Stand Up Paddleboarding For Dummies Cheat Sheet

When you buy a new electronic gadget, it often comes with a quick-start guide that helps you get up and running. Unfortunately, most stand up paddleboards (SUPs) don’t come with a user manual. Think of this cheat sheet as your quick-start guide to SUP equipment, techniques, and common mistakes.

Equipment

Choosing the right equipment is essential for success. Here are a few guidelines:

• The board should have sufficient volume for your body weight; ideally, one liter (or more) of volume per pound of body weight is recommended.
• The board should be at least 32 inches wide and stable to make it easier to balance on in a standing position.
• The paddle should be about 6 to 12 inches taller than you.
• If you’re using an inflatable board, make sure to inflate it to the maximum recommended pressure.

Conditions and safety

Calm, smooth, protected water with minimal wind and waves is ideal for starting out. Using stable equipment in calm conditions sets you up for success and allows you to maintain balance and focus on paddling without battling challenging conditions. Beware of offshore wind (wind blowing you away from shore).

Always wear a leash — so you can’t get separated from your board — as well as a personal floatation device (PFD), and stay close to shore. Dress for success by being prepared to get wet. Use sun protection in sunny weather and wear a wetsuit if the water is cold. If you must wear glasses, make sure they’re tethered so they can’t sink.

Getting wet

When you’re ready to paddle, lift the rail of the board up away from you onto its side and then use the center carry handle to lift and carry it into knee-deep water, making sure the water is deep enough to clear the fin. Get on the board by placing your knees on either side of the center handle, making sure your weight is equally balanced over the center of the board.

Start paddling on your knees

Before you try to stand up, paddling on your knees first is a good idea; this position is more stable. Make sure to switch hands when you switch sides with the paddle, so your outside hand is on the bottom. The blade should be angled forward, toward the front of the board, not angled toward you (which is how most new paddlers hold their paddle intuitively).

Steering the board

Before you stand up, practice turning the board by using sweeping forward strokes or by using backward strokes to slow down and turn. Try turning the board 360 degrees by paddling forward on one side and backward on the opposite side.

Standing up and finding your balance

After you’re comfortable paddling and steering the board in the kneeling position, you’re ready to stand up.

1. Take a few strokes to build some momentum and lay the paddle across the board in front of your knees, keeping both hands on the paddle.
2. Place your feet where your knees were, on either side of the center handle, and stand up.
3. Look forward, put your paddle in the water, and start paddling. Avoid looking down, which makes finding your balance hard. Instead, focus on the horizon or a fixed spot on land to find your balance. After you start moving, you’ll feel more stable.

If you’re struggling to balance standing up, you can go back down to your knees. You may need a wider, more stable board to learn on, but don’t worry; balancing becomes easier with practice. Just relax and let your legs do the balancing for you.

Paddle handling and technique basics

Most beginners use mainly their arms to paddle. To generate more power and be more efficient, get a wide grip on your paddle, plant the whole blade in the water, and use your whole body to propel yourself forward by twisting your torso and leaning into the stroke. Reach forward, take relatively short strokes, and avoid pulling the paddle past your feet.

Trimming the board

The board glides, tracks best (goes straight), and is most stable when your body weight is close to the center of the board. Make sure your feet are on either side of the handle, which is close to the center of the board.

Falling in and getting back on board

Don’t worry about falling into the water; it’s part of the learning process. Don’t try to catch your fall by falling onto the board, because you can hurt yourself that way. Just fall into the water flat, like a starfish, so you don’t hit the bottom.

To get back onto the board, hold onto the center carry handle. Get your legs close to the water surface and kick your feet behind you like you’re swimming (not down like you’re trying to push off the bottom). Then slide your chest back onto the board, turn, and get back into the kneeling position.

Coming back to shore

As you return to shore, get back into the kneeling position, carefully set one foot down, lift up the board from the rail, and then carry it back up the shore. A grassy, shady spot is ideal for setting the wet board down. Avoid setting it on sand; the sand will stick to the board.

