Stand Up Paddle Boarding for Beginners
Stand up paddle boarding, or SUP, is fast becoming a popular hobby for many water sports and health enthusiasts. It’s a great activity for your health and well-being and is a great way to get some fresh air outdoors.
Even if you are completely new to paddle boarding, or have been out a few times, hopefully, these paddle boarding tips will give you a bit more confidence before hitting the water.
If you are interested in the benefits of paddle boarding, take a look at our handy health benefits of paddle boarding blog.
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Is stand up paddle boarding hard?
Like most sports or hobbies, getting started can be the hardest part. But once you have a routine and are on the water, you’ll soon find paddle boarding is as easy as riding a bike – It’s mostly about balance, after all.
How to stand up on a paddle board
Most beginner stand-up paddlers struggle with the initial (and somewhat important) part of stand-up paddling. Here are some easy-to-follow paddle boarding tips to help you onto your feet:
- Start off by kneeling in the middle of the board with your knees close to the edge.
- Use the paddle for a few strokes to find your balance.
- Place your feet where your knees were, so you are in a squatting position, and stand up in one fluid motion.
- Keep your head up and look forward.
It might take some getting used to, but once you have mastered standing up, you’re well on your way to being a paddle board master.
How to stay balanced on a paddle board
This is a key part of paddle boarding. Once you are standing, keep your knees slightly bent and your back straight. Make sure your feet are facing forward and keep looking up.
Pro-tip: Although it might be tempting, try not to keep looking down at your feet, you want to keep your head up and looking into the horizon.
Best paddle technique
To push the board forward, bring the paddle forward by about two feet, plunge it into the water, make sure the paddle blade is fully submerged, and pull the blade toward you before pulling it back out by your feet. During this movement, keep your arms straight and use your core muscles to really add some power to your paddle stroke.
To try to go in a reasonably straight line, paddle for a few strokes on the same side before switching over. When you switch sides, reverse your hand positions and keep paddling.
Make sure you keep your bottom hand loose when you reach the paddle forward as this can help maximise your reach.
What to wear for paddle boarding
You can wear what you want when paddle boarding, it’s mostly dependent on the weather – no one wants to paddle board wearing board shorts and a t-shirt in the winter, do they?
There are some items of clothing which we suggest you get your hands on to help make your paddle boarding experience as comfortable as possible:
- Quick-dry shorts – These are great as they don’t absorb much water.
- Light and loose t-shirt – A light t-shirt is perfect to wear in the summer – just make sure you have plenty of sun cream on.
- Thermals – For milder days you can wear thermal shorts and a shirt to keep the chill off.
- Wetsuit – There are summer and winter wetsuits available. These are great to help keep you warm if/when you fall in!
- Shoes – You can go barefoot, but during the winter you’ll want to get some SUP shoes. Your feet will thank you for it.
Paddle boarding equipment
You’ll need quite a lot of equipment if you want to start paddling boarding. You will need a SUP board that is the right size and the most convenient for you, inflatable paddle boards are really easy to store; a SUP paddle, that again is the right size for you; and if you want to be extra safe, you could even get yourself a personal flotation device and a whistle.
If you don’t have any paddle board equipment, don’t worry, because you can hire out everything you need at Bicester gym.
Have fun!
Paddle boarding is all about having fun! It’s a great activity to do on your own for some quiet time or a fun way to spend time with friends. Don’t worry about falling in the water either, everyone does it and as soon as you embrace the fact that it’s going to happen, you can relax and enjoy yourself. Not only is paddle boarding fun, but there are plenty of health benefits of paddle boarding too.
Cold water swimming has great health benefits as well. So, if you fall in, you are doing your body a favour! Read our blog on cold-water swimming to find out more.
Paddle boarding in Oxfordshire
If you are looking to start paddle boarding, Bicester Health and Fitness has a 200-metre freshwater lake waiting for you! There are hot showers to help warm you up and a café serving hot drinks – perfect for a post-paddle wind-down! Follow this link to book your session today!
