Paddle Sessions
Long Paddles
To compliment our weekly squad sessions, paddlers are urged to go for a number of long and slow paddles each week. The aim of this is to improve slow twitch muscles, so paddlers can focus on perfection and efficient technique while socially interacting with other paddlers.
Paddlers are given guidance on an average speed to maintain during these long paddles. Long and slow paddles average 15km.
Downwinders
The magic of down winding happens with the addition of wind. Wind leads to waves, and waves (runners, chop, swell) allow us to surf along, boosting your journey from Point A to Point B!
Moreton Bay provides an ideal environment for learning the skills needed to paddle down wind. Learning when you need to paddle hard to catch a wave, and when to rest or recuperate while surfing on a swell is key. Reading the water around you to link the next wave before your current wave dissipates leads to a glorious flow.
There is little that is more exhilarating, frustrating and just downright fun than downwind paddling in an ocean ski. Reading the water and the bumps takes time and skill to anticipate the swell patterns created by the wind, allowing you to pick a path through the heavy peaks and troughs efficiently. This is both a sight and feel experience as you and your craft rise and fall, feeling for the lift of the tail, applying power through the paddle, and sustaining the glide without stalling. It is that flow and continuous momentum that separates the good paddler from the great.
On Water Safety
As a club we have a duty to mitigate risks and ensure everybody gets back safely. Without bringing out the big stick… for open water paddles we require that you wear a PFD (personal flotation device - “lifejacket”), leg leash to attach you to your ski and your mobile phone is a waterproof case. Other useful safety equipment includes a marine radio, PLD (Personal Locator Device) and distress flares. It is particularly important to never paddle alone, not to paddle in poor visibility (grey clouds with rain, fog or dusk) and to allow a time buffer of at least 1 extra hour of daylight. You should always chart your paddle with others, notifying them of your course and expected start and finish time with an agree time to contact authorities.
Retrieved from: paddle2fitness.com.au
Technique Tips
Technique
Technique is something you’ll be working on forever as it can always improve. By having a continual awareness of technique you can improve which will launch your paddling ability. You need to learn when to work hard and when to rest. Power is applied in short explosive bursts or when maintaining your run to keep your speed up. Paddling in small sized waves is one of the secrets of building your confidence in your ski and also radically improves your balance, skill and confidence.
Stability
Stability comes from both you and the boat you’re paddling. The most important thing is that you develop a rock-solid remount, stay attached to your boat, at the same time, be aware of you and your paddle buddy’s safety. You will however learn to adjust and build your balance with patience and practice. Make no mistake this is a life saver in the true meaning of the words when you're in the surf. You may want speed, but you aren’t going anywhere unless you’re upright in the boat. So pick a boat you can sit in. Never sacrifice stability for speed. When you invest in your first ocean surfski buy one more stable and less fast then the other way around.
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