Learn Paddle Board Surfing in 7 Easy Steps
The secret is out on paddle board surfing and more people than ever are experiencing how amazing it is to catch waves on a SUP. Surfers and flat water SUPer’s are converting to riding standup paddle boards in the ocean for an additional challenge and thrill of surfing on a paddle board. Having a higher vantage point and more speed over water provide surfers with a new experience in the ocean while SUPer’s coming from lakes get to progress their ability with the challenge of rip currents and waves.
If you are excited to learn how to surf on a SUP, then you have come to the right place! In this article we outline everything you need to know about SUP surfing and how to get started. For those who are already catching waves on a paddle board, keep reading as we break down the different board shapes and sizes and how these affect wave riding performance.
How to Get Started with Paddle Board Surfing
The first thing you need to surf waves on a SUP is a board, fitting to your ability level, that can handle the surf. Depending on your current standup paddle board you are riding, you may be able to take this board into the surf. If you are riding a touring board or race board then you will need to get a new board to perform in the surf.
See: Understanding Various Types of Paddle Boards for more info on boards in general
Finding the best board for SUP surfing depends on your ability level and the types of waves you plan to ride. In this section we are focusing on beginners who are getting out into the surf for the first time and looking for advice on getting started.
We have broken down learning how to SUP surf into 7 primary categories:
- Choosing the right SUP board for surfing
- Paddles for SUP surfing
- Getting to the beach
- What to do before you paddle out
- Navigating the surf when paddling out
- Catching waves on a paddle board
- Safety and best practices
Choosing the Right SUP Board for Surfing
The right dimensions for your height, weight and ability level will ensure you have the most fun surfing your paddle board. In general, the ideal size SUP for catching waves is between 9’0 to 10’6. A 10’6 paddle board can typically handle up to a 245 lbs rider – this can vary greatly depending on the boards thickness and overall volume (measured in liters). Roughly 220 liters will handle a 245 lb rider, while a lighter 210 lb rider would opt for a 175 liter board.
Length isn’t the only factor when choosing a surf standup paddle board. The width of your board will have a dramatic effect on performance in different wave conditions. While a wider board is going to be much more stable to get you into waves, it will make turning once on the wave more challenging. The converse is true when going shorter and what you will lack in stability, you will make up for in maneuverability and performance on the wave.
In general a board that is around 10’ in length and 30” wide should work well for most beginner riders. Most boards have handle cutouts for carrying your board to/from the water. It may seem like a small thing but is a huge practical design element that should not be overlooked.
Lastly, find a board that is aesthetically pleasing to you. Having a board that you love looking at and being on may sound like a small thing but it makes a big difference in building confidence when getting out into the surf for the first time on a paddle board.
Fast track to our buying guide on the best solid beginner paddle boards with suggestions for surfing.
Paddles for SUP surfing
Just as with the standup surfboards themselves, the type of paddle you use in SUP surfing is different from what you have been using on lakes, rivers or touring. In the surf you want to have a paddle that is lightweight to switch sides quickly but tough to handle hitting the board and the occasional wipeout.
Some people recommend going with a paddle that is your height which works for more advanced riders that are on thinner boards. For the average and new SUP surfing paddler, it is best to go with a paddle 6”-8” longer than your height. In Hawaii, the way paddles are sized are to make a shaka’ with your hand and put this on the top of your head standing up right. Measure this and that is the right length for your SUP surfing paddle.
You are going to want a solid, carbon fiber shaft on your paddle, not an adjustable paddle, when surfing a paddle board. There are multiple reasons for this:
First, when SUP surfing you are changing hands quickly and adjustable paddles have a lip where the shaft extends. When your focused on getting away and sliding your hand quickly making changes from side-to-side, this little lip will cause a lot of hand damage in a short amount of time.
Second, the flex of a solid shaft is much more conducive to catching waves. You have a consistent feel throughout each blade stroke that makes a big difference as you scramble to catch waves.
Lastly, the durability of a solid shaft is much better than an adjustable paddle. When you wipe out the last thing you want is to be dealing with your board and a broken paddle.
Transporting To the Beach
Now that you have your stand up paddle board for surfing and SUP surf paddle, it is time to get it all to the beach and into the waves! This means securing your board to the roof racks and loading your car with everything you need to have fun in the water. Loading your board is the worst part as it requires lugging a long and heavy board onto the roof of a car or SUV, then securing with the correct tie downs.
