How To Safely Canoe Paddle Surf w/Pics

General Discussion
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Canoe paddle surfing is becoming popular across the globe. Doing it safely and being fully aware of others and your abilities are crucial to having a stoked out session free of injuries, whether it be to you or others… If you do decide to get into this, you will find out it can be very frustrating at first but if you stick to it, the rewards can be unreal!

Some of the rewards… Riding a Surftech 12’ Mickey Munoz Superglide

Surftech 11’ Mickey Munoz Ultraglide

Paddling advantages can be insane IF you have a nice channel to get out… Pushing through whitewater is really tough with these huge boards. I personally sit down paddle and knee paddle through whitewater and when taking off. Seems like most people are getting into Stand Up paddle surfing… That is even harder to punch through surf… This is why its crucial to not endanger others especially while your still a KOOK at it… Stay the hell away from others!!!

Punching though…

I prefer to stay low and away from crowds…

Chip, your take off sequence is on the way…

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I knee paddle instead of Stand Up paddle to get in… After trying so many different paddles I found the 48" Kialoa Dave’s Hybrid is the best overall surfing paddle for my ability and surfing style. Its short which allows you to get low on turns when needed… You may have to try different ones to suit you… If you are gonna Stand Up paddle, you can make your paddle one open hand span, pinky to thumb over your head. That’s a good place to start.

Get plenty practice before you head out into the waves by sprinting in flat water. Once you get the stroke down you can head out into the surf… Make sure no one is around… Getting into a wave kneeling goes like this… Most important thing is to be lined up straight and get that momentum up. Stroke hard! Get that baby up to a speedy glide and maybe even an extra couple strokes for good measure…

From here you can see I’m planting my hands and after awhile you don’t even notice the paddle there…

After photo 6 I get my feet into position right away and start to flip the paddle over…

The paddle needs to be hitting the water with the back side or sticker side up… If you paddled in

on the left side here’s where you switch it over and make the flip…

Firmly planted, taking the drop and finishing up the paddle flip… Whoosh!!!

Lay on that paddle hard and into that bottom turn baby!!! Ahwoooooooo!!!

It takes plenty practice! If you’re gonna Stand Up paddle, it takes even more practice… Be safe… That’s a huge board your swinging around!

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good to see this important, inspiring thread back. thanks for the new & improved version carvenalu.

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Canoe Paddle surfing becoming popular is inevitable. Here’s some of the things to know right off the bat…

PROS:

1. Awesome paddle speed. You can cover plenty ground in a surf session. I’ve surfed 7 different spots in a single session. That’s the kind of mobility and paddle speed you can get out of this form of surfing…

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2. Getting in the waves early. You can get in waves super early which allows you to surf spots that normally you’d pass up because they are to fat or hard to get into…

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3. On top of being able to get around quickly, its nice to just take it all in while cruising along. Because you’re upright you can see more and basically enjoying the paddle almost as much as the surfing part… Very cool!

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4. You will get into awesome shape if you aren’t already… Canoe paddling whips your butt!

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CONS:

1. The boards are big and hard to handle. Especially if you are gonna get into Stand Up. Boards 11’ and over are the norm… Lugging around a giant board is not for everyone. Just a simple thing like turning around to catch a wave is a challenge. Throw in having to hang on to the paddle and you have a recipe for being a huge KOOK!! No matter what in the beginning you are gonna be a Kook at it!! Windy days are the worst… If you have no channels, you are gonna be bummed punching through waves. Whitewater will mow you down!

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2. Wipeouts are bad. Expect to have to hold your breath longer. You will be dragged under water far. When the board hits you, man does it hurt! Putting a leash on the paddle is out of the question unless its tiny so expect to go hunt for it after you eat it… When you do get caught inside on big days, you will curse your decision to do this! Hahaha! When it happens to you, make sure you tell us about it. We all want to hear about it! Hehe… Honestly, you have to be focused and dedicated to it to get any good at it. Its harder to do then regular surfing by far…

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3. Other surfers in general DO NOT LIKE THIS! Don’t expect to be greeted with smiles and cheers… Expect snarls and jeers! Haha! Best thing to do is avoid crowds all together. Surf out of the way places or off hours when the crowds are thin… When learning it just stay clear of EVERYONE altogether. Use common sense so no one gets run over by your freight train log!! Surf with Aloha… Be smart and safe. If you are one of the jerks taking advantage of others with this form of surfing I hope they tar and feather you!

