Stand-Up Paddling in Palau

We just love stand up paddle boarding and we want you to as well, whether you do it here in Palau with us or somewhere else in the world. To help you have the best experience possible, here are some of the basics to get you standing up and paddling.

Before Entering the Water

Then best conditions to learn to stand up paddle are in calm waters (the flatter the better) with no tidal current and a day with little or no wind. This will set you up for success.

Stand up paddle boards are basically big surfboards, so they can be a bit heavy or awkward to carry until you get used to them. The best boards for beginners are those with handles. The most important thing is to carry your board in a way that feels stable to you. Dropping a board just plain sucks. So have a buddy help you if you are unsure. If you’re going solo, hold the board under one arm or overhead with two hands. Just make sure you’ve holding near the center of the board to keep it balanced.

Wearing a leash is a great idea if there is a tide or surf around. These boards can get moving away from you pretty quickly if you aren’t tied together. A PFD, or life jacket, is a good idea if you aren’t a confident, strong swimmer.

Paddling Progression

Standing up, balancing and paddling are the trickiest things you will have to learn. Following this progression will help you.

Prone Paddling – carry your board into the water, once you are about thigh to waist deep in the water, place the board on the water and lie down. Place the paddle under your chest so that the handle is raised into the air. Paddle with hands (alternating strokes). Adjust your body so that you feel totally balanced on the board – not too far forward or too far back.

Knee Paddling – get up on knees, keeping your butt off your heels. Your knees should be somewhere around the middle of the board (neither nose nor tail should be too high or low). You are looking for a level board. Hold the paddle with the near side hand low on the handle and the far side hand higher up (but not at the top of the paddle, “t-grip”). For example, if you are paddling on the right side of the board, your right hand is low and your left hand is high. The paddle blade (the fat part that goes into the water) should be bent upward, logo facing the sky (seems opposite, but it’s right). Put the paddle blade into the water – the handle should be vertical and the whole blade submerged and pull back toward your hip. Switch sides as needed. Keep it smooth and steady.

Stand Up Paddling – from the kneeling position, place the paddle across the board, put both hands on the board with the paddle secured between hands and the board. Keeping hips low, step your feet into the spots where your knees were. For stand up paddling your feet are in a parallel stance (both facing forwards, about shoulder width apart), not staggered surfer stance. (The stance will switch if and when you want to surf the waves.) Keep hips low and knees bent, rising gently, as you get your hands positioned on the paddle (in proper grip - nearside hand low, far side hand on t-grip). Put the paddle into the water and stand up slowly. Keeping your hips, knees, and ankles soft is key to your success.

Paddling

Keep your arms relatively straight as you hold the paddle. Your arms and the paddle should form a triangle, with your nearside hand at about halfway, and your far side hand on the t-grip at the top. Put all of blade into water ahead of you, while keeping the paddle vertical. Then pull downward and back toward the hips – think about pulling your board through the water instead of pushing the water behind you.  The paddle leaves the water at the hips. As you pull the paddle from the water, curve it away from your board in a sweeping J pattern, or think of it like a teardrop. Switch sides (and hand positions) as needed. Paddle with your core, not your arms.

Turns

Paddle on one side of the board only. You will move away from the side you are paddling on.

Back-paddle – move paddle from hip to front of body, slowly. You will turn toward the side you are paddling on.

Falling off Your Board

It’s going to happen at some point, so here’s how to do it safely.  If you feel like you are losing your balance, go down, not up (don’t jerk to upright). Lower to your knees or even to the prone position. When you do lose it completely and have an off-board-experience, fall away from the board, never onto the board or paddle! Once in the water, leave your paddle, swim back to the board, and prone paddle on the board to get the paddle.

One of the best things about stand up paddle boarding is that you can create your own technique and style. These basic tips are just to get you started. Play around in the water and find what works best for you.

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Everett Nickerson

December 28, 2008

189.172.72.32

...

Hi Shauna,
Beautiful web site.I sent it to friends in France. One suggestion,perhaps several short videos or at least photos to help in understanding the proper techniques.
Enjoy!

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