – How to turn a stand-up paddle: the classic turn
As we explained earlier, the classic stand-up paddle turn is pretty straightforward. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on an inflatable or rigid SUP. Simply paddle to the opposite side of the water from where you want to go, drawing an arc with your paddle. Repeat the operation as many times as necessary.
To be more stable during this manoeuvre, we advise you to bend your knees slightly and keep your gaze straight, pointing in the direction you want to go. If you’re not yet very comfortable, avoid looking at your paddle during the movement, as this may throw you off balance.
While this is the simplest technique, it is not suitable for touring paddles, which are much larger and therefore take much longer to turn. For SUP touring or racing paddles, the following techniques are preferable.
2 – How to turn quickly on a paddle: the retropulsion turn
The second technique for turning and U-turning a stand-up paddle is retropulsion. Behind this complicated name lies a rather simple technique. This time, you’ll have to paddle on the side you want to turn, but in the opposite direction, i.e. from the back of the board to the front. This way, the front of your board will move towards where you want to turn. This technique is well-suited to long race and touring boards like the Alpha 12’6×31, Easy 12’6×32 or Girly 12’6×28.
3 – How to turn a paddle for the more adept: the “surf” turn
This last technique is the most difficult to master, but it allows you to make quick turns and U-turns on an inflatable or rigid paddle. This technique is used by competitors who need to turn quickly during a paddle race. To perform this turn, you’ll need to move your feet back towards the rear of the board, taking care to keep them in line with the centerline (see photo above). Once your feet are in position, shift your weight onto your back foot and flex your front leg to put your paddle in surf position. This position will create a point of rotation at the fin. Now all you have to do is draw an arc with your paddle on the opposite side to where you want to go. To turn effectively, you’ll need to send your paddle as far back as possible.
Once you’ve made the turn, simply return to your initial position with a light step, following the paddle’s central axis. To keep your balance, it’s advisable to row throughout the manoeuvre.
Learn to paddle and progress quickly: the best boards
To progress easily and quickly, it’s essential to have a good paddle board. At Sroka we’ ve been experts in inflatable paddle design since 2013. We work hard to develop one of the best products on the market. Our aim is to enable everyone to benefit from the best equipment, at the best value for money.
Nature is our playground, which is why we make it a point of honor to develop quality, ultra-strong and durable paddles that will thus limit the use of new resources.
If you have any further questions, or if you have any other requests, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Le Magazine
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