Paddling getting slower?

[HashSlingingSlasher]

I feel like my paddling has been getting slower lately. I'm pretty new, so obviously my paddling isn't up to par with more experienced surfers, but it was still pretty good for a while. I went surfing for about a week straight and a few hours each time and my paddling was slower by the end, but probably just from being tired. I took a break for two days and went back out today but it still feels just as slow. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? Also, I haven't been able to keep the nose of my board up as easily as before even if I'm lying where I normally do on the board and I don't remember the tail feeling as heavy as it does as well. Could my board be waterlogged somehow?

[IB_Surfer]

Nope, you are noticing it more, before you where less experienced and did not notice it.

[Neil_G]

I feel like my paddling has been getting slower lately. I'm pretty new, so obviously my paddling isn't up to par with more experienced surfers, but it was still pretty good for a while. I went surfing for about a week straight and a few hours each time and my paddling was slower by the end, but probably just from being tired. I took a break for two days and went back out today but it still feels just as slow. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? Also, I haven't been able to keep the nose of my board up as easily as before even if I'm lying where I normally do on the board and I don't remember the tail feeling as heavy as it does as well. Could my board be waterlogged somehow?

No i would say your just fatigued.

Coming off a 9 days in a row myself, if i went into the ocean right now id be a sitting duck. My arms are dead!

on the real tho, stretching before and after you surf will improve your longevity. Alot of people only think you stretch beforehand but afterwords is key. Also do some shoulder and arm exercises, pushups, pullups, rowing etc.

[dtc]

on the real tho, stretching before and after you surf will improve your longevity. Alot of people only think you stretch beforehand but afterwords is key. Also do some shoulder and arm exercises, pushups, pullups, rowing etc.

Yeah, the usual recommendation nowdays is for a 'dynamic warmup' and then stretching after (or 'in between' surfs). Stretching actually reduces the strength of the muscle and increases its lability (because you are pulling it apart) - perhaps not by much but not what you want to do prior to an activity. The warm up is anything that gets the relevant body parts moving and warm - running, push ups, arm circles, lunges etc etc, there is no magic. Remember with surfing you are using everything from your ankles to your neck, so everything needs warming.

[JRankin57]

If you need a surf warm up shout me I'm a PT, and I go surfing on regularly so have designed a few for my self I can forward to you

[pandarturo]

I always thought the warm up was the paddle out

[IB_Surfer]

You guys warm up? Weird, I barely stretch. Some of my friends stretch forever, some do push ups and jump up and down.

I like to spend all my energy catching waves, so I just bend down pulling on my wetsuit collar, sideways both sides, flap my wings then get going, not really to stretch my muscles but to stretch my wetsuit into place more comfortably.

However, if we are talking about little things we do, I always walk to the shore with the top of my wetsuit off, letting my body cool down a bit. If not, I get really warm on the way to the shore so when the cold water hits I feel it more. Friends have told me they zip up right away to retain heat to keep the body from having to warm itself, but I hate the cold water feel on warm skin

[JRankin57]

Yeah I warm up all the time, 15 mins of warm up then stretches. Then head for the waves cool down afterwards aswell for improved flexibility and to make are the muscle are ready for the next day