Josephine’s Top SUP Tips Harvey Dawkins2018-04-10T09:57:45+01:00 Josephine’s Top SUP Tips Always touted as a relatively easy sport to learn, lets find out the truth! Josephine, never having stepped on a board before, tell us what she really thought of her first lesson. Josephine: “I actually really enjoying it, I found myself smiling away whilst paddling even when I fell in I was laughing.” Did you find SUP technique easy to learn? Josephine: “Once I finally got to standing I thought I had mastered it, I happily paddled along slowly and wobbly but still doing it and then we were shown some different techniques like step back turns. Trying to move on the board seemed impossible, I was frozen to the spot trying to stay on the board, that my ankles were starting to ache and my first step back attempt was the first time I fell in the water and was also the moment I realised it was ok to fall in. After that I was more willing to keep trying different moves and my confidence grew quickly from there.” What are your Top SUP Tips? Pick up your leash Every board will have a carry handle that needs to be used to carry the board to the waters edge, when you pick the board up make sure you pick up the leash as well so you don’t trip over it. Don’t squat Look at the horizon and keep your back straight. Slowly stand up keeping your knees slightly bent. Try not to squat as you paddle. Keep the paddle vertical As you start to paddle the focus is on trying to keep the board going straight. To do this try and reach across with your top hand and keep the paddle vertical. The more the top hand is over the bottom hand the straighter the board will go. Once you have learnt the basics, the world’s waters are your oyster! But there is also lots more to learn – join our SUP improvers to learn the necessary skills to SUP for longer, on different bodies of water and in different weather conditions. Josephines’s SUP Story Learn to SUP at Hove Lagoon Ladies SUP club Lagoon SUP Club Share this post Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google + Email Author Harvey Dawkins
