So I have never owned a board before, been on a SUP twice for a total of maybe 10 minutes. The first time I couldn't balance - it was some 8' thing that, in hindsight was probably narrow too - and the second time I couldn't turn the Starboard Wide thing. Somehow I have taken it in my head that a SUP and I are a match made in heaven.

Why did I buy one? Well I have a really bad ankle injury that means I can't run, and dodgy knees which restrict bike riding and I hate swimming, yet I wish to do some cross training to retain some fitness for surfing(my boards can't get much bigger)? The days of five surfs a week are behind me for a while with a young family. I do, however, live two blocks from Geographe Bay, so SUPping on flat water is an easy possibility.

I looked at flat water SUPs but pfft...it was always going to finish up in the surf at some stage - who would I be kidding? A mate tried to get me out in double head high surf last night after I told him the Evoke arrived yesterday. He reckons I am soft for not getting straight out there.

A bit of fitness and a new skill set with the ability to surf some of our outer reef bombies is what I am after. I plan on updating my ignorant opinions and learning curve here. You have been warned. I'll also be asking my questions here rather than other threads.

My first impression of the evoke was amazement at the nose rocker, and the depth of concaves and vee in the bottom. It looks very dramatic. And, with my limited surfboard knowledge, looks like a bottom that should work. The vids I have seen have been in fairly crappy waves, but the bottom has given me a bit of confidence the board will work in bigger, punchier waves when I get there. I will be running the standard 2 + 1 for a while as my wife would shoot me with the cost of different fins. I reckon I want a centre fin anyway initially.

First question, I can surf. How much practice do I need before getting out in head to double head high waves?

I figure I need to be able to paddle in a straight line. Turn a bit. Anything else?

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thedrip said..
So I have never owned a board before, been on a SUP twice for a total of maybe 10 minutes. The first time I couldn't balance - it was some 8' thing that, in hindsight was probably narrow too - and the second time I couldn't turn the Starboard Wide thing. Somehow I have taken it in my head that a SUP and I are a match made in heaven.

Why did I buy one? Well I have a really bad ankle injury that means I can't run, and dodgy knees which restrict bike riding and I hate swimming, yet I wish to do some cross training to retain some fitness for surfing(my boards can't get much bigger)? The days of five surfs a week are behind me for a while with a young family. I do, however, live two blocks from Geographe Bay, so SUPping on flat water is an easy possibility.

I looked at flat water SUPs but pfft...it was always going to finish up in the surf at some stage - who would I be kidding? A mate tried to get me out in double head high surf last night after I told him the Evoke arrived yesterday. He reckons I am soft for not getting straight out there.

A bit of fitness and a new skill set with the ability to surf some of our outer reef bombies is what I am after. I plan on updating my ignorant opinions and learning curve here. You have been warned. I'll also be asking my questions here rather than other threads.

My first impression of the evoke was amazement at the nose rocker, and the depth of concaves and vee in the bottom. It looks very dramatic. And, with my limited surfboard knowledge, looks like a bottom that should work. The vids I have seen have been in fairly crappy waves, but the bottom has given me a bit of confidence the board will work in bigger, punchier waves when I get there. I will be running the standard 2 + 1 for a while as my wife would shoot me with the cost of different fins. I reckon I want a centre fin anyway initially.

First question, I can surf. How much practice do I need before getting out in head to double head high waves?

I figure I need to be able to paddle in a straight line. Turn a bit. Anything else?

G'day theDrip. The main skills you will have to develop are.
Board handling skills such as

1. turning the board in the line up to catch the wave (even trickier in a crowd)

2. getting over white water (without falling off)

3. paddling in a straight line

4. catching a wave without falling off after you have done #1 and transitioned to surf stance after being in the paddling position.

I like you took up SUP surfing after 30yrs of SB surfing. It was pretty easy to pick as the surfing bit is easy once you can nail the basic board handling/paddling skills.

