Know How: Time for standing up

1. First find your balance on the board by sitting on your knees. Hold your paddle between your hands and the board, This will help give you stability and keep your centre of gravity low. Look to the front of your board and make sure the nose just sitting out of the water.

2. Stand up carefully in the middle of your board. put your toes in a straight line and your feet shoulder-width apart. most paddle boards have a diamond shaped grip area in the middle, this is where you should be standing.

3. Place one hand over the t-bar at the top of the paddle and the other approximatley hip height. The top hand is on the opposite side to the side you are paddling on.

4. Aim for the nose of the board, pullling through the water in one long stroke as close to the rail as possible. use your whole upper body to pull the paddle towards you, use your stomach muscles like a sit up.

Above is some tips to get you standing on your feet. After mastering that you’ll want to catch your first wave! Below is some tips to get you pointing in the right direction.

It is important to keep yourself balanced on your SUP, but remember, speed is your friend. It can be a bit like riding a bike, it’s easier when you are moving to stay balanced than when you are simply standing still. Also paddling your SUP is great for your stomach muscles, arms and your core. So get out there and give it a go.

1. When paddling for a wave, it becomes easier when you move your feet slightly into your preferred stance for surfing. It will be either left orright foot forward, depending on what feels more natural to you.

2. To get onto the wave you must use strong, determined strokes.

3. To generate enough speed so that you will get on to the wave.

4. To the point where you can feel the wave propelling you forward and the glide sensation begins. . At this point you move a little further back on the board and spread your feet further apart into your natural stance.

5. Moving back helps to sink the tail, keeping the nose up as you come down the face of the wave. Once speed is up, lean into the turn by bending and weighting the back leg and foot whilst leaning over onto the inside rail that you wish to turn off.