When securing your board, do not use ratchet tie downs as you can tighten it too much and actually cut through the board with the straps. Also, don’t secure your paddle together with your board. Your paddle can shift causing the board to not be secure, or worse, break when the wind or road bumps shift things around.
Heading to the beach you want to pack:
- Leash that is made for Stand up paddle surfing – heavier/stronger than normal leashes
- Leash is typically length of your SUP
- Not a coil leash as these can snap back at you.
- Elements protection– either wetsuit or rash guard
- Fins and fin key
- Sun protection; hat, sunscreen, etc. (you will find that your SUP surf sessions are longer than normal surf sessions, be sure to have ample sun protection).
When choosing the beach to start your SUP surfing adventure you want to find a spot with very few other surfers. Many of the popular surf breaks are not good for riding a SUP board. The surfers in the line up will let you know this – usually not in a polite way. There is good reason for this as many surfers have been seriously injured from inexperienced SUP surfers not being able to control their board and hitting surfers in the lineup.
Look for a beach with very small waves, ideally with a large sandy shore and sand bottom that will make it much easier to get in and out. Also, a sand bottom will prevent injury if/when you jump off the board while learning to catch waves.
Don’t be deterred if you need to drive by a few beaches before finding a mellow spot to paddle out. It is better to find something secluded than go to a popular beach and risk hurting others.
What to do Before You Paddle Out
Before paddling out, you are going to want to watch the ocean for at least 10-15 minutes. There are a few reasons why this is extremely important in addition to checking the surf forecast.
First, the ocean can look very mellow and the waves small when in fact there are big sets that roll in only a few times an hour. By watching the ocean for a while before paddling out, you will be able to identify when sets come through and just how much bigger these are. This is especially important if the surf forecast shows that the surf is building throughout the day. Often, larger sets will come out of the blue if there is a large swell coming in. Watch the waves and decide if you are comfortable with the size of the largest waves you see, plus a foot or so.
Second, by watching the waves you can see what others are doing in the line up and where the waves are breaking. There could be a distinct channel where the waves don’t break which will make it much easier for you to paddle out in.
Third, you want to identify a landmark on the land that you can use as a reference point for when you are in the ocean. Something like a lifeguard tower or a beach house work great as they wont move – like someone’s car or your friend’s beach umbrella. Paddling out directly in line with your landmark will give you vital information once in the ocean such as which way the current is going. Not picking out a landmark could end up with a current pulling you a long way down the beach without knowing it.
Navigating the Surf When Paddling Out
After spending time on the beach getting comfortable with the size and conditions, it is time to get into the water. If there is a channel that you saw then start here to get into the lineup. Again, find a landmark on the beach that lines up with the channel so you can easily identify where the channel is once you are in the water.
If it is your first time going on your new surfing paddle board, you should start on your knees when getting into the water. Walk your board out until you are in thigh deep water and then work yourself onto your board so that you are on your knees in the center of the board. Get a feel of what it is like having the motion of the waves moves the board around.
Paddle yourself out for the first time on your knees. Once in the surf zone, try to catch a wave or two on your knees, moving yourself to your feet once you feel the pull of the wave. Do this in deep water as there will be a lot of falls when first learning how to ride a paddle board.
As you get comfortable, be sure to check in with the landmarks you identified on the beach, making sure you haven’t drifted too far in one direction. Be aware of your surroundings while in the water and make sure there is no one on the inside of you when catching waves. Paddle boards have a lot of momentum once moving and can hurt others if you lose control of the board.
Spend the first time in the water getting comfortable with being in the water after falling off your board. Standup paddle boards are much heavier than surf boards and you will notice that the board will pull you in once the board is in the white water. Lighter riders will notice this even more than heavier riders.
Catching Waves on a Paddle Board
Once you are comfortable catching waves on your knees and have the confidence to paddle into waves standing up, there isn’t too much of a difference except being on your feet. Just as you practiced on your knees paddling into waves, the same concept applies once standing up. You should have a good feel by now of what the pull of a wave is and the timing of dropping into a wave.
On your feet you will notice that you are able to generate more speed which will make it easier to get into waves. However, being standing up, you will not have the low center of gravity like you did on your knees. When spinning to catch a wave while standing up it is much more wobbly. So while you have more speed, you will need to adjust your timing when turning to catch a wave.
