It's not difficult to know how to turn a inflatable stand-up paddleboard once you understand the basics. After reading this article, you will know the different techniques to make your turns with ease, whether you are on an inflatable or rigid paddleboard.
Prerequisites: how to balance on your paddleboard and how to paddle correctly?
Before learning how to turn and make a U-turn on a SUP, it is essential to know how to balance on your paddleboard and how to paddle correctly. To start, we advise you to practice on flat water with not too much wind or currents. The correct position for maximum balance is to place your feet on either side of the carrying handle. Slightly bend your knees and keep your gaze straight ahead. For more balance, you can start on your knees. To become stable as quickly as possible, it is best to start paddling immediately.
How to paddle on a SUP?
To begin, place one hand on the end of the paddle and the other roughly in the middle of the shaft. Be careful to hold your paddle in the correct direction, i.e., with the angle facing forward. To paddle, simply dip the paddle far in front of you and bring it back towards you. Let it slide along the board, making sure to keep your arms straight. When the blade of your paddle reaches your feet, you can take it out of the water and repeat the movement. The further away from your board you paddle to the sides, the faster you will turn.
How to turn and make a U-turn on a stand-up paddleboard?
To turn and make a U-turn on a paddleboard, the technique is quite simple, whether you are on an inflatable SUP or a rigid SUP. You just need to paddle on the opposite side to where you want to go. For example, if you want to go right, you will need to paddle left and vice versa. The larger the arc you make with your paddle while paddling, the faster you will turn. To make a complete U-turn, simply repeat the operation several times.
This is not the only technique for turning on a stand-up paddleboard. Depending on your stand-up paddleboarding skill level and your board, you can use three different techniques to turn on a SUP: the classic turn, the back-paddle turn, and the surf turn.
1 – How to turn on a stand-up paddleboard: the classic turn
As we explained earlier, the classic turn on a stand-up paddleboard is quite simple. It doesn't matter whether you're on an inflatable or rigid SUP. You just need to paddle on the opposite side to where you want to go, drawing an arc in the water with your paddle. Repeat the operation as many times as necessary.
To be more stable during this maneuver, we advise you to slightly bend your knees and keep your gaze straight, pointed in the direction you want to go. If you are not yet very comfortable, avoid looking at your paddle during the movement, as this may unbalance you.
While this technique is the simplest, it should be noted that it is not suitable for touring paddleboards, which are much larger and therefore much slower to turn. For touring or race SUPs, the following techniques are preferred.
2 – How to turn quickly on a paddleboard: the back-paddle turn
The second technique for turning and making a U-turn on a stand-up paddleboard is the back-paddle turn. Behind this name, which may seem complicated, lies a rather simple technique. This time, you will have to paddle on the side you want to turn, but in the opposite direction, meaning from the back of the board towards the front. This way, the front of your board will move towards where you want to turn. This technique is very suitable for long race and touring boards like the Alpha 12’6×31, the Easy 12’6×32 or the Girly 12’6×28.
3 – How to turn on a paddleboard for the most skilled: the "surf" turn
This last technique is the most difficult to master but it allows for quick turns and U-turns on inflatable or rigid paddleboards. This technique is used by competitors who need to turn quickly during a paddle race. To perform this turn, you will need to move your feet back towards the rear of the board, while being careful to keep them on the central axis (see photo above). Once your feet are in position, shift your weight onto your back foot and bend your front leg to put your paddleboard in a surf position. This position will create a pivot point at the fin. You then just need to draw an arc with your paddle on the opposite side to where you want to go. To turn efficiently, you will need to send your paddle as far back as possible.
Once the turn is complete, simply return to your initial position with a light step, following the central axis of the paddleboard. Be careful, this technique causes high instability, so to maintain balance it is advisable to paddle throughout the maneuver.
Learn paddleboarding and progress quickly: the best boards
To progress easily and quickly, it is essential to have a good paddleboard. At Sroka, we have been experts in inflatable paddleboard design since 2013. We work hard to develop one of the best products on the market. Our goal is to enable everyone to benefit from the best equipment, at the best quality/price ratio.
Nature is our playground, which is why we make it a point of honor to develop quality, ultra-solid and durable paddleboards that will thus limit the use of new resources.
If you still have questions about this, or for any other request, do not hesitate to contact us!
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