I'd suggest a few flat water paddles to get your balance dialled in along with practicing your paddling and spins etc

Hope this helps

Cheers Bender

one of the first things you will have to get a hold on is standing on the thing in the ocean, flat water paddling is really easy as you don't have all of the water moving around, most of the time you only have side to side rocking at most, in the ocean your board rocks back and forth and side to side, so you have to move your feet around a bit or assume a different stance,

i would refrain from paddling out in double overhead straight away, especially if there are other people out, i would start of in smaller surf and try to go out away from people until you develop some skills, the best thing about standup is that you can paddle down the beach or surf it in waves that would be less than fun on shortboards

Jarryd

I would agree with the previous comments - especially if you have a dodgy ankle. Unless it is a point break without a lot of water moving around and very few other surfers (including SUPers) it could get ugly...

A while ago I posted some tips for a person just getting started surf SUPing, but they were new to surfing too. But have a read through because there are some tips that might help you:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/HelpHokua-8

Be ready for a new life - once I started I couldn't stop. But I took a bit of time before I went out in OH surf...

G'day Drip, welcome to the evoke club. I just bought my new carbon today and can't wait to give it a crack. All the comments above are spot on and definitely read CSE's post as there is some great pointers there. I'm a previous short boarder but now with shot shoulders I found sup a few years ago and love it.

Have a paddle on flat water and try doing some sprints like you are powering to catch a wave as your balance all changes and you can drag yourself off the board. Also try and keep your feet shoulder width apart but also one a bit forward and the other back (hybrid stance) as this helps forward / backward balance especially on the acceleration when catching a wave.

I wouldn't do head high yet mate, they're big boards with a lot of pull. Find a nice point break around 2-3' to start with and you'll soon pick up the basics and have a ball. Good luck ask as many questions as you can, I did!!

Hey drip welcome to the darkside . Couple of quick tips wait for the waves at 90 degrees to the beach as you paddle the board will turn in a arc so you need to time it so your straight as you catch it. Paddle wider of the rail to turn more and short light strokes close to the rail to turn less you'll be tempted to lean on the rail to turn to correct your paddling line it won't work keep the board flat. If you over cook the turn in you have to switch sides to straighten and the time it takes to do it ie missed strokes means you'll probably miss the wave. Biggest tip at the wave picks you up you'll probably feel like you need to stand up tall (not sure why it just does) instead crouch low .

Fantastic pointers fellas. Quite a few things there I hadn't thought of.

We don't really have small friendly point breaks here. It tends to be all or nothing reef breaks - think the reefs around Ulladulla and you have a fair idea. Nor do we have spilling beachies - they tend to top to bottom heaving barrels that hurt. I have absolutely zero intention of hitting them on a SUP.

I will be going to some isolated ones without any or many people.

To get over whitewater, step back, lift the nose and paddle hard, or just get centred and ride it out?

Once again, much appreciated for all the replies.

I played state league soccer before yet another knee injury ended my career at 31....I tried all sorts of rehab exercises and sports and in all honesty since supping my knees have improved out of sight...... All the best and enjoy the Stoke getting into sup surfing

Stay center and pop over for under knee high usually ok. Knee to sholders step back one big paddle up then plant the paddle on tge back off wave till balanced. Got to hit the wash dead square thans the hard part.anything bigger good luck usually throw the board up the wave and dive under this includes paddling up the face and the lip pitches out.

Another useful tip that no one has mentioned yet is that often you are better off just going with it than fighting it when you are getting caught inside especially at the powerful reef breaks you will be in around margs and yals. No one is foam climbing and successfully paddling over whitewater at double overhead main break or bombie!
with your sup you can paddle long distances with ease so often your better off just getting washed into the channel or belly surfing your board over to the channel and paddling back out and around.

Before you get out on the water try setting up the board on a coffee table or chair in your house. Then practice balancing in surf stance in front of a large mirror. Naked is best, that way you can get a feel for your natural balance before donning a wetsuit.

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JacobMatan said...
Another useful tip that no one has mentioned yet is that often you are better off just going with it than fighting it when you are getting caught inside especially at the powerful reef breaks you will be in around margs and yals. No one is foam climbing and successfully paddling over whitewater at double overhead main break or bombie!
with your sup you can paddle long distances with ease so often your better off just getting washed into the channel or belly surfing your board over to the channel and paddling back out and around.

Bombie is definitely on my radar. I have paddle surfed out there with a bloke in a SUP and I know who was doing it easier. And you can't duckdive head high Bombie...lol...one of my biggest flogging happened on a baby wave out there. Didn't last long, but I got absolutely thumped.

