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Paddling
Firstly, you need to position your body weight along the centre of the board lengthwise. There are many variables to affect your exact position such as your height, weight and the length and shape of your board, but you’ll find that the right position starts to feel natural, especially if you always ride the same board. And you’ll soon know if you have it wrong – if you’re too far forward, the nose of your board will keep dipping underwater making it difficult to paddle, and as you catch a wave you’ll nose-dive. If your weight’s too far back, the drag you create will make paddling much harder work and make it difficult to catch a wave.
Try to keep your legs together. You will probably keep finding that they have spread apart as you fight to keep balance, but do keep correcting this – it’s a bad habit and you’re signaling to everyone else in the water that you’re a novice. As you improve and start to paddle out into the unbroken water people will spot you for a beginner quicker if your legs are spread wide open, and you’ll get snaked, dropped in on and generally catch nothing. Try to use your stomach and chest muscles instead to keep yourself balanced. It’s difficult, so don’t panic if at first you can’t do it – it’ll come.
Lift your chest up. Don’t lie flat, slumped on your board like you’re in bed – raise your chest up high and proud like a cobra. It’s a tiring position to hold, but it does wonders for your back and stomach muscles. Your chin should be nowhere near the deck of your board – if you can rest it down you’re too low.
Reach out, one arm at a time, and stroke through the water. Don’t flap at the water and splash about, move your arms with strength and purpose and keep your strokes rhythmic and smooth. It’s a good idea to paddle out for a practice on a flat day when there is no chop and wind to put you off. You will be able to feel if you are in the right position much quicker – if the nose of the board is touching or tipping under the water you’re too far forward – if you feel like you have seaweed dragging from your leash you’re probably too far back. Keep making minor adjustments until you feel yourself making clean progress through the water – you’ll feel the difference and will find you catch waves much more smoothly.
Whenever you ride a different board you have to adjust your positioning to suit the board, and this may take a while to get used to, but soon you’ll be moving yourself into the correct position naturally and without a second thought.