Here’s a link to the video version of this quick-start guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kKDfD_XfgMAvoiding Common Beginner SUP Mistakes

Here’s a little quiz to help you steer clear of some of the main mistakes beginner stand up paddleboarders make. Try to find the mistakes the paddlers in the pictures are making. (The answers appear after the figures.)

Answers:

• Figure CS-1: Paddle is backward (blade should angle forward)
• Figure CS-2: Switching sides without switching hands; paddle too short; top hand isn’t on the handle
• Figure CS-3: Weight is too far back on the board; the feet should be on either side of the handle
• Figure CS-4: Inflatable board is underinflated (which you can tell because it’s bending at the center)

SUP Lingo For Dummies

As part of this cheat sheet, let me offer you a good reference for commonly used terms by category.

SUP types

All-round (or cruiser): Versatile board shape for cruising and small waves

Downwind race board: Designed for catching open ocean swells

iSUP: Inflatable boards that are easy to transport and store

Foil SUP: Designed to work with a foil mounted under the board

Race board: Long and narrow displacement shape optimized for speed

River SUP: Maneuverable and stable board designed for whitewater

Surf SUP: Shorter board with curvy outline designed to excel in the waves

Touring SUP: Longer displacement-type shape with many attachment points

Wing SUP: Board with a sail attachment point that allows it to be used as a windsurf board

Yoga SUP: Wide and stable board designed for practicing yoga poses

Hardboard construction

Carbon fiber: Stronger and stiffer than fiberglass but not as resilient

Blank: The foam core inside the board; can be shaped by hand, by a computer shaping machine, or molded

Epoxy resin: Two-part resin used to laminate most SUP boards

EPS (expanded polystyrene): Lightweight foam blank most commonly used for SUPs

EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate): Closed-cell (will not absorb water) soft foam used for deck pads

Fiberglass: fabric-like woven sheets of thin glass threads, available in different weights

High density foam: Closed-cell (will not absorb water) foam (usually PVC) used as a thin layer in sandwich construction and around inserts to strengthen the weaker EPS foam core

Innegra: Highly resilient weave but difficult to sand

Kevlar: Another highly resilient weave that’s difficult to sand

Laminating: The process of saturating flexible layers of woven materials with liquid resin that cures into a hard, solid surface

Polyester resin: Legacy resin used for surfboard construction; should not be used to repair epoxy boards

Sandwich construction: Layering different materials to create a thicker, stronger outer shell using a mold or vacuum bagging process

UV curing resin: Resin that cures when exposed to UV light

Wood veneer: Thin layer of wood or bamboo used between layers of fiberglass to strengthen the outer shell

iSUP construction

Double-layer: Boards covered with a second layer of PVC for more durability and stiffness

Dropstitch: Thousands of internal threads that keep the top and bottom layers of a board flat and control the thickness of the board; dense, woven, heat-fused dropstitch material is the best technology as of this writing

Fusion: Process of bonding the layers (laminating) with heat and pressure; lighter, stronger, stiffer, more durable than glued construction

Recommended PSI: Amount of air pressure (in pounds per square inch) a board can handle; maximum recommended pressure is usually between 15 and 20 psi.

Sidewall construction: Makeup of the rails; plays a critical role in quality and longevity

Single-skin: Dropstitch material covered with a single layer of PVC; lightweight and inexpensive but more flexible and less durable than double-layer construction

Stringers: A variety of stiffening materials designed to reduce flex and bounce

Traction

Arch bar: Bump in the center of the tail pad under the arch of the foot that provides tactile foot placement feedback and traction

Deck pad: EVA foam pad that provides a grippy, comfortable surface

Tail kick: Raised bump at end of the tail pad for critical maneuvers; provides leverage and keeps the foot from sliding off the back of the board

Tail pad: Placed over the fins of surf SUPs to provide back-foot traction for maneuvers

Wax mat: Thinner, lighter traction without padding

Board attributes

Action camera mount: Some boards have a recessed insert on the nose that allows you to mount an action camera attachment

