Safety Precautions for Beginners When Paddle Boarding

July 23, 2022 3 min read

There are many safety precautions that beginners should take when learning paddle-boarding. They should remember to keep their head up high, mind the conditions of the wind, and position themselves on the board so that they don't fall off. These steps will help beginners become safer paddle-boarders and get them into the water faster. Also, beginners should watch out for the waves and other dangers, so that they can avoid them.

Keep Your Head Up High

One of the most important tips for paddle boarding is to keep your head up high. This helps you paddle with more stability and mobility, and it allows you to see waves better. You should also avoid rolling your shoulders too much while paddling, which can cause you to drag the water. However, many people make the mistake of letting this stop them from enjoying paddle boarding. Follow these tips to avoid losing your balance and stay safe while paddle boarding.

Avoid Falling Off Your Board

While paddle boarding is a fun sport, falling off your board is a common and sometimes dangerous occurrence. In order to avoid falling off your board, be sure to choose a calm body of water and wear appropriate fins. Practice kicking your feet to the side and below the board to keep your body flat in the water. If you fall too quickly, you may hit something below the surface, so falling slowly is crucial to your safety.

Mind the Wind Conditions

If you're planning to go stand-up paddle boarding, you should learn to mind the wind conditions in advance. This is an important skill for SUP paddlers, since a slack wind can affect your performance and cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. A strong headwind can be very challenging for you, especially if you're tired. To avoid being caught in a headwind, you should paddle into the wind.

Position Yourself On the Board

One of the most important things to remember while stand-up paddling is how to position yourself on the paddle board. If you are new to the sport, you can easily get started by lying on the paddle board and paddling with your hands. Place the paddle shaft diagonally up toward the nose of the board. Keep the blade close to the water to help stabilize the board. You can also try to use a paddle handle for extra stability.

Paddle in the Right Direction

For a beginner paddle boarder, paddling in the correct direction is crucial to avoid falling and to improve your control over the board. This is done by keeping your torso parallel to the board, engaging your abdominal muscles, and alternating sides to avoid arm fatigue. When paddling, you should make an arching motion with your arms, starting from the nose of the board and ending at the tail. As with regular surfing, you should grip the paddle's non-blade end.

Position Your Fins in the Right Direction

Paddle boarding is a sport where proper fin placement is critical to a good performance. Proper fin placement will determine how smoothly your board tracks in a straight line and how tightly you can turn. A forward-placed fin will require you to switch paddles more frequently. A rear-placed fin will improve tracking and allow you to go faster while staying stable. Experiment with fin placement to find the right fit for you.

Position Your Feet on the Board

If you're new to paddleboarding, it's a good idea to get familiar with the basics of how to stand and balance on your SUP board. You can start by standing with your feet wide apart, but not so far apart that you're inverted. Try to hold on to the paddle with your palms facing outward and keeping your hips loose and relaxed. Once you feel comfortable with your balance, you can then begin practicing paddle strokes.

Position Your Arms on the Board

Learning paddling is not hard but you have to learn how to properly position your arms on the paddle board. The correct position is important because it will make paddling easier. If you're new to paddleboarding, you can also find some useful tips here. The most important part of this tip is not to put your arms too far apart. In addition, it's important to hold the paddle firmly in your hands. If you do not hold it correctly, you could end up tripping and falling.

Reverse Stroke

When paddle boarding, you'll often want to turn your board in a counterclockwise direction. To do this, start by paddling with your body slightly leaning forward and your arms bent. You should also make sure your shoulders are slightly out of line and your hands are stacked over the bottom one. Then, reach forward with the paddle blade, keeping it perpendicular to the board. Then, repeat the same motion backward.



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