Learn to Surf: Paddling and Standing

STANDING:

You must learn to balance your body’s weight in the right position on the board. As a rough guide your shoulders should be approximately 1/3 of the way back from the nose while lying on your board. Remember to keep your head up and try not to arch your back. Good body position is important. You’ll know it’s right when you can paddle as fast as possible with the nose of the board only just few inches out of the water. Any further forward and you will nose dive and any further back and the tail will be to far under water. Keep your legs together and paddle by raising your arms out of the water, reaching them out in front of you and pull them through the water, left then right, not at the same time.

PADDLING:

To get a feel for standing up on a surfboard, lay your surfboard on the beach and carefully push the fins into the sand. Then lie down on the board and pretend to paddle. Next, in a single motion, bring yourself to stand on the board by gripping the rails and pushing down on the board with your arms. It’s important that you go from a laying position to standing in a single motion. Do not go to your knees and then to your feet. If you keep this in mind it will help you learn a lot faster.

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