Why is it so hard to paddle this board?

[Big H]

Why is this board so hard to Paddle? Board on the Right? 7'10 x 23 x 3 + Tri with 8' Shapers' Fin. I purchased this board to replace my Longboard; I realise it would not paddle like my Longboard but I thought it would be at least adequate, but I am having real problems.

A few people have mentioned the thickness - it could be sitting too far out of the water; or, the center Fin might be causing too much drag. Could you guys give any insights?

Me: still a beginner (surfing on and off a few years), 6.1 tall, 16 stone in weight.

I thought it would paddle well due to the thickness 3' and rocker of the board - hard to see that I know. But it is a real effort to get the thing moving. The board to the left - the one I am progressing to - seems as easy to paddle as its big brother.

All that garbage about paddles like a longboard and surfs like a shortboard.....nothing paddles like a longboard. Though the board you have is probably just a bit more than a foot shorter, total area is alot less than a longboard and you're feeling it. It is SUPPOSED to be harder to paddle; nothing wrong or broken; only your fitness will have to come up. Stick with it and it will. I am about 12-13 kg less than you but the same height; I'm considered to be a pretty big guy though I don't really carry much fat so I would say that you probably could lose a few kg; fight at a lighter weight and surf better.

Here's a visual difference between my longboard and a 6'10" board in a picture I took awhile ago; 6'10" seems like a big shortboard......compared to the longboard it looks (and pretty much is) half the size. You have to make up the difference in paddle fitness. Good news is as a boxer you probably have very good cardio fitness already and understand the whole "no pain, no gain" thing, so just go surf and stay active in the water (work on keeping position, taking as many waves as you can, not bobbing in the lineup letting sets pass); do that and your paddling will naturally come up.

[Tudeo]

Being an ex middle weight boxer myself I found out surfing is a great training for boxing, at least for me it was.
I was for a 5 week holiday in Bali in 92' (first time Bali, fell in love with the island then) and did a lot of surfing, well.. paddling mostly..
When I returned to the gym, the guys all wanted to do some sparring with me, thinking I was out of shape after a long vacation. They couldn't have been more wrong, I could handle 3 in a row easy, I never was that good in shape

The thing is, lacking any surfing skills I was getting caught inside every time, but enjoying surfing so very much I just kept on going to my limit every day. I never 'trained' with so much enthusiasm like those 5 weeks in Bali

[Big H]

The complete thought I was trying to say was "nothing paddles like a longboard except for a longboard".

[Spring2016]

Thanks for all the replies. Will reply more in a bit. In the meantime: here is a photo of the board's rocker.



I went out for a brief paddle this morning. I noticed a couple of things:

1. If I keep the nose just out of the water when paddling, the tail and about a foot of the board are submerged by about 3 inches of water. The board sort of paddles at a sort of semi vertical angle.
2. If I move forward too much, the nose sinks and tail sits about 3 inches out of the water

I spent a good hour lying on my board and moving a few millimeters forward and then a few millimeters back to try and get the board at least level in the water....I failed. I can paddle with an arched back and legs in the air and just keep the nose above the water line - unfortunately the back end of the board is submerged under the water.

I am trying to arch my back and lift my legs as I paddle; I can see how that redistributes weight over the board. I am trying to keep my chest over the widest and flattest section of the board.

I am about to phone the guy that shaped the board and ask how he distributed the foam inside the board - on the advice of a lifeguard I was chatting to in the beach today.

Hey, it is all about perseverance and finding the sweet spot.
Cheers

[Spring2016]

Being an ex middle weight boxer myself I found out surfing is a great training for boxing, :

Hey, boxing is just a hobby for me; I have to be careful not to make myself sound like a pro

[Spring2016]

I'm considered to be a pretty big guy though I don't really carry much fat so I would say that you probably could lose a few kg; fight at a lighter weight and surf better.

Sure thing. I think the surfing will overtake the sporadic boxing. To be fair I am too old for both but keep going. My build is pretty similar to a front row Rugby player. I was thinking last night that if it comes to it, I could drop 2-3 stone over the summer if that means it is going to be easier to surf.

[Spring2016]

After some experimenting I found out I needed to be in the more forward position and start paddling with some strong strokes to get the nose up from sinking, once in motion I could relax a bit and paddle comfortable in a non tiring cadence. Getting the board in the right horizontal position was key.

This with the practice and endurance other posters have recommended is something I am going to work on. I see what you mean about the nose lifting when you get some momentum going. I saw a guy today sitting on his board and I swear it was at least half a foot under water. He most be using the laws of momentum to get his board to plane on the surface of the water.