As you paddle for the wave be sure to check your surroundings. Make sure no one is already on the wave or on the inside of the surf zone – who could get hurt if you fall when catching the wave. This “Danger Zone” is roughly 30’ from you in the direction the waves are moving, with a 180 degree spread. While not the most optimistic outlook, it is reality that you will fall a lot when learning and it is better to not catch a wave if there is someone in the danger zone then fall trying and hit someone.
Even if you are using an inflatable SUP for surfing, there is still a lot of board that you need to be aware of and considerate to others enjoying the ocean.
Foot Placement for Paddle Board Surfing
The SUP surfing foot placement when first learning is centered on the board and shoulder length apart – almost to the edges of the board. Most SUP manufactures make it easy to find the center of the board by cutting the handle hole right at the center. This is the best place to start and then move forward or back depending on how you are floating. The board should be flat on the water and not driving the nose under water when paddling or having the tail sinking.
As you paddle for a wave, be sure to bend your knees and lean forward into the board. Once you feel the pull of the wave, move your primary foot to the back and pivot your feet to face regular (right foot back looking right) or goofy (left foot back looking left).
To start, focus on riding the wave straight and let it break behind you with the white water catching up. It gets less stable as the white water laps the fins but this is great practice in staying balanced on your SUP.
Once you are comfortable riding the waves straight in, you can progress to riding the direction the wave is breaking. As the wave breaks and the white water moves right to left (facing the beach from the lineup) you start at the white water to go “left” – this means facing the wave for goofy footed riders. When the white water moves left to right (facing the beach from the lineup) you start at the white water to go “right” – this means facing the wave for regular footed riders.
It is typically much easier to ride “front side” meaning that you are facing the wave. When first getting used to actually riding the face of the wave you should go front side. This is the general practice of learning to surf on a SUP.
Now that you know you can surf on a paddle board, the world is your oyster in progressing your style!
Safety and Best Practices
With the knowledge of how to ride a wave SUP board comes responsibility of minding the best practices while in the water. Below are 3 rules to live by when stand up paddle surfing:
- If in doubt, don’t go out: if you ever question your ability based on the conditions, don’t go out. Find another spot that is more mellow or go enjoy a cup of hot coco and call it a day. If you ever surfed or been to the beach in Hawaii you will see these signs all over the place. It is the #1 way to avoid getting hurt in the ocean.
- Be comfortable swimming in: if you are going out to a surf break you should be comfortable in your ability to swim in if you leash snaps and you lose your board. With SUP boards being much heavier than surfboards this is a real possibility.
- Safety is YOUR responsibility: do not expect people to move out of your way. It is your responsibility to safely catch waves and navigate people. If you aren’t comfortable with this, don’t catch the wave.
If you can go through this checklist prior to paddling out you will have a much better experience in the water. Trying to ride a paddle board in conditions that are above your ability level is not fun for you and dangerous for others in the water. Don’t wreck your day and the day of others by getting into surf that is too extreme for you. Again, SUP boards are much heavier than surf boards and can drag you through the water if you wipe out on a large wave.
Next Steps in SUP Surfing
If you have gotten to this point of the article, then you have a great head start in learning how to surf a paddle board! The next step is to get out there are experience the thrill of catching waves on a SUP for yourself.
The main thing to remember is to work up to surfing slowly and build your confidence along the way. Not only will you be a better SUP surfer, but you will earn the respect of the locals who will notice your constraint in learning the right away – rather than trying to get in over your head and hurting others.
Once the SUP surfing bug bites it is hard to stop going and pushing yourself to new breaks and different wave styles. As you progress, there are endless options for different SUP boards that make riding in different conditions much more fun. As you get into faster waves you will be drawn to shorter and narrower boards that are more responsive. Your ability to maneuver the board on the wave will amaze you if you stick with it and progress consistently.
Remember the early days of learning and stay humble when you see others who are just getting started.
Not sure SUP surfing is for you and want to explore other paddle board sports? Take a look at How to Choose a Paddle Board.
About the Author Stephen H
Stephen is a a UCSB Alumni and holds a B.S. in Economics. He has been included in Honolulu Magazine's list of 50 Top Executives and was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by the Small Business Association (SBA). In Hawaii, Stephen competed in various SUP and Outrigger Canoe racing events. He won the State Championship OC1 race and the prestigious Molokai2Oahu outrigger race (koa division). He is currently training for the Molokai2Oahu Solo race on a standup paddle board.