BOARD GAMES

AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING BIASED—
WHICH I AM—AND ALSO OF BEING SUED
BY NIKE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT,
WHEN IT COMES TO STANDUP, THESE
THREE WORDS COME TO MIND: JUST DO IT.
ALL YOU NEED IS A BOARD AND A PADDLE.
HERE ARE A FEW NOTE STO KEEP IN MIND
WHEN YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT EQUIPMENT.

THE ESSENTIALS

STANDUP BOARDS AND PADDLES

You want to find the calmest water, initially, to learn. Don’t start in the surf. You’ll need a board with enough flotation and stability for your size and a paddle that’s approximately 8 to 10 inches taller than your height. A 12-foot board works for almost everyone. You’ve got to weigh more than 300 pounds to need something larger.

My paddle is about a foot taller than I am because I lift my hand high when I paddle. When you’re learning, you don’t want to lift your hand that high because it raises your center of gravity. And it puts a lot of stress on your shoulder.

The paddle blade has a 7- to 10-degree angle. This enables the blade to stay square to the water for a longer period of time. People have an instinctive tendency to hold the paddle backward because they’re trying to “hook” the water. But it’s held the other way around.

Quick Blade makes my paddles. There are various shapes available, and I’ve gravitated toward certain ones that I like. There’s a beginner shape, an intermediate shape, and then one for big waves.

A standup board’s different than a regular surfboard. It has a different shape, different rocker. You can’t stand on a regular surfboard because it doesn’t have enough flotation

My production boards, which are made by Surftech, range in size from 10 to 12 feet.

The stance is different than surfing in that you’re squared off. You stand exactly like a downhill skier. Two feet, side by side, pointing forward in the middle of the board. You hold the paddle with one hand at the top and one in the middle. In the beginning, you’ll be switching hands a lot because you won’t know how to make the board go straight yet. After a while you’ll learn how to maneuver the board without having to switch sides all the time. It has to do with your balance on the board. Normally you weight the side you’re paddling on, but that’s a bit tricky when you’re just learning.