SUP Downwind Tips: 5 most common first timer mistakes for Stand Up Paddle boarding

[@beach.stoked]

Downwinding looks like so much fun. And no fighting upwind to worry about!! 😂 Awesome tips!!

[@blueplanetsurf]

Yes and it takes more skill than flatwater paddling

[@beach.stoked]

@@blueplanetsurf I suppose it would. A bit like surfing but more constant thinking and paddling I imagine. Can't wait to give it a try!! Thanks for your consistent awesome videos btw!! 🤙

[@davidpeterson4941]

SUP foiling looks like a great time. Kai Lenny makes it look so easy. Looking forward to giving it a try!

[@blueplanetsurf]

+David Peterson , yes Kai Lenny makes it look easy but trust me, it's not. You need to learn to use a foil first, and be good at catching and connecting bumps before even attempting downwind foiling. I went out yesterday with my friend Jeff Chang to practice foil boarding behind a jet ski and I can tell you it's very tricky and dangerous, not something you can easily learn on a SUP.

[@gonzopaddler5996]

Outstanding Video! Greatly appreciate the POV & real time teaching. Thanks so much for the knowledge! I'm a SUP paddler on the land locked Prairies of Manitoba, Canada; we have some mega sized lakes that produce some great downwind conditions. My skills are about jump to the next level! Mahalo!

[@blueplanetsurf]

+Gonzo Paddler You are most welcome, downwind paddling is fun! I'm planning to be in Manitoba this Summer, visiting Hopper from Hardcore Paddleboards, our Blue Planet distributor in Manitoba, hopefully we will find some good downwind conditions!

[@felipeduque4620]

Great tips amigo. Can’t wait to go visit. Mahalo!

[@wheelsbarrow9382]

Don't paddle, what a concept, gotta try it sounds easy. Moving around on the board will take some practice though.

[@blueplanetsurf]

Yes, you won’t feel the bumps pushing you unless you stop paddling, that’s how you learn timing and also save energy to paddle hard when it counts. 🤙🏼

[@rolandjacques649]

Thanks Robert for another great video. I hope to downwind some day. Being on the East coast mainland not sure when that might happen but i'll remember your tips when i ever get the opertunity.

[@blueplanetsurf]

You can start small by paddling upwind on a windy day and coming back with the wind, make sure to always do the upwind leg first. You can use any board to get a feel for it.

[@maureenmacvicar546]

Fab video!Very helpful.thanks

[@blueplanetsurf]

maureen macvicar I'm glad you enjoyed it, now get out there and catch some bumps!

[@ericbakke3060]

Super helpful! What’s an ideal shape of board? Will 14x28 work?

[@blueplanetsurf]

A good downwind board will usually have a planing hull and more rocker than a flatwater board. The ideal width depends on conditions and skill level. 🤙🏼

[@stevethomas760]

Great information. Keep um coming. You will make a paddler out of me yet.

[@blueplanetsurf]

Good to hear you like the videos Steve!

[@neilmacindoe1931]

Awesome! Is that the 14x28 carbon Bumprider? I just ordered one sight unseen, I see a lot about the 27 and 30 wide models, but not the 28?

[@blueplanetsurf]

Yes this one is 28. The 27 is not quite as stable but a bit faster in lighter wind, otherwise not much difference at all. Watch the “when a wider SUP is faster video”. Where we ride all 3 widths.

[@johnsurf509]

looks fun!!!

[@winterroadspokenword4681]

This is a great video, what were the windspeeds on a day like this out of curiosity? :)

[@blueplanetsurf]

this day the wind speed was 15-20 knots

[@flying8842]

How can I recognize a bump or good bump? 🙏🙏

[@blueplanetsurf]

Look at the bumps in front of you and try follow a steep bump in front of you, it will fell like it’s pulling you along 🤙🏼

[@RamboGainz]

What would you do if you fell in sea hmm? And when you can't feel the bottom with feet, let go of board and swim or hold on too it to get back to shore if you can't get back on sup with life jacket

[@blueplanetsurf]

Always wear a leash so you don’t get separated from your board. If you don’t know how to get back on the board, you should not be out there.

[@RamboGainz]

@@blueplanetsurf well what if new to this. did have lease, and it is hard to get back on board with jacket on if out far, but not if you can stand up in water then maybe more easy . And basically if I was in calmer flat no wind water it would not happen or I would have more control ie paddling and turning, balance and not just have wind push me around

[@blueplanetsurf]

This video has tips to get back on board: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZqpgKqpjtiWjJo

[@blueplanetsurf]

Also, watch some more of our videos to learn to steer, paddle straight and paddle upwind first. This video is for more advanced paddlers learning to do open ocean downwinders. Start with this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3WYcoilbLhqeck

[@sotiriosachrianis5961]

ok but how you get back if you go too far following the waves? is it dangerous? (rookie question)

[@blueplanetsurf]

When we do downwinders we meet at the finish, leave cars there, drive upwind to the starting point, then paddle downwind . Always use the buddy system, use a good leash and bring a cell phone in waterproof case or locator beacon because yes, it can be dangerous. On a very windy day it can be impossible to paddle upwind.