Bottom: The board side facing the water

Boxy/full rails: Thick rails with more volume; make the board more stable and forgiving

Deck: The top of the board

Dimensions/specs: The length, width, thickness (usually measured in feet and inches) and volume (in liters) of a board; may also include the weight

Glide: How well a board moves through the water

Leash: Safety strap that attaches you to the board

Leash plug: Plug on the tail of the board to attach a leash

Nose: The front end of the board

Pin tail: Tail that comes to a sharp point; used for big waves and advanced conditions

Rails: The sides of the board

Rail tape: Protective tape applied to the rails of the board to protect it from paddle strikes and scratches when you set the board down on the rails

Round tail: Hybrid between a squash tail and pin tail

Squash tail: Square tail shape with rounded corners; versatile, most common

Swallow tail: Tail shape with two tips; used on surf SUPs

Tail: The back end of the board

Tapered rails: Thinned-out rail shape that bites into the wave better; good for performance surfing and critical conditions but not as stable as full rails

Vent plug: Allows air pressure between the foam core and the outside to neutralize; most have a self-venting membrane that allows air (but not water) to pass through

Volume: The amount of floatation or buoyancy a board has; measured in liters

Deck/Hull types

Displacement hull: A rounded bottom shape and curvy rails designed to pierce through the water and direct the water flow around the hull; creates less drag at normal paddle speeds than a planing hull

Domed deck: A rounded deck shape often seen on surfboards; not as comfortable to stand on as a flat deck

Dugout: A deeply recessed standing area used on race boards to lower the center of gravity to improve balancing of narrow boards

Planing hull: A flat bottom board with sharp rails in the back that allows the board to create lift and slide over the water (plane) at higher speeds, reducing the wetted area

Recessed deck: A deck where the standing area is slightly concave and recessed

Fins

Base: Measurement from lowest front point to the rearmost point of the fin

Depth: Length of fin; the exposed height of the fin as measured from bottom of board to the tip of the fin

Fin box(es): The area or areas on the bottom of the board that allow fins to be installed and removed

Fin setup: The arrangement and number of fins on a board, which can affect performance and handling

Rake: Measurement of how far behind the trailing edge of the base the tip of the fin extends

Single fin: One larger center fin; tracks well, has the least drag, and is the most versatile

Skeg: Another name for fins

U.S. center fin box: Standard-size center fin box that can accommodate a wide variety of fins

Fin setups for SUP surfing

2+1: A three-fin setup with a larger center fin and two smaller side fins

Quad fins: Uses four side fin boxes consisting of front and rear quad fins; provides good speed and hold on faster waves

Thruster: Using three fins that are close to equal in size, one in the center fin box and two in the forward side fin boxes; provides good drive, stability, and control

Paddle attributes

Blade: The flat, wide end of the paddle that grabs the water

Blade edge: The thin outer perimeter edge of the paddle blade

Blade size: Usually measured in square inches of surface area

Flutter: The tendency of the blade to wander from side to side during the power phase

Dihedral: The raised spine shape on the face of the blade to direct water flow and minimize flutter

Handle: The top end of the paddle that the upper hand grips and pushes down on

Neck: The transition between the shaft and the blade

Paddle guard: Protective material applied to the paddle edge to protect both the blade edge and the rails of the board from getting damaged if the paddle hits the rails

Power face: The side of the blade that compresses against the water

Shaft: The long, straight round or oval portion of the paddle between the handle and the blade

Tapered shaft: A paddle shaft that tapers from a thicker diameter to a thinner diameter

Paddle technique terminology

Active stance: A slightly bent knee posture to improve balance and control

Catch: The phase of the paddle stroke where the blade enters the water

Feathering: Rotating the power face of the blade outward during the release and recovery phases

Forward stroke: Stroke that provides maximum forward propulsion

Power phase: Where power is applied to the stroke to propel the board forward past the planted blade

Reach: The forwardmost part of the stroke where the blade enters the water

Recovery: The part of the stroke where you bring the paddle back forward into the reach position

