Basics to paddling straight on a SUP / Getting into SUP how to video

Following on in the SUP boarder getting into SUP series, last time we looked at getting up for the first time, now we'll look at getting you paddling straight. Now many of you will find getting up to your feet and paddling along for the first time pretty easy, but learning to paddle in a straight line does take a bit more practice. Now many people find that they zigzag when starting off and have to change paddle strokes every three to four times and many first-time paddlers out there do find this is the most frustrating thing to learn, paddling straight. So here's a few tips to help you paddle straight whatever board you're on. Ensure your feet are evenly spaced on the board, by this I mean equal distance apart on either side of the carry handle. Also make sure your weight is equally distributed between two feet, you're not leaning more onto one foot which would then cause the board to turn. Now one of the most important points here is keeping your paddle shaft vertical at all times when your paddles in the water, by pushing your top hand over in front of your head so you're looking underneath your forearm. If you're on your knees drop your top hand off the handle and onto the shaft to make it easier for your paddle to be more vertical. Then for your body keep your head and shoulders in line with your body and your eyes looking ahead will also keep your board moving straight ahead too. The second most important tip we have here along with the straight paddle shaft is keeping your paddle blade as close to the rail of the board as possible. This will help propel you in a straight line, any angle in your paddle shaft whilst paddling will cause your board to swerve away from your paddle. Keeping your paddle shaft vertical and your paddle blade close to your board and paddling with a bit of confidence and speed the whole time will help you paddle straight. Once you've got these tips mastered you'll probably find you're going in pretty much a straight line but you might want to move on to something called a J stroke or a C stroke. The J stroke is a very simple manoeuvre where you flick the paddle blade out at the end by turning your hand that's holding the handle downwards so your thumb goes away from you and then sliding the paddle out under the water. This will then pull your board around and keep you going in a straighter line. Also remember check out our Sockboarder Pro video on the C stroke as well. By sticking to these key points we can guarantee you're going to be going in a straighter line in no time at all. We'll see you next time with the next basic video which is looking at the step-back turn.