[@vaya15]

blueplanetsurf hey! You’re so good paddle boarding ! Happy to see you doing something so cool and that it makes you happy. This happened to me today. I went past the shallow area and thought I could paddle back around. I ended up having to paddle to a guy’s dock where someone let me use their phone. I logged into Snapchat and thankfully my friend opened her snap! Omg what an experience. I never felt in danger but I realize I put myself in a dangerous situation by not even carrying a cell phone. So many rookie mistakes! Won’t happen again!

[@islandvibez]

@@blueplanetsurf How can you tack upwind?? We dont have a sail haha

[@justboon]

Vere helpful! Mahalo

[@blueplanetsurf]

🙏😎👍🤙🏼

[@rsstnnr76]

Great video. Thanks. So does downwind paddling basically mean riding open ocean waves (bumps)? How do you handle waves that are hitting you from the side?

[@blueplanetsurf]

+Russ Tanner Yes, downwind paddling is riding open ocean swells. If the wind is coming from the side, that is just painful, not downwinding. When there is a strong sidewind it's often impossible to paddle sideways to the wind without getting blown off course, you have to either paddle straight into the wind or quarter the wind with the wind from the back. Here is another video you can watch that has some helpful pointers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHvVfXWdlquYmJY

[@rsstnnr76]

+blueplanetsurf thanks for the reply. What kind of board do you recommend for open ocean paddles? Planing? Displacement?

[@blueplanetsurf]

A planing hull is my preference for open ocean paddling, like the 14' Bump Rider I'm using in the video.

[@blueplanetsurf]

Here is a good video about paddling into the wind and dealing with sideways wind (best to avoid it): kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHvVfXWdlquYmJY

[@JamesDriver40]

are you wearing a Garmin forerunner? can you get paddling metrics like cadence out of it, or just a map of your session via GPS? Thanks.

[@blueplanetsurf]

+James Driver Hi James, I use it for training logs. I find the heart rate to be the most valuable feedback. I think it can measure cadence but I have not tried or tested that feature.

[@Commander_HW]

i almost got drowned once when i was doing SUP cuz the leash was tight enough and got away from me, and the SUP was being pushed away from me by the waves, i panicked and swallowed some water but eventually was able to get myself out of the situation cuz some kayaker was passing by. But ever since i wasn't able to get over the fear and i gave up SUP and all water sport all together. I really want to get over that fear, but i don't know how. And wear a life jacket looks funny on a grown man.

[@blueplanetsurf]

Safety comes first. You need to be strong swimmer, especially if you plan to go further out, you should always be able to swim back on your own power if you had to. If you are not a strong swimmer, consider working on your swimming technique first before getting into downwinders. A good leash is probably the most important part of safety gear, if you lose your board you can get in trouble fast. Also, take phone in waterproof bag, or better yet a personal locator beacon if you need to call for help in an emergency, pfd, and always use the buddy system. You should always rely self rescue first but if it's a real emergency, have a way to get help from the coast guard. Beginners: beware of offshore wind and never go out without a GOOD leash, and attach it properly, it is the lifeline to your board and on a windy day it will get away from you quickly.

[@Commander_HW]

thank you!

[@rolandjacques649]

Robert said it right. I'd add that you might be more comfortable wearing a fanny pack type PFD. But you do have to be a strong enough swimmer to be clam while inflating it and putting it on if you ever need it. I don't know if Redcross still has advance swimmer and lifeguard courses but i thought they were very good in helping me become a better swimmer. Your leash is your best friend, respect it, inspect it, take care of it, and it will take care of you.

[@Kwood10]

blueplanetsurf what brands are the best leashes ? How can you tell a good leash from a bad one ?

[@DanielJuengling]

Cool vid,! Thank you. Might be a silly question but regarding the staggered stance do you shift from natural to goofy depending on the side you paddle or do you keep your stance as natural (or goofy) no matter what side you paddle.

[@blueplanetsurf]

Most paddlers, including myself, use their natural stance when moving back into the surf stance to surf the bumps. I don't know of anyone that uses a switch stance in downwinders although it would probably look cool.