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Slyman said...
Before you get out on the water try setting up the board on a coffee table or chair in your house. Then practice balancing in surf stance in front of a large mirror. Naked is best, that way you can get a feel for your natural balance before donning a wetsuit.

I got nothing that's suitable for this forum, but I believe a lot of other members are probably thinking similar things.

Drip there's plenty of good sup waves down the coast. One of my favorites is out the back at gallows. It's out of the way of short borders and you get wicked big drops. The peak is pretty consistent so the shoulder is not to far to paddle to get out of the way of clean ups
I will be burnt for naming a spot in wa but its not exactly a secret spot.
Feel free to PM if you want a partner to paddle with. Im in Bunbury but i surf down ur way all the time

Problem at margs is you have to be at the break wave point to catch a ride on the big sets as not much power on the shoulders. Boat ramp is probably the easiers of the big breaks at margs, it just takes at least an hour before you suss it. Gracetown is great on a big day and not too crowded where the SUP roam.
for these breaks on big day you have to start paddling across the wave with the aim to turn in the spot just below where the face is beginning starting to break. Elsewhere and it slips under you. Its a bit of a commit thing because if a really big set come then you are sitting in the impact zone. .
alternative head up north to Exmouth where I am currently and enjoy warm water, whales and big waves at bombies which are easy to pick and much longer rides.

It sounds like your where I was 18 months ago. short boarded for 25 years rode g land cloudbreak big west coast of Tasmania. Thought I'd get a sup to beat the rip at big Kirra. **** what a humbling experience. First surf 2 to 3' beach breaks got smashed by the White water finally got out couldn't stand for more than 20 seconds let alone catch a wave. Finally got a couple by paddling in prone stood up went to lay over a nice big bottom turn bang flat on my face every time as the board went dead straight. Went back to paddling flat water for a few weeks finally started to get the hang of it in the surf but only on super glassy days if it had any chop it was back to square one. But that's one of the joys of sup it's like learning to surf all over again. one of the biggest pluses is a 2' wave will feel like 6' g land with speed to burn. Its just a hell of a lot harder than it looks to begin with. Down Side is I've short boarded twice in 18 months but don't really care as I'm having way more fun well that and I'm on my 4th board upgrade and 2nd paddle so probably spent 5k but worth every cent. P.s probably ready for big Kirra now just bring on cyclone season

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mattyongoldy said..
biggest pluses is a 2' wave will feel like 6' g land with speed to burn.

So true!

Also, the body slowly trains unconsciously to handle chop, time on water makes wonder

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colas said..

mattyongoldy said..
biggest pluses is a 2' wave will feel like 6' g land with speed to burn.

So true!

Also, the body slowly trains unconsciously to handle chop, time on water makes wonder

I'm not sure the body is able to train in any shape or form to make a 2' wave feel like 6' gland, gentlemen. Not unless a range of psychotropic assistance is to hand, a remarkable board and a g-string clad beauty duck diving in front of you.....

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mattyongoldy said..
finally started to get the hang of it in the surf but only on super glassy days if it had any chop it was back to square one.

I was responding to this, of course ;-)

Yes I like so many surfers ( or at least the ones that scowl at me) thought supping would be super easy,first few sessions were pretty humbling, getting smashed by 2 ft whitewater that I wouldn't have even noticed before, middle aged ladies showing me up, barely standing!

Before sup I literally never even used to check the surf at South cott ( the closest break to me but I will never claim it as my local) now I am out there whenever there is even the slightest ripple, which is all there usually is !

So I have been out a few times now. The first time was in a little bay with unbreaking swell rolling in which made me aware of how tricky just stand I got can be. I went in quite a few times. The next three times were in Geographe bay. Twice just glassy conditions where I practiced paddling and sweep turns and had someone point out the efficacy of back paddling. And today I got out in some small waves which was quite humbling.

Positioning myself to catch a wave was hard - there was a bit of wind so I was constantly having to reposition - and paddling onto a wave was just completely ridiculous. On the odd occasion when I was in the right spot I either fell off or hadn't got enough momentum to catch the wave. There was another bloke out there in a SUP who was getting waves all over the joint. Then it got crowded and I was dangerous to be around so I went in and left my paddle on the beach and proceeded to prone surf my SUP. The Evoke went really well. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to bottom turn and hook in, and I managed to get a few high line speed pumps on a couple of waves with one bloke commenting how fast the board went when I connected a few sections. It was about shoulder to head high (I am 6'2") and barrelling just to give you some idea of the type of wave.

