NorCal Downwinders: Santa Cruz County's Finest - Four Mile to Town

NorCal Downwinders: Santa Cruz County's Finest - Four Mile to Town: Considered by many to be the premier downwinder on Santa Cruz County's north coast, the Four Mile to town (Santa Cruz) run possesses pos...

SUP Downwinder: What is it?

Here's the introduction to my soon to be released ebook on SUP downwinding!  When it's ready, I will be sure to link it to this blog.  I'm doing a final edit tonight and will release it next week.  Anway, here's a little taste.

Downwind paddling is a one-way trip using the wind and waves to help propel you forward.  It combines elements of surfing, touring, and racing all into one fun sport. The wind at your back helps you maintain a high average speed, while catching bumps gives you bursts of extra speed and, well, something you just have to experience yourself!  Be aware though, a downwind run can be super fun, challenging, or downright dangerous depending on the conditions.

Essential skills include:  ability to adjust trim, good bracing, good cardio, ability to quickly get back on your board when you fall, good trip planning, and the ability to paddle upwind.  Surfing or rough water paddling experience is big plus.

A downwind run is not a lazy sight seeing trip, it’s a lot of hard work.  It’s extreme multi-tasking  – constantly scanning the water, paddling in short but all-out bursts,  using subtle strokes to adjust heading, bracing, moving around on the board, trying to connect bumps all while trying to not fall in the cold water right on top of that shark that is surely right under your board!  It’s hard but rewarding work!  This is not flat water paddling where you just put your head down and paddle as hard as you can.  Good downwind paddlers are efficient paddlers.  They know when to paddle and when not to paddle.  They never paddle “uphill”, they are always scanning the water looking for a free ride “downhill”.  They are not afraid to change course to find a better bump to ride.  Their feet are never glued to the board, they are experts at adjusting trim.  The experienced downwind paddler is looking to get the most speed with the least amount of work.  They are trying to get the board to plane, that is, to skim across the water using only the wind and the waves.  This is where the magic happens.  This is where you want to be and what keeps you coming back for more.  This is the sensation that surfers crave, the glide, the release of the board from the water.  Paddling on the water is fun, no doubt about that.  Skimming across the water with the wind at your back is something else entirely.

Archimedes’ Principle

I'm 6'5" tall and about 235 pounds.  I am bigger than most paddlers that I know.  I'm bigger than most people I know.  It has it's advantages and disadvantages.  I hit my head on things a lot, I have trouble finding clothes that fit properly.  I also have trouble with riding smaller boards.

Archimedes's principle, physical law of buoyancy, states that any body completely or partially submerged in a fluid (gas or liquid) at rest is acted upon by an upward, or buoyant force, the magnitude of which is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.  What this means in simple terms (trust me I'm no physicist) is that an immersed object is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces.  SUP boards are generally either classified as "displacement" hulls or "planing" hulls, though both shapes displace water.

A really simple formula would be:  Board Weight + Paddler Weight + Gear Weight must not be equal to or greater than the weight of the water being displaced.

You don't really think about this number or the weight of the water (about 8.35 pounds per gallon).  What you do think about is how the board feels under your feet.  A board with a higher volume will generally be able to carry more weight without becoming unstable.  Other factors impact stability as well, like board length, board width, rail shape, bottom shape, fin shape, water conditions, wind, etc.

What all of this means is that bigger people generally need bigger boards.  "Bigger" can be longer, wider or thicker than normal.  Maybe someone like me could ride a 10' x 36" x 6" as easily as a 17' x 28" x 5".  Of course these board are going to be designed for different purposes with the 10 footer being better in white water or surf while the 17'er is going to be must faster and will track better in flatter conditions.  As an extreme example, let's take me at 6'5" (high center of gravity) and 235 pounds riding a drop-stitch constructed inflatable that measures 10'6" x 32" x 4".  It sounds about right until you consider the construction.  This board is constructed with lots of nose and tail rocker so even unweighted, only about 9 feet of the board touches the water so now the actual (water touching) dimensions are 9' x 32" x 4", quite a bit smaller but probably do-able.  Now, let's add me the rider to the board; all 235+ pounds to the center of the board.  Because of the construction, the board will bend in the middle so now only about 8 feet of the board touches the water.  In addition to being less buoyant, the board is not going to handle well and tracking will be difficult and slow.

What I'm trying to say is that we should consider these factors when board shopping.  When just starting out,  get a board that fits you and the conditions in which you paddle.