[Spring2016]

The complete thought I was trying to say was "nothing paddles like a longboard except for a longboard".

That I am beginning to understand.

[Spring2016]

Speaking of paddling watch this video

Cheers, thank you

[Big H]

One thing that you could try that will make a little difference is to take those side bites out (the two small fins on either side of the centre fin) and ride as a single fin. That single should be more than enough for smaller surf.

[Spring2016]

Hi BigH, thanks...will try that out tomorrow. No waves at the moment so trying to spend an hour a day paddling on my board. Quite funny watching people's reactions as I get in my wetsuit and run down the beach with my boards when the surf resembles a calm lake.

[drowningbitbybit]

1. If I keep the nose just out of the water when paddling, the tail and about a foot of the board are submerged by about 3 inches of water. The board sort of paddles at a sort of semi vertical angle.
2. If I move forward too much, the nose sinks and tail sits about 3 inches out of the water

You've solved your own problem, at least theoretically - #1 is too far back and #2 is too far forward. You need to find the balance between the two (which will be influenced by how you paddle, back arching, where your head is, where your feet are, etc). The smaller the board the more critical that point is.

[Spring2016]

That is the point, I cannot find it. Going in for another hour tomorrow with a friend who is going to give a 3rd person perspective on what the board is doing when I paddle;

[dtc]

Boards aren't meant to be sitting totally flat on the surface of the water when you paddle them - big boards will because their volume displaces your weight and you are floating on the top (hence why SUP boards need to be so much bigger). But smaller boards will sink under the water at paddling speed - you need the wave speed to get them up and planing. Have a look at the pic below, most of the board is under the water

So when you say that the tail and foot of the board are submerged, then that is not unusual. If you focus on the nose, the rest of the board will do what the rest of the board does - that is as good as it will get. Btw, while you are getting used to it, give yourself a visual aid on the board to ensure you are in the correct paddling position eg is the logo (when you are positioned correctly) at your chin or nose or whatever.

[Big H]

I had similar concerns when I first started using a short board....on the longboard you are up and out of the water; I was worried that I was "pushing water" as many sources warn against. The video below I can't comment on the paddling technique; I don't follow it, but it was the video that I saw that made me understand what the short board trim angle was from an underwater perspective........calmed my fears that I was doing the whole thing wrong after seeing what the board looks like from this perspective. Have a look; maybe it will do the same for you.

[drowningbitbybit]

... short board trim angle...

The board in question is 7'10 x 23 x 3 - even with a heavyweight on it, there's no way that should be at an angle like a shortboard

At 3" thick and with a wide front section, that board really will push water if it's at an angle like a pointy nosed shortboard, but at a guestimate of 65+ L, it really ought to be give-or-take horizontal.
Maybe the answer is as simple as that - the board is sinking like a shortboard due to the 16st on it but is built to ride on top of the water like a mini-mal. Answer? The board is too small.

[oldmansurfer]

On some boards it is just an inch or two adjustment that will make a huge difference. He may need to dial it in or maybe he already has it as good as it gets.

[Spring2016]

So when you say that the tail and foot of the board are submerged, then that is not unusual. If you focus on the nose, the rest of the board will do what the rest of the board does - that is as good as it will get.

...and I thought my board was supposed to be flat in the water glad I posted my question as I am learning quite a lot. That and my neck is killing me thanks to trying to paddle quickly and look at the tail of the board at the same time to see what it is doing.

[Spring2016]

... short board trim angle...

The board is sinking like a shortboard due to the 16st on it but is built to ride on top of the water like a mini-mal. Answer? The board is too small.

I am erring towards that idea myself. I am off to see a second hand longboard tomorrow. I have a rough plan in my mind; i will keep the 6'10 as my move to board, concentrate on losing a few stone over the summer, and maybe go back to a longboard in the meantime.

It is all about having fun. I don't want to waste my summer trying to surf with boards which are not suited to me. I want to catch some waves and have some fun.

That is a rough idea anyway. The board in question was purchased to replace my Longboard but after a month's worth of trying to get use to it, I think a change is needed.

We will see. Thanks for all your replies, they are all appreciated.

[jaffa1949]

A simple rule of thumb is to have the nose of the board not more than 1" or if metric 25 mm out of the water when paddling flat. The board should feel like it can glide, scratch a chest mark in your wax !
Pop up forward, not backwards, backwards looses all advantage of paddle