I still have a lot of learning and practice to do in board control, paddling(still using too much arm), and turning the behemoth while in the line up. Pivot turns need to be figured out too. Transitioning from paddling to surfing stance was very problematic and that needs a bunch of practice.

This year I got my first longboard so 2015 is turning out to be a learning year of new skills. It's fun and intimidating at the same time. Like most people who have been in the southwest of WA can imagine, I uncrowded learner waves are extremely difficult to come by. Our waves tend to big and powerful. Throw in a few bodies in the water and watch out...

So I found my uncrowded outer reef bombie to practice on.







Still useless at paddling onto a wave. I found myself falling off the back of the board as a wave went under me. Last week up north I saw some SUPs in their surf stance when stroking for a wave. Should I try this as the front on paddle stance doesn't seem to be working for me?

After about an hour of falling off, I dropped the paddle on the shore and attempted to prone surf the SUP. The waves were about head and half high (I'm 6'2") and the board flew down the faces on the drop. That was the good bit. After that, it flipped around and bounced and bucked on the lumpy bits. It also felt really stiff which was weird because in the smaller waves of my previous wave session it had felt surprisingly loose on smaller waves. Those waves were markedly wallier than this bombies waves though. And yes, my back foot was right over the fins (first thing I looked at) so that wasn't the issue. It is a ten footer so I guess there is only so much I can expect.

The bouncing was really annoying. Maybe the board just isn't built for waves that size. Anyone surfed an Evoke in four foot waves?

Hey Drip, I have the 7'11 in carbon in both the new model and previous. I've had the previous in 6' and had no dramas but it's a fair bit shorter than yours.

On the paddling thing, when I first started I was the same and fell off all the time me was spewin! Thinking, I've surfed all my life, it shouldn't be that hard!! Stuck with it and you will find your feet. In the mean time try paddling into a wave on your knees and then stand up. I did that for a couple of sessions and then try "hybrid" stance. You are front on, feet shoulder width apart, but also spread your feet about a foot apart forwards and backwards (give or take, whatever feels comfy). If your natural footed put your left forward as it'll feel better and helps keeping your balance for strong paddling as well as the acceleration on take off. Works a treat and you eventually just close up the forward / backward difference until they're back next to each other. I still do it a bit on choppy says to make it a bit easier.
Good luck.

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thedrip said..
So I found my uncrowded outer reef bombie to practice on.







Still useless at paddling onto a wave. I found myself falling off the back of the board as a wave went under me. Last week up north I saw some SUPs in their surf stance when stroking for a wave. Should I try this as the front on paddle stance doesn't seem to be working for me?

After about an hour of falling off, I dropped the paddle on the shore and attempted to prone surf the SUP. The waves were about head and half high (I'm 6'2") and the board flew down the faces on the drop. That was the good bit. After that, it flipped around and bounced and bucked on the lumpy bits. It also felt really stiff which was weird because in the smaller waves of my previous wave session it had felt surprisingly loose on smaller waves. Those waves were markedly wallier than this bombies waves though. And yes, my back foot was right over the fins (first thing I looked at) so that wasn't the issue. It is a ten footer so I guess there is only so much I can expect.

The bouncing was really annoying. Maybe the board just isn't built for waves that size. Anyone surfed an Evoke in four foot waves?

Nice one mate. I am going to hit that place up early tomorrow at dawn if ya keen

Nice pic mate, think I know the spot but so many like that down there...my advice would be, don't grab the leggie loop when you come off in those waves or your gonna lose fingers like a couple of poor buggers on this forum who were so kind to share their not so pretty piccies.

You'll get use to the paddling onto a wave thing. Depending on your board (which you should post pics of)...you generally stand forward of centre as your paddling into a wave & then stepping back into surf stance when you feel the wave taking you. I do kinda go into semi surf stance when I'm taking a later drop, as in feet not side/side but one foot is back & to the side not centred & the other vice/versa. Your then still going into surf stance as the wave takes you.