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4. Its expensive. Everything is more expensive than regular longboards by far. Materials alone will make the average surfer cringe. I was talking to a famous big wave rider who does this on occasion and he told me no way would he buy one for himself when it would be a very part time thing. He just borrows them because the cost is so high…

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Before you jump head long into this thing you may want to try it first. Most people who I let try my set up said never again. Not worth it to them to have to spend so much time and money to do it. Not only does it take a lot of focus but in the end your surfing takes a different path. Forget under the lip snaps or any really tight turns for that matter and a lot of surfers are not willing to give that up… Throw in everybody treating you like you have advanced stages of Leprosy and then the whole positive vibe gets knocked way down…

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Why do I do it? Well, first and foremost its fun as sh*t because I’m into different things to begin with… I started off Stand Up paddling alone at remote reefs. One day I brought my short paddle and found out it was even funner for me. After months of gradually advancing my skills on it I was able to go out on some fairly hefty days. I payed a lot of dues in the form of long swims from broken leashes to brutal hold downs to losing 200 dollar paddles to having a 12’ board gong me on the head among other things…

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BUT, I still am hooked to it. In fact, I have a couple boards being made by someone who I think is by far the best, progressive Canoe Paddle surfing board builder in the world. Without asking I know he wishes to remain anonymous so I won’t even hint at who he is… Why don’t I build them myself? Because this guy is the best. Period. I have one shorter than 9’ and a big wave gun being made. I’ll have the 2 Munoz boards and those 2 and I’m set for anything.

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So all in all, I have no problem passing on all the knowledge I have on this subject. Its gonna happen no matter what so I feel we better get people ready for the reality of what they are getting into… I’m not the pioneer or the ultimate expert by any means…But I know enough to pass on the important information to help this grow responsibly and in a positive direction. It is a VERY DANGEROUS form of surfing when done around others. You better know your sh*t because bad things can happen quickly. I’m hoping that all of you that do get into this take the approach of teaching others to be safe at it and surf with Aloha.

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Some pics of the stoke…

The Entry…

Part of the learning curve… A split second before getting drilled…Haha!

Flying along…Enjoying life…

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Excellent stuff Carve,

That take off sequence would have to be one of the best seen around here for some time.

Now I know why you’re grinning all the time, and why so many are picking it up.

All it takes are a few feral idiots to spoil it all for people like you.

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When you were inside avalanche on Thursday going left, what are you doing with your paddle when going backside? Do you have to switch stance to use it as a pivot?

You did seem to have excellent mobility going from break to break with a paddle, but the hand paddle in surfer at inside avalanche seemed to be catching the waves just as easily with his log or large gun he was on. The tow in team was really catching alot.

It looked really fun from the view from the right peak at Haleiwa. You even caught a macker and rode by us in the line up. Your leprosy seems to be healing well

Regarding having a standup gun and 9 footer made by the best stand up board maker in the world: We just looked through all our orders and there was none ordered for this size from us. Are you sure about your anonymous shaper being number one period?

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Foammaster, who are you dude? Fill in your profile so we can know mate. Anyone in the So Cal region willing to let me try a paddle set up out? I’m super interested in this. It’d be fun to surf it from Cottons to Uppers to Lowers to Churches, etc, all the way down to Trails or something like that. Reminds me of last summer, I was out at Old Mans (a break at San Onofre) and saw Skip Frye take a left from Dog Patch (which is the next reef south of Old Mans). He then paddles back out, takes off on a wave at Old Mans, and proceeds to take lefts all the way north to the Point (which is the last reef/point before a big gap until Churches), and then he turns around and takes rights all the way back down to Dog Patch. Pretty amazing to watch him find waves in between the reefs where none seemed to exist.

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Hi Carvenalu,

Great to this this thread back !

Quote:

… I have a couple boards being made by someone who I think is by far the best, progressive Canoe Paddle surfing board builder in the world. Without asking I know he wishes to remain anonymous so I won’t even hint at who he is… Why don’t I build them myself? Because this guy is the best. Period. I have one shorter than 9’ and a big wave gun being made. I’ll have the 2 Munoz boards and those 2 and I’m set for anything.

Since you’re not standing up on the board, have you thought/tried boards that are not as wide (say 24" instead of 26" or 27") ? I’m thinking about outlines similar to Skip Frye Eagles.

