Surfing Waves

Just came across this older article on paddle power with several top surfers giving advice on how to increase your paddling efficiency. There are some good bits in there that I will definitely try to put into effect in my next session and thought it might be useful to others on here as well. Enjoy!
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/surfline-health--fitness-paddle-power-advice-from-the-worlds-best-on-how-to-maximize-your-stroke_41384/

I’ve read thru the article and I’m surprised only Matt Griggs said “ BREATHE “. So many beginners hold their breath or grit their teeth on the paddle.

4.Feel the water. Yes, that's right -- feel the water. You need to feel the pressure of the water against your hand from the time it enters to the time it leaves the water. The more you feel it, the harder it is on your arms but the faster you will go.

Love this one...so true!

This is a mental thing, but I find thinking about pulling my elbows back (having 'set' the hand/caught the water) rather than thinking about pulling the hand back helps. Stops you rotating the shoulders - you put the hand in, catch the water and then pull the elbow back (hand doesnt change)

Good point, dtc. I think the mental components of paddling are often overlooked. Not just mentally committing to catching the wave, but knowing you will catch it. It's contagious. When you know you will catch it, others in the lineup seem to know you will too. Maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems to lead to fewer paddle battles, drop-ins, snaking, etc. This, in turn, makes it less stressful, which makes me more relaxed, which makes my paddling more efficient. So yeah, a mental feedback loop, I guess.

Hahaha well I haven't ever had to deal with not thinking I would catch a wave in the presence of others. I just paddle for the wave and do my best to catch it. Rarely is there anyone else around that might drop in on me if I miss a wave or two. I guess I am lucky to not have crowds. I think for me the moment when I fail to catch a wave is the first time I think about not catching it.

I live inland now, so paddling had become a real issue. BUT luckily, I live on the edge massive volcanic lake in New Zealand, so, while I might look very silly, I jump in there with my board and paddle about 700 metres between the buoys most mornings, and It makes SUCH a massive difference when I get in the water. When I do this, I get in the surf and I feel light and strong. But if I don't paddle the lake, I am like a bit of dead wood in the surf. So, it's worth looking a bit mental. I find nothing is better training for paddling than just paddling. But It is frustrating how quick I lose my arm strength as soon as I get lazy with training