Why Can't I Stand Up On My SUP / SUPboarder How To

Hello and welcome to this SUP Boarder video. Now we're going to be taking a look at why you might not be able to stay standing up when you are out paddling. Now whether you've just purchased a board and you've been out a few times and you find it difficult, whether you've been trying for quite a long time and just can't manage to stay standing on your stand-up paddleboard, we have a few tips for you and we are going to help. Now what are the things that might be making it difficult for us to stand? Well there's really three areas. The first one is your board, so the size of your board, be it the length, width and the volume of the board and thickness also comes into it. The second point that might be hindering your ability to stand up is the type of conditions that you paddle in and also the location that you go paddling in as well. And thirdly, just the technique or your overall posture and body position when you are up and standing. It might not be the correct way to stand so we're going to be taking a look into some tips and hints that are going to help you to be able to stay standing up on yourself. There are so many boards on the market right now, it's really hard to know which board is best for you, especially when the shapes are all different. If you've just purchased a new board and you're struggling to stand on it, it might be the wrong size for you. I really suggest taking a look at another video we've done about choosing the right board size. The most common element of board size is the length. So firstly, it's best to get a longer board that's approximately 10'6 or between that 10 feet to 11 feet mark. This is going to give you great glide through the water, also the stability needed to start paddleboarding. Width is the next element we really need to look at and a 32 inch width is pretty much the standard starting width for many boards. If you're weighing over 100kg or maybe you just need some extra confidence in the water then you can go a little bit wider with the board. Looking for design elements such as width in the nose and in the tail as well really helps with stability as you have a larger platform to stand on. The thickness of the board is also going to play a part in your stability when you are up and standing. Now most boards are 6 inches thick which is great for certain types of paddling and paddlers like those who weigh over about 95kg or those who want to really take a lot of gear with them when they are touring. But if you're on the lighter weight side, say under 75kg, then a board that is 4.75 inches or 5 inches thick will benefit you greatly. Firstly, you are closer to the water which means you have a lower centre of gravity and it makes it a little bit more stable for you. But it's also easier to manage when you are turning your board or climbing back on if you do fall in. Now all of these elements make up the volume of the board. So the length, the width and the thickness will equal the total volume of the board. The more volume, the more float you are going to have. But the more volume doesn't necessarily mean your board is going to be longer because obviously width and thickness also play a part. Now, once we have the right board size we need to think about the next step which is the type of conditions we're going to be paddling in. Wind, tide and weather are big factors that can affect your ability to stand up when paddling. You always, always want to check the wind and weather forecast before you head out for a paddle. Forecasts change too. So if you're planning a paddle for next week, remember to always keep going back and checking the forecast right up until you are about to go out because it may have changed. The most important things to look for on the forecast is the wind direction and the wind strength. Once we know these we can then choose the location that is going to be sheltered and out of the wind. But of course if the wind is really strong, say over 15 or 20 knots, it is going to be hard to find a large area that is sheltered from the wind. You can stand up paddle in the rain but make sure that it's not a storm and make sure that there's no flash flooding that is forecast. If you're paddling on a coastal waterway, say an estuary or a river, then the tides will play a part with the moving water. So make sure you choose the right tide time. That may be a high tide or a low tide depending on where you're located. But like we said before, wind is the biggest element that will hinder your abilities to stay standing. So if you want to learn how to paddle in the wind and bumpy water, make sure you check out our Supboarder Pro video where we get a little bit more technical into how you can stay standing in choppier water. So choosing a flat and calm location is definitely going to be the best way to get you staying standing on your feet. So you have the correct board size underneath your feet and you also have chosen the correct paddling location. Let's take a look at some tips and techniques that are really going to help you stay standing up. Firstly when looking at the techniques we need to take into consideration our paddle. So adjusting your paddle to the right height is key. This is usually between six to ten inches above your head or if you extend your arm out so your elbow is slightly bent above your head and that is a great place to start if you are a beginner paddler. But then you can adjust this accordingly as you progress and change disciplines. Make sure that the paddle is the right way forward as well. It's just going to feel much more smoother and you're going to have a more comfortable paddling stroke. When you're pushing off from the shoreline start on your knees. Heading out from the shore on your knees is the best first step for standing up. You can find your balance and this will really help knowing where your feet are going to be. Your knees sit roughly either side of the handle or the balance point and that's exactly where your feet are going to go when standing up. A top tip here don't spend too long on your knees as you will develop pins and needles and the longer you're on your knees you'll feel more stiff making your chances of standing up even harder. Another tip here is to always go barefoot so you can use your feet and toes on the board. That way you are able to grip on if needed. However you do get achy feet if you're gripping on with your toes so try to relax those. Now for the standing up phase. So from our knees your feet are going to lift up and be placed right where your knees are one by one but here are a few handy hints. Before you stand get up some speed on your knees first. With speed and momentum comes stability so always aim for this. Keep looking forward where you look is where you go so don't look down or at your feet. Keep a slight bend in your knees once you are up and standing and that way you can keep moving forward with that momentum. Straight legs is going to equal a splash in water. Once you are up place your paddle in the water for stability and then start taking small strokes to keep moving forward. Remember momentum equals stability. Lastly stay relaxed. It's much easier to stay standing when you are relaxed. Flexibility is another big factor that may hinder our standing up ability. You may not have that flexibility or movement to be able to stand as quickly or as early because the movement in the ankles and the knees and even the hips may not be as strong as some other people. So that means when we are getting up to our feet we can't get our heels back on the board to give us that flat platform for balance. Remember momentum equals stability. So getting up some speed on your knees is really going to help you. Now if you lift one foot up and place it under your knee resting on your toes is fine. What you can do is try and lift up and paddle a little bit more to get some more speed which is going to give you momentum. Once you have this speed place the paddle down on the board again and try to lift the other foot up. Once you have both feet up the best thing to do here is to put the paddle in the water straight away and start to paddle forward. This is really going to keep that momentum up and then you can start to really fall back onto your heels and hopefully you will have that stable platform for you to stand. One of the biggest factors that can hinder our improvement and our enhancement with our standing up is of course fear. Now the biggest fear is falling into the water but really what's the worst going to happen? Maybe you'll get wet, maybe you'll get a little bit cold but there are ways to counteract that problem as well. For example you could wear a wetsuit if the water is quite cold if there's a little bit of a wind chill or even better you can jump into the water before you even start standing up on your paddleboard and that way you're going to already get a feel for what the water is like and if you fall in it's not going to be a big of an issue because you're already wet. Now we really hope that this video helps you to stay standing up on your stand-up paddleboard. These tips, hints, board size, paddling location are really the best ways for you to be able to stay standing up and enjoy your paddleboarding. Thanks so much for tuning in to this SUP water video, really look forward to seeing you on another one really soon.