@jsjs6751 The reality is that it's almost impossible to put that paddle in too deeply. Pushing it down is a guaranteed way to generate power. I could show you a stack of pix of top paddlers bent so far over that their back is horizontal. It will never hurt the stroke. For sure, it will influence how the stroke develops and what happens next in the power phase, and for some types of paddlers there may be faster stroke styles, but ultimately, a deep stroke will always be a good effective stroke. It's complicated because there are a variety of different ways of getting power out of your stroke, which I didn't get into in the vid because it adds a whole lot of extra complexity to the picture. The points I discuss in the vid are valid for all strokes, but the actual power mechanism can be from compression, twist or thrust, and as said, that's a whole different vid in itself. My preferred method is compression, whereby I am using my upper body weight and muscles to power the paddle downwards, which generates a whole lot of power. The way I coach the stroke generally is to start by getting my client comfortable with a compression stroke (ie primarily downwards), because that sorts out so many of the fundamental issues that most people have with their set up and catch. Once that's all good, and a really strong early catch has been achieved, we can then look at fine tuning how the power phase develops. Which may well mean for some people a little bit less bend, and a slightly shallower paddle. Sorry, this probably doesn't help at all. The stroke is such a complex beast, it's impossible to do it justice in a few paragraphs!

​@billdawes123 Thanks for your write-up.

@RobertHooper-b3r By rotation do you mean hip twist? That's a whole subject in itself. The twist stroke was where the paddleboarding stroke started, and many athletes still use it. But from around 2015 onwards the much more forward-focussed compression-based and thrust-based strokes have kinda pushed twist out of the limelight. Look at any race fleet now and you'll see some athletes with some twist in their stroke but plenty with none at all. I didn't reference it here because it actually doesn't work for a lot of people. Some people are natural twisters, others not. (I will be doing a vid on this soon). As for moving the feet... Move them where? Not quite sure where you're going with that one. And as for the paddle out of the water by the time you reach your feet; that's one of these crazy myths that have become pervasive, indeed we are actually right now working on a 'myth-busting' series of videos looking at weird misunderstandings like this that have been repeated so often that they become seen as gospel. You absolutely do NOT need to take your paddle out before it reaches your feet. This idea that it will suddenly slam the brakes on if it passes your feet is just nonsense. There is still plenty of absolutely useful and perfectly good power to be had at that point of the stroke. Again, just watch any top racer, and you'll see that their paddle passes their feet (other than in super-high-cadence sprinting). It's all about how you control and steer the paddle through the water when it's back at that point, and how you're applying the power to it with your hands. Yes, for sure there are inefficient things you can do with your paddle when it reaches your feet, but there are also good things. Focussing on taking the paddle out when reaches your feet all too often results in a really uncomfortable inefficient stroke, particularly for people for whom a lower cadence longer stroke is much more natural and comfortable. I see this all the time in my coaching; people obsessing about something like this, and horrified when I suggest they relax and let the paddle come up and out of the water at a more natural point in the stroke cycle, rather than obsessing about the feet thing. But then they pretty much instantly start going much faster, further, easier and more smoothly once they do find their proper, natural stroke cycle. The way you take the paddle out of the water has far more consequence than where you take it out of the water. Paddling is such a complex thing. I'm sure I say it in this vid, I certainly say it many of the other ones on this channel; there are so many ways it can be done, and there is absolutely no one right way to do it properly. Any rule you try and impose on paddling; you'll find someone doing something different and making it work. It's the most fascinating sport to coach that I've ever worked in. Anyway, hope this helps clarify things a bit.

@thejohnbreen Beltpack PFDs are great, and do away with all those issues of discomfort, chafe etc. However, they’re only for competent swimmers, and if you decide to get one of these for yourself, you really need to learn how to operate it before you end up needing it in an emergency. Practice at home opening it, donning it and inflating it orally (you don’t need to trigger the CO2 canister), so that in an emergency you’re entirely comfortable with using it, whether or not it inflates automatically when you pull the toggle. It's because they don't actually give you any flotation until you specifically choose to make them into a flotation device (and then it takes several actions to achieve), that we generally don’t recommend beltpacks for beginners. You’re best off having that extra comfort and security from knowing that your buoyancy is always there, automatically working for you every time you fall in. However, if you do fully understand how to use them, then for sure they're a great option.