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thanks heaps Carve [Blane] for doing the new safety-improved version of this thread .

How did you first get into this , and when ?

Were you riding big longboards , before canoe paddle surfing ?

just curious …

cheers !

ben

…WHO is ‘foammaster’, indeed ?? hehe

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Quote:

When you were inside avalanche on Thursday going left, what are you doing with your paddle when going backside? Do you have to switch stance to use it as a pivot?

I just hold it in my right hand on the bottom turn then use it to top turn with 2 hands… That’s what I love about the short paddle. Its never awkward feeling like my big stand up paddle. I don’t even stand up paddle anymore…

Quote:

You did seem to have excellent mobility going from break to break with a paddle, but the hand paddle in surfer at inside avalanche seemed to be catching the waves just as easily with his log or large gun he was on. The tow in team was really catching alot.

Wow, that obvious eh… Yesterday I was out of it. I felt soooo drained and very un-motivated. I stood on the beach an hour before going out and almost wished I didn’t. When I came back to Haleiwa it was to go in and relax… I didn’t even stay out very long… I’m hoping I’m not coming down with something… I hate being sick!!! That guy you saw is from Hawaii but moved to CA for his work… He’s only back for a few days so I was stoked to sit on the side and encourage him into waves. He paddles like an animal! He was the guy with gloves on that 10’-2" Aipa.

Quote:

It looked really fun from the view from the right peak at Haleiwa. You even caught a macker and rode by us in the line up. Your leprosy seems to be healing well

I did? Haha! I don’t even remember… I thought I got a mid size close out cause I remember doing a couple turns and thinking ahhhhhhh, yes, the beach! I just wanted to get in and kick back… I felt like goo… I’ve been doing it enough to not be a danger to anyone at Haleiwa. Plus, I give a lot of waves so the regulars all know what I’m about. Heck, I am one of the regulars… Haha!

Quote:

Regarding having a standup gun and 9 footer made by the best stand up board maker in the world: We just looked through all our orders and there was none ordered for this size from us. Are you sure about your anonymous shaper being number one period?

Hahahahahaha!!! Yup… Hehe… PM me who you are if you want to remain anonymous. I’d like to talk to you… Aloha…

Couple more pics…

Dropping into a fun one…

The inside section full of happiness…

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Quote:

Since you’re not standing up on the board, have you thought/tried boards that are not as wide (say 24" instead of 26" or 27") ? I’m thinking about outlines similar to Skip Frye Eagles.

Yes. The cool thing about this type of surfing is I’m not the first guy out there plowing the road… Many things have already been tried and it seems the 24 to 26" range work well for me as far as the paddling stability part. Most stand up guys are 27" wide and above. Plenty guys are 30" and over! Those are some big bruddahs riding those!

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It seems for my weight of 165-170lbs 25" to 26" allows me to be stable enough to keep the glide going. Once I give up glide I may as well arm paddle. I forsee like in all forms of surfing, the boards we ride now in bigger waves will look very different a year down the road… I love the Munoz but when its big and heavy I’d like something that is made just for that. Even Mickey will tell you he never made that Glide line to be ridden in 10’ plus Hawaiian surf. Munoz boards will always be in my quiver because in most waves, the boards are just so darn fun!!!

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Another thing to consider is I’m not a traditional longboard guy. I want to turn hard. I’m the opposite of a “Joel Tudor”. He has style and grace and loves to ride the nose. I rarely run to the nose and I have a paddle… I prefer to jam turns off the tail with 3 fins so my path is gonna lead me to different shapes than say a Tudor type surfer… I can’t wait to see what all you guys are gonna come up with… I appreciate all styles of surfing…

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Quote:

thanks heaps Carve [Blane] for doing the new safety-improved version of this thread .

You’re welcome you crazy Aussie!! Hahaha! I just needed to adjust the direction of this thread. I really felt I left out all the important stuff…

Quote:

How did you first get into this , and when ?

Were you riding big longboards , before canoe paddle surfing ?

I started around the beginning of last year after seeing some guys doing the Stand Up thing. I went out and bought a 12 Munoz woody epoxy and a long wood paddle. I went stand up for awhile alone at some out of the way reefs… Just being a total kook at it. Eventually got it kinda wired then one day I took the short paddle when the waves were tiny… This was about the time I was still posting about shaping my 7’-4" Asymetrical shortboard board if you can remember that… I instantly got hooked on this thing and to this day have been completely hooked and focused on it…

I rode the 12 footer on occasional small days arm paddling but not to much…

Quote:

…WHO is ‘foammaster’, indeed ?? hehe

Haha! Yes, inquiring minds want to know…

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great new thread, thanks for bringing it back

couple questions:

  1. what bottom contours are on your board?