Release: The phase of the stroke where the paddle blade exits the water

Reverse steering stroke: A reverse paddle stroke used to slow down or turn the board

Steering stroke: A sweeping paddle stroke to turn the board

Stroke rate: The cadence or number of strokes per minute

Strokes per side: Number of strokes taken on one side of the board before switching to the other side

Tracking: How well a board goes in a straight line without yawing

Yaw: The tendency of the board to turn while you’re paddling on one side

SUP surfing terminology

Backside: Position where your back is facing the wave

Barrel: The hollow opening inside of a clean, fast breaking wave

Bottom turn: Turning from the trough of the wave back toward the steep part of the wave face by digging the rails into a carving turn

Bump: Unbroken swells in deeper, open water; can be wind swells (generated by local wind) or ground swells (generated elsewhere)

Cutback: Turning from the shoulder of the wave back toward the powerful pocket of the wave

Cross Stepping: A smooth and stylish way to move up and down the board with feet and legs crossing over each other (rather than shuffling the feet)

Dropping in: Catching a wave in front of a surfer with priority (that is, the surfer closest to the wave peak); considered poor etiquette

Dynamic lift: The hydrodynamic lift generated by the board moving over the water surface (as opposed to static lift generated by the buoyancy of the board)

Face: The steep, sloping side of the wave that stands up before breaking

Floater: Move that involves riding along the top of a crashing lip before coming back down over the back of the breaking wave

Frontside: Position where your chest is facing the wave

Goofy foot: Surf stance with the right foot forward and left foot back

Grom: A young surfer

Hollow: Steep, powerful, barreling waves

Hanging Ten: Surfing with both feet on the front of the board and all ten toes hanging off the nose of the board (also see nose riding)

Impact Zone: The most powerful area of the surf zone where the waves peak and break

Kook: Beginner or someone who is unaware of their surroundings

Left hander: A wave that breaks toward the left from the surfer’s vantage point

Lip: The tip of the wave that throws out over the bottom of the wave as it slows down over shallow bottom contours

Mushy: Describes soft and weaker-breaking waves that don’t get very steep and crumbles (gently rolling white water) from the top; ideal for beginners

Neutral stance: Feet parallel to the board, toes pointing forward

Nose Riding: Surfing on a wave with both feet close to the nose of the board

Off the lip: A critical maneuver where a surfer turns sharply at or near the breaking lip

Offshore: A wind that blows toward the ocean; creates cleaner waves

Onshore: A wind that blows toward the shore; creates mushy conditions

Parallel Stance: Standing on the board with feet close to the rails and toes pointed forward

Peak: The tallest crest of the wave where the wave starts to break

Pearling: When the nose of the board gets pushed underwater as the wave lifts up the tail when catching a wave.

Planing: (see also dynamic lift and wetted surface) when the board slides over the water surface and the weight is supported by hydrodynamic lift rather than volume/ buoyancy.

Pocket: The most powerful and critical part of a wave, where the face is steepest; closest to the breaking lip

Quiver: An assortment of boards designed for various conditions

Regular foot: Surf stance with left foot forward, right foot back

Right hander: A wave that breaks toward the right from the surfer’s vantage point

Set: A group of larger waves (usually three to ten) followed by smaller waves

Shoulder: The sloping side of the face away from the breaking wave

Snaking: Paddling around another surfer to give yourself priority; considered poor etiquette

Staggered stance: Feet are staggered with one foot farther forward and one farther back for more front-to-back stability

Surf stance: Feet sideways along the center line of the board, like on a skateboard

Swing weight: Board weight further away from the center of rotation (towards the nose of the board).  In essence, shorter, lighter boards have less swing weight which and require less effort to change direction.

Takeoff: The moment the board speeds up and slides down the face of the wave

Trough: The lowest, bottom part of the wave

Wave hog: Someone catching all the best waves without regard to other surfers

Wetted surface: the amount of board touching the water while planing over the water surface.  The faster the board is moving, the less wetted surface is needed to support the weight.

Whitewater: The foaming wave that rolls toward shore after the wave face falls in on itself

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