Quick Tip: How to Get Your Board to Run (Glide)

The interplay of the board, body, paddle, water and wind can make or brake (pun intended) your hulls ability to move forward in the water. In experimenting with what works and what doesn’t, I have listed the following points to ponder and execute.

1.) Time the catch so as not to decelerate, but to accelerate the run of the hull.

2.) Apply the pull (force) with the intention of moving the boat forward. 

3.) Don’t create a braking moment with your paddle in the beginning of your stroke.

4.) The catch and pull happen rather quickly and in succession.

5.) After the start of the catch/pull phase, the stroke ends sooner than you realize.

6.) Your stroke should not look like it is individual parts, but rather a fluid rhythmic blending.

7.) If you do not know how to feel blade face pressure go back to 101 or hire me to teach you how!

8.) Take the time to watch yourself paddling with video. If you have it down, your video will show a forward driving glide. If you don’t see this you need work.

9.) Good forward glide can be achieved at various mph and cadences learn them all.

10.) Minimize excessive non productive body motion. 

I hope this can help give you some tools to work on the next time you stand up paddle. Also find a way to adapt your personal style to the techniques needed for modern relevant paddling.

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