  2. do you think a traditional (12’x28"x5") tandem board would double as a good standup paddle board? (I’m 6’2" 200#)

I’ve got a BIG LB but it is not a stable knee paddle board so I’ll need another board for this. 3) Can you offer some thoughts for the garage shaper on what would make for a good knee/standup paddle board? and How would that be different from a big LB?

  1. does surfing with the paddle really feel that much different than without? i.e. the safety factor for others in the water is really the big board factor and that you don’t have free hands for grabbing your board right? the paddle is just a distraction or dabri in the water right. So I think the real issue is be curtious and conscious of others while being aware of your abilities (which are different as your board gets bigger). Of course using the paddle as a wave ridding tool, like you do, is a new skill and needs to be thought of as learning a new trick/move and will result in unexpected falls and/or momentary loss of control until mastered.

  2. am I missing something on the safety factor?

thanks for reviving the thread

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Hey 4est, I’m gonna try and go surf… I feel a little bit better today… I’ll get to this when I come back… K-den…

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Quote:

… I can’t wait to see what all you guys are gonna come up with… I appreciate all styles of surfing…

Here’s what I have in mind :

Outline is inspired from Skip Frye’s Eagle and the width is about the max that I can carry under my arms.

I’m still undecided about the thickness, the nose and tail rocker. Does it need less rocker ?

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just 2 guys out standup paddling at lake Malibu (flat flat day) on the surfline camera.

685×504 29.1 KB

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when you write the book of rules

you become responsible

for all who follow ‘the rules’

and your actions…

best of luck.

Im glad I’m not the ‘best’

shaper in the world.

…ambrose…

third would be good

the president is the one who gets shot

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Hahaha! Its only my opinion that the guys is the best and I’m sticking to it…Hehe…

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every time I go to food land

I get the best checker in the world,

I tell her so.

I get a different checker every time…

almost.

congradulations

the adulations are well deserved.

…ambrose…

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Quote:
Quote:

couple questions:

  1. what bottom contours are on your board?

  2. do you think a traditional (12’x28"x5") tandem board would double as a good standup paddle board? (I’m 6’2" 200#)

I haven’t measured my Munoz boards rockers etc. I do think you should be OK with the Tandem board you’re talking about for stand up… It actually sounds perfect for it…

Quote:

Can you offer some thoughts for the garage shaper on what would make for a good knee/standup paddle board? and How would that be different from a big LB?

First thing, a stand up board and a knee paddle board can be very different. The knee paddle model can be 24" to 26" wide for my weight of 165-170… Whatever you do make a stand up board stable by carrying the wide point farther up and keep the bottom fairly flat till you get good at it. I’d say minimum 28" to start if not wider… Its not easy to stand on these things! Otherwise you will just get frustrated trying to stay up… Big longboards I know of are 26" and less wide…

Quote:

4) does surfing with the paddle really feel that much different than without? i.e. the safety factor for others in the water is really the big board factor and that you don’t have free hands for grabbing your board right? the paddle is just a distraction or dabri in the water right. So I think the real issue is be curtious and conscious of others while being aware of your abilities (which are different as your board gets bigger). Of course using the paddle as a wave ridding tool, like you do, is a new skill and needs to be thought of as learning a new trick/move and will result in unexpected falls and/or momentary loss of control until mastered.

  1. am I missing something on the safety factor?

Yesterday I was out and kinda out of it. Not in sync with anything. I was feeling very off balance… Today was a little better but man I was struggling. I fell off almost every wave and got caught inside a lot. Yes, the paddle is a big distraction while getting run over by the whitewater. Very tough to grab your board and get back on. Yes the issue of hanging on to the paddle and trying not to hurt anyone around you is part of being courteous… So today and yesterday I got to get rolled plenty! Haha!

I am very aware of my surroundings and what to do in most situations but then again, I’ve been doing this awhile now. I take days like yesterday and today with stride… No big deal… I just focus on staying safe and being safe with others. Plenty good days ahead. So yeah, no sh*t, the paddle is a huge distraction but its part of this type of surfing that you have to get used to…