oops
Holy-risen-from-the-dead!!! ha!
I still stand by my original arguement, which was qualified with specifics. On top of all this, my recent experiences
with training on Stand Up Paddleboards has found there is a certain part of the paddle stroke that propels a surfer
the most. I found on the SUP’s that the first/forward part of the stroke does the most propulsion, and by the time
the paddle has reached the paddler (mid-stroke, if you will) the propulsion is much less.
So I decided to just paddle the foward part of the complete stroke only, and sure enough, I got up to speed very
quickly. Why, I don’t know. Of course given that I eliminated almost 2/3 of the complete paddle stroke does not
make sense either…
…next step was to try it on regular surfboard (shortboard) paddling. The effect was still there, though a lot less.
This contradicts what an Aussie Pro surfing trainer told me, that the strokes should reach out far forward, and STAY
in the water until maximum stroke has been reached. She also said that maximum depth with the arms was important
and keeping the body quite stiff from the waist-downward helped too. This was true, the added effort helped, but now
I am finding the first portion of the paddle stroke is quite important, maybe, by a factor of 2 (?)
Crazy. I’d like somebody to try this to see if they experience the same thing. All my “findings” are empirical at this
point, but noticible.
George
P.S. Ambrose, tell JR I said “Howzit!” and wanted to contact Laird about some long-distance paddle conditioning…
I have been noticing lately that when I paddle into a wave on my longboard I have to lift my knees off the board to get the tail to come up to level. This places a lot more pressure on my chest which is probably where all my weight ends up being focused when I lift my knees. I think the answer to this raising of the knees might be to go shorter. Much shorter and keep the width. I got this suspicion when I took a 6’10" today with next to no rocker, wide all the way through and held it to my chest. The first thing I noticed was my knees also wanted to push into the board. I could then see how a shorter wider board might let me keep my knees down when paddling into wave. I’m hoping that being able to drop my knees down will distribute my weight through the entire length of the board when paddling instead of lifting my knees and putting it all on my chest. So my next board is going to be shorter as I just chopped the tail off my next longboard shape. I get the feeling that I need to go even shorter still but I will see.
heard riddicule is here but he hasnt stopped by as of yet…
heard tell lairt is here
dont do much social north shore empire
mysto’s the game
silver bullets and mask made of a black ranger’s scarf
praise Clayton Moore…
hi ho and away>>>
?
i?s that front stroke test
with a straight paddle?
bent blade ?or extreme bent?
paddle theory intimates the angle of the blade
can optimise diffrent parts of the stroke for power
I.E.straight - front
slight angle - mid
big angle - last
the I know shiq guys
rowl the analysis
like memorised poetry
handed down from m.i.t. kayak - scullers
p.h.d.s
…ambrose…
my paddle stroke
holds the power in th final snap
perhaps different strokes
for Dyslexic color blind
water rodents…
beavers are known to use their tails.
In the time i’ve had my short, wide ,fat fish, i’ve had 2 midlengths, one 7’3’‘, and now a 7’10’‘. All boards were 22’’ wide, and 3’’ thick. The fish ( 6’2’’ ) has more nose rocker than both, and paddles easily as good as both of them. I got rid of the 7’3’‘, because what’s the point of having a midlength if my 6’2’’ paddles and catches waves as easy, or easier than a longer flatter board, that would catch rail easy because of the long length, and flatter rocker??. THe new 7’10’’ though, is for small,fat, high tide days where i just wanna trim, though it does turn quite well.
Once its decent, the fish is the answer.
P.S having a shorter board means when a wave pops up in front of you, you can just turn and go. With a midlength, its much more effort, and mine doesnt like late take offs!!.
I still love my midlength though
Okay Ambrose, just pass the word on, I went by your place a couple seasons ago (in Kapaa, right?)
but may have been the wrong day. Clayton Moore wrote “the Lone Ranger” which is def a good idea
at times. My paddle is forward bent about 9 degrees. And I’ve tried friends’ paddles with the same
result- Totally understand the “last flick” of a paddle stroke, but I found the bulk of propulsion is in
the first third of the stroke.
I just got out of the water and tried the “front third only” stroke for catching waves and it seems to work
well. The hard part is the hand exiting the water cleanly. Can’t do it for any length of time like paddling
all the way back out, but it is great for getting up to speed. There seems to be a bit of a lift component
to the paddle stroke. It makes no sense to me, so I would like someone to try the same and see what they
find (is it just me, or ?)
Beerfan, “Two turns and a wipeout” ha! ha! at least you get the two turns in mate! Keep exploring the
volume game…
George
Hey Mark,
No mention of how your 6’10" egg paddles?
I traded it in for the 7’10’'. I had no trouble paddling it, but i wanted something longer for trimming, and for the super small days.
I am not sure if this is appropriate for everyone, but during a long paddle out to the line up I conserve energy by reducing the arm depth and keep the hand closer to the surface and close to the board. I also pace myself by paddling just below the power where I feel a strong pull on the hand. This helps keep up my paddling energy until the end of the session and conserves energy for when I really need it. When sprint paddling for a wave or trying to get over a wave before it breaks or trying to get up some momentum for a big duckdive I don’t think about my paddling technique and let my natural tendencies take over.
I’m 48, not very strong but keep my fitness up by supplementing my weekend surfing with some mid-week swimming
this thread reminds me of this one - "the role of volume during takeoff"
http://www2.swaylocks.com/node/1026678?page=1
I’ve got two posts on this thread, where I state that extra volume always helps me in all size waves (although I do give a qualifier as to the type of waves I ride). I’ve also used Dave of Diverse surfboards (aka feraldave) Pro Volume formula on my all-round shortboard (6’ 6" flyer2) and this board puts me 80% extra to the pro volume (I’m happy with all this volume, and I can still duckdive it).
Since posting on that thread I’ve had a chance to borrow a 6’ 1" McCoy Nugget. Its 3" thick and holds its thickness towards the tail, its also quite wide. According to the surftech website it is 45 litres which puts me 120 % extra volume over the pro level formula ie more than twice as much. This volume I can barely duckdive. I’ve had 3 goes in shoulder height choppy waves and my impression is that it catches waves better than the flyer despite being 5" shorter!
With all this inter-locking talk of volumes, length and paddling techniques and also shoulder problems over on Solo’s thread I’ll throw my observation in there as well.
I’ve been riding longer boards for the last year (7’6"-9’+) to allow me to surf without aggravating an old shoulder injury.
Last few years I’ve had lots of problems with one of my upper vertabrae clicking out and giving me pain across the shoulder blades and into my chest,
It only happens when I ride shortboards. The arching of my spine whilst paddling causes it.
By riding longer boards which I can keep my chest down I have alleviated the problem.
Took a 6’6" out for a spin in 4-5’ waves a couple of days ago with a fast rip running and I’m paying for it now with pain all through the usual spots.
This is after surfing pumping waves with tonnes of paddling over the last month as the Sunshine coast was lit up like a Christmas tree with boundless swell- and absolutely no problem. I was riding an 8’er about the entire time.
Also caught a tonne more waves than I would have on a shortie because my 8’er paddles so well.
The change into trying longer boards was also sparked by what I read in the various “one board quiver” threads.
Riding this board has also allowed me to concentrate on catching the waves I want through its superior paddle power and let others go through to a “you take this one” to those around me, increasing the Aloha quotient out in the water.