@MichaelLatimer-sz5pp great question! So, short answer - yes. Go for the manufacturers recommended pressure when you're on the water. That's where it matters. Generally, when the board is on the water there won't be much/any expansion factor happening, the water keeps the board cool. It's when it's on the beach that it can get cooked in the sun and the air inside heats up and expands. However, the reality is that even if the board is super hot, the air pressure inside only expands by a couple of psi, absolute max. It is not this extra pressure that will damage your board, it's the result of the direct sunlight on the seams of the board, cooking the glue within. The best advice is to keep the board out of the sun as much as possible when its onshore.

@user-om3qq1pq6f that's exactly right!! Well done, you got it. Hopefully you'll find that really helps.

@stevenrogers9687 Helmets are an interesting one. We've discussed them at length. For sure there are scenarios where they make sense (launching and landing around locks and jetties for example), and certainly in any white water paddling we'd never be without one. In general though, paddleboarding is not really fast enough to be a high impact sport so the risks of head injuries are pretty low (unlike MTB; for sure a helmet is absolutely necessary for that). But all power to you if you want to wear one. We'd certainly never advocate against wearing them.

I have one of those $1K ISUPs and might be able to help with this one. Here's a list of missing specs off the top of my head Triple layer pvc construction. Triple layer railing. Fused railing. Cross stitch construction. Universal finbox. The grip pad isn't very grippy (some would prefer this though) Art (subjective, but look up Sea Gods ISUPs as an example) With that said, they sell this thing for $200 right now and it does seem like quite the deal. It does have the following notable specs: D rings all up the sides and tips. Bungee cording. Action mount. Dual layer pvc construction. Think of it this way, this board is way better than the Costco isup priced at $400. The only thing really missing is they don't sell it with a bag anymore (to bring the price down)

@@workappropriate3024 Hey! Thanks a bunch for the detailed reply, that's really helpful. Based on the reviews, I purchased two Nauticals. So far, I have no issues with performance but I'm a newb and second I'd describe myself as "casual-enthusiast" user. But I can see the benefit of a universal fin box. And I can understand the difference in construction, both for longevity and rigidity, the latter of which I reckon won't be an issue for me until I experience it. My Nauticals both came with bags. I've seen some Nauticals online and in reviews that differ from mine. Mine has a bunch of D-rings, bungies at both ends etc. Surface feature-wise they seem on par with higher end boards. Perhaps the others ones I've seen were earlier models? The thing I was really wondering is if all three lower priced boards are coming from the same Chinese factory and if so, are the Nauticals essentially the same thing but with more surface features. Or are they designed and built by/for iRocker. Thanks again for the reply! Happy paddling!

@jedison3414 great question. Short answer, yes. Get a board with plenty of width so that can stand up easily and quickly, and you actually need to spend very minimal time on your knees.

@carlphil450 I presume you're talking about twisting from the hips, the 'twist stroke'? That's certainly one way to paddle, and was very much where the SUP stroke started, because so many of the early converts to SUP racing came from a canoe or va'a background. However, since around 2015 there has been a shift away from that approach. Plenty of top paddlers eschew twist entirely, concentrating on getting all their power from compression or thrust. So it's definitely not a case that to be efficient and powerful, you HAVE to coil/uncoil the upper body. It's a technique that suits many paddlers, but absolutely isn't compulsory.

@Khaled_bass We really hope you enjoy your new board!

YOU ARE A TERRIBLE PERSON. MUCH WORSE.

@CrushGravel We have not had the opportunity to check the NRS boards out yet so can't give you any thoughts on them, unfortunately.