Making the Board Move

When we take our board to the water we are usually trying to get somewhere (unless it's a yoga session).  It could be out to a surf break, a favorite fishing spot, a hidden cove, or the next bend in the river.  In order to get the board (and ourselves) where we want to go, we use our paddle.  We plant the blade of our paddle into the water and pull ourselves (and our board as we are standing on it) past our blade.  Sounds simple doesn't it?  It doesn't always look simple though, sometimes it looks very complicated.  Just take a look at Danny Ching doing a buoy turn while racing, Dan Gavere executing an eddy turn in whitewater, Zane Schweitzer doing a 360 in the waves, and Dave Kalama linking bumps on a downwinder.  What they are able to do with a high degree of expertise is make the board do what they want it to do at exactly the right moment.  It's that simple. Really, it's that simple.  There are a finite number of things a board can do:

• sit still
• sink a rail, nose, tail
• move forward and backward
• move right or left
• spin clockwise or counterclockwise

What's really important here is how we link these actions together using our weight transfers and paddle strokes while at the same time, we have to also be aware of how the water and wind conditions impact these actions.  Let's say I'm on a downwind run and I see few little bumps right ahead of me.  I increase my cadence to catch up to the bump using short, rapid strokes.  I shuffle my feet forward to put a little more weight on the front of the board and I feel the board accelerate down the face of the bump, now my weight is too far forward and nose starts to pearl, I have to quickly get weight off the nose and back on the tail so I take a big step back with my right foot and stop paddling.  I now have good trim on the bump and I drag my paddle for stability and to help me turn the board a bit.  By now, the bump is starting to pass me by so I move forward again in hopes of catching the bump that was right behind that one.  All of this happens rather quickly but if I pay attention and I'm not too winded, perhaps I can link two or three of these bumps together for a long and really fun ride!

To catch these bumps, I just sink the nose a bit, make the board go forward quickly using short rapid-fire strokes, then put some weight on the tail to ride the bump.  That's it, and if I can do this a few times during a run, I am smiling and laughing like a little kid.  I'm smiling now just thinking about it.

Hat tip to the ACA and Robin Pope for this great article about teaching tips for kayaking.  Take the time to read the whole article here.

February 12th!!

Oh boy, I just checked out the ole blog and see that I've been slacking.  It's tough these days what with email, Face Book, smart phones, work, the commute, family and all that stuff.  Enough excuses, I'm going to get busy on this blog thing once again.  I have a few stories to write up along with some videos and pictures. I'm going to talk about all sorts of stuff like:

• Meet Up Groups
• Downwinders on Tomales Bay
• Downwinders on Maui's North Shore
• New gear
• Old gear
• Fins!
• Rescue scenarios
• Bunch of other stuff

I've been paddling a lot lately and having loads of fun.  I'm continually learning new things about where I paddle, and how I paddle.  I'm working on being a better instructor too.

ps - The Adidas watershoes are holding up great!  

(obligatory blog post pic below)

California 100 Mile Race!

That's right, 100 miles on the Sacramento River via SUP.  Can I do it?  Should I do it?  It's not going to paddle itself is it?  I have a feeling it's going to be a really, really, long day.  Stay tuned for more details...

For more information, check out their site:  http://www.riversforchange.org/california-100/

Angulo Shaka XLT Review

A few weeks ago, I purchased my new Angulo Shaka XLT from Angulo Designs in Santa Cruz.  So far, I am loving this board.  Choosing a 14' is no easy task.  There are so many good boards out on the market, you just have to decide what you want the board to be able to do.  You have to be willing to make some compromises.  I think the Shaka keeps those compromises to a minimum.  It's great for downwind yet is surprisingly fast on flat water.  Although there a bit of nose rocker, it goes up-wind pretty well.  Despite having an "average" amount of volume for it's length, it sits really high in the water and has a ton of secondary stability.  The XLT version weighs in at about 30 pounds which is pretty light for 14', relatively wide board.

If you want a good downwind/rough water board that's not too sluggish in the flats, not too heavy, not fragile, has understated yet beautiful graphics you should check out this board.  Oh yeah, and it retails for about $1800 which makes it an incredible bargain.  It's true that there is no board that excels in every aspect of the sport and all conditions, but this board comes close.  You want to tour on it too?  Put some shock cords on it and go, it can handle the weight.  You are a big guy and want to do a little racing, go for it.  If the wind is at your back or the conditions get rough, you just might have an advantage.  You want to do some downwind runs on it?  Well, this is the board for you.

To make this board perfect, they just need to start using the new undercut finger wells.  This is a big board designed for windy conditions.  Carrying the board to and from the water can be tricky in the wind.  A better grip on the board would be great.

The wind picks up around here in March, I can't wait!  Here's a little video I did after my first outing on the Shaka.  Can you tell I like it? :)