[@DanielJuengling]

Thought so but nice to know! Please keep the videos flowing. Love them. I’m from perth Western Australia and just frothing so hard on down winding at the moment. We’ve got unreal conditions here too.

[@blueplanetsurf]

I was hoping to be there for the downwind week last week but could not make it, I hope to be there next year though.

[@Nobody99998]

Ever seen or experienced any large rogue waves?

[@blueplanetsurf]

Yes, when there are big swells rolling through.

[@asaied100]

what paddle are you using, what blade volume?

[@blueplanetsurf]

I use a 92 square inch blade, the Blue Planet Kai Zen V2, in my opinion the best paddle available today: blueplanetsurf.com/products/blue-planet-2017-kai-zen-v2-cf-paddle-w-extendable-handle/

[@gromageindustries6745]

Paddling with the aim to get on the back of the wave is quite counter inituative, it seems to go against physics, gravity, and goes against my experience, I find that waves push me along much more, aiming to catch the front of the wave, as one would usually catch and surf a wave, if I try and paddle aiming for the back of the wave it just goes under me leaving me where I am. What am I doing wrong in this case?.

[@blueplanetsurf]

What I’m trying to say is start paddling for the bump early and stop early. If you start paddling to pick up speed just before the tail lifts you will catch the bump easier, get a longer glide and have more time to rest while your board sits in the trough. This allows you to paddle hard and connnect into the next bump as you come off the back. I often see beginners wait for the tail to lift and then start paddling hard only to have the bump pass under them as they are struggling trying chase after it. Then as they come off the back they are too exhausted to paddle for the next bump and loose all their momentum. So my advice is start paddling sooner to chase the bump in front of you so you can stop paddling and glide as soon as the tail lifts up and catch your breath so you can do it all over again when you come off the glide and keep the momentum going. I hope that makes sense. Learning when not to paddle is probably the most challenging. I like to think of the bump in front of my nose pulling me along. I basically paddle to keep the momentum going between the glides, so I start to paddle as the bump passes underneath me and the board speed drops and try to latch onto the back of the bump in front of me for the next free ride and rest so I can do it all over again and try to keep the board moving at close to the same speed of the bumps without stalling the board speed off the back of the bump.

[@gromageindustries6745]

blueplanetsurf hey thanks for your in-depth dedicated reply, I really appreciate it. I get the first part, yes paddle early before the tail lifts, but then i'm a little thrown of by the chasing the bump in front of you, i'm interpreting this as if you are in a trough behind a bump, very likely there is a peak just behind you and the trough you are in that you can catch. It's probably quite simple really. Hey on a separate note, I hope you don't mind me asking and can give me a little guidance on this. I'm in the UK and there is a well used second hand 14 foot Bark D2 for sale that id like to buy, it has 2 small professionally repaired patches on the tail, how much would you pay for such a board??.

[@blueplanetsurf]

Sorry, I have no idea how to value that, in Hawaii older model race boards often sell at very low prices, like around 25% of the new value.

[@blueplanetsurf]

Regarding the paddling, I think a good analogy is downhill skiing. If you are going through up and down terrain, you would push with your ski poles to keep the momentum in the flats or going uphill but let the skis run on the downhill parts without pushing with the poles, that's basically what you are doing in the bumps.

[@skyworks1621]

Can you glide like this with an inflatible bord. Thanks

[@blueplanetsurf]

+sky works. You will give up a bit of performance when using an inflatable, mostly due to flex and the lack of tapered hard rails. You can do downwinders on an inflatable board but in my experience you will be a bit slower.

[@blueplanetsurf]

HKSUPA has several videos titled "Will it downwind?" where the uses several inflatable boards on downwind runs, the videos and a discussion of this topic can be found here: www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,26567.0.html

[@AdmiralWhatsHisName]

How do you get back upwind?

[@blueplanetsurf]

In the beginning of the video you can see the van and trailer we use. We meet at the finish, load up the trailer, drive about 9 miles up the coast and paddle downwind to the finish.

[@solidstream13]

How do you get back against the wind?

[@blueplanetsurf]

We leave cars at the finish and take the trailer shown at the beginning of the video to the starting point. This downwinder from Hawaii Kai to Waikiki is about 9 miles.

[@AdmiralWhatsHisName]

Water is soooooo blue

[@blueplanetsurf]

Yes, I love the deep blue open ocean waters!

[@Kwood10]

👍🏻

[@fotojay]

What’s that yellow dot in the left corner of the sky (not the sun). kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5XYeHh4ZrSLsKs &t=1m40s

[@blueplanetsurf]

Sorry, it only took me 8 months to respond, haha. I think you are referring to the yellow parachute of a parasail tour operator.

[@adrianapacheco1710]

Show!!!

[@vewoq4]

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