I've had trouble maintaining my strength over the winter (and most winters when im not in the water much) and i was wondering what is a good way to increase my paddling speed. Any exercises or tips for building up paddle speed and maintaining that strength during periods out of the water.
slightly cup your hands while still keeping your fingers open and while you paddle put your hands a little underneath your board while you paddle helps you go faster.
is it true that water temps effect your bouyancy? I know when paddling in cold water it seems like I am dragging a pool toy behind me to the line up.
Use a rowing machine. It will build up your speed. i also swim competivly year round which helps my paddling speed
Yea it's tough, I go to the gym and workout to stay in shape and have noticed definite improvement in terms endurance in the water. If I didn't workout, it would be even harder to paddle and stay out there longer. Even so, I still get tired quick with the 5/4 especially when current is shifty on the bigger days. I try the cupping of the hands and I guess it works but sometimes I'm just too tired, that damn 10lbs of rubber kills me. Anyway, my point is, we are always going to be tired out there if we dont surf everyday during the winter and the paddling will be restricted with the extra rubber thickness in the wetsuit. I'm sure this all stuff you know anyway, but just voicing my opinion. If you have a pool at your gym and can do laps everyday, you'll be much better prepared and fit to paddle during the winter. Any other tips from people, im all ears.
Track. Run hard and long every day. Get some lungs and become a machine. 8 hour sessions are no prob for me.
You're buoyancy, not for say, cause generally you are the same temperature. Anything colder is denser, so the colder the water, the closer the molecules are together, and since they are closer, you gotta work that much harder to separate them, hence why it feels harder to paddle. That and you got a **** ton of rubber around you
Sorry guess i should have clarified, I don't have problems pulling long sessions i just dont have that explosive power to get into waves as well. Like friday was pretty much ruined because i couldnt get into waves fast enough. Swimming laps sounds like an option I could work on for sure.
get strong to paddle Interesting topic… any kind of exercise will help you in the water. I'm not claiming to be an expert on this topic, but I paddle, run, swim etc. competitively and I do these things for competitive lifesaving (not surfing.) I am trying to put together an article for "Surfing & Training" for swellinfo now, but when I research what the pro surfers are using for non-surf training, the philosophies are still all over the place. I look at Kelly Slater immediately. He used to run during his teens, early 20's. He played lots of golf during the late 20's, early 30's. Started boxing and grappling in the early 30's. Did some distance paddling through out. Never really used the gym ever? Then there is Jordy Smith. Yoga? That's it! Dane Reynolds, bodysurfs with some fins. Rasta, blow up raft rides, kayaking, logging, underwater diving, explodes boats that kill dolphins. Mick fanning uses big stability balls. The trend seems to be what gets YOU motivated. What works for me might not be attractive to you. What you do might not be for me. BUT I am buying into this: P90X® – Official Web Site Get absolutely ripped in just 90 days with these extreme workouts. www.P90X.com I have never used it, but the idea of muscle confusion ties directly into surfing. Your body doesn't know what to expect when it's in the water. Duck dive, sprint paddle, slamming down, pulling in, airs, cut backs, locked arms stalls, etc. If you want to surf your best, you need have fun and stay in shape. I like the concept behinds p90x. Surfing can be rhetorical so you want to train the whole body. I currently run, swim and paddle distance because I like it. My little brother skates the half pipe and surfs every little scrap that comes through. I think our surfing is comparative, but he is one of the fastest paddlers in the United States and his training is not what you would think. The differences are separated by one similarity...we enjoy what we do. Just keep an open mind. If you want to learn to paddle fast for racing, I can teach you that. If you want to surf better, enjoy what ever exercise you do like it was surfing. BIG DIFFERENCE if you ask me!!!
Your problem sounds like a board size issue....remember you can easily be 20 lbs heavier in the winter from the wetsuit + winter weight......you might wanna get yourself a slightly thicker / wider stick for the cold seasons.
if you can, try to post updates about the p90x and how it impacts your surfing. if not, please let me know. i've been considering it.
Same here, on some of the bigger hollow days, I lack that extra burst to pull in faster and either drop in too late or can't catch the wave. Just have to work harder and get body in better condition for winter and also consider using a bit wider and thicker board for winter sessions.
Actually thats just wrong. The density of water is always constant - that's why hydraulic power can be so strong. Colder water has a higher viscosity than warm water, meaning colder water has a higher resistance to flow. The molecules of water are the same space apart at 40 degrees as they are at 85 degrees.
bahahahaha P90X, sorry man but that is just tooo funny. Truth is it is harder to get into waves, it is harder to paddle, it is harder to pull off turns and such, it is just tougher to do things in a thick ass wetsuit
p90x I would never purchase the actual program. But rather, borrow the philosophy. I don't have a problem with paddling winter or summer. But, as age creeps in, i look for alternate ways to train. Injury to me means switch the routine, not take a break. Lack of paddling means you need train specific muscle groups and gain cardio strength. Contrary to what one may think, running is MORE useful for paddling. Swimming is an audio vascular activity, surfing is cardiovascular. Thus, running intervals to match the intensity, distance and time of surfing is far more useful to become a better paddler. The only problem is it does not target the specific muscle group. (Combo both) That can be good or bad depending on you interpret over used muscles and muscle damage. p90x is a sales pitch. The PHILOSOPHY behind it is...confusing the muscles and trains the whole body with un-specific core routines. That relates to surfing entirely. i am not buying p90x and i do not think anyone should. You can create your own plan just by experimenting. For instance, I have my swimmers fill up milk jugs with water for shoulder/core exercises and mark the line and date it. as the season goes on, interval’s come down, weight goes up (add water). I borrowed this program from a major university swim coach. It’s cheep and easy. Use them standing, on a bench or my favorite, in between intervals on the track to help create muscle confusion. Try running with a snorkel on for short interval sprints. This will help paddling through the soup and repetitive duck diving.
F*ck paying for P90x. if i were to try it, it'd be downloaded for free. and i don't know about you, but i do a lot more than surf. exercise is beneficial for other sports also.
