During the winter months we find a lot of our SUP training taking place in a gym or through cross-training legs and core on the ski slope.  Even with a winter as mild as we have been enjoying in central Oregon, with daytime temperatures reaching the mid-40’s on many days lately, time on the water is rare.

For that reason, we have been searching for good training tips available online at various blogs and through video. While watching a KIALOA Paddles video I expected to be learning about paddle design and the history of the “dihedral,” when right in the middle of the conversation, Dave Chun tossed out a simple training tip that really resonated with me. (VIDEO below)

At minute 1:40 the tip begins – “If you find your paddle wobbling in the water maybe it’s because you’re not moving past the paddle fast enough. At that point you need to slow your pull down. ”

Dave continues to explain, “You don’t need to pull less hard. Slow down the rhythm and get the board to move past the paddle – in synch.” I knew this but hadn’t combined slowing a bit while maintaining a strong pull to allow the board to move past the paddle – not the other way around. Cold or not! Today I’ll be out on the river giving this a try. Mahalo, Dave and KIALOA!