I have been riding stand-up paddle boards long enough to remember (way back in the day) cars stopping along the highway and people getting out to watch me in astonishment. I can remember telling anyone that would listen that "this is going to be huge one day" Having plenty of experience therefore I have recently started to look at the downside to the sport. For me any way there are a number of shortcomings.
1 Manoeuvrability. If you have a wave breaking consistently at a set place on a reef and you don't need to manoeuvre around other surfers it isn't an issue but these circumstances can be hard to find at times. Even when you master the one foot back turn the boards are undoubtedly unwieldy.
2 Stability. The narrower/ shorter you go with a board the harder it is to enjoy the experience. Longer/wider boards are stiffer less manoeuvrable (again) and can detract from the experience. Also of course if it is offshore and smooth it can be a joy on the board but if the sea is even a little lumpy it can become a trial to constantly balance.
Advantages
With out doubt the paddle is a winner. Drag yourself into a wave before other surfers can respond. Paddle out at double the pace.

Thought.
Paddling on your knees was an excepted form of paddling for many years with surfers on Malibu's. Midget, Nat etc would often paddle on their knees on take off.

Any way. Where I'm going with this is why doesn't someone produce a hybrid board that is paddled on the knees? It could be narrower and shorter and more manoeuvrable. Easier to balance on while waiting for a wave and because it is narrow you could sit while waiting. The obvious next step would be a shorter paddle. Its only function being to utilise the advantage of the paddle to catch waves. Because the board is narrower etc any reasonable surfer should be able to ride it while standing up, fluently with out needing to use the paddle.
The board would need the soft pad that knee boarders use to ease pressure
Any thoughts?

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elbeau said..
Any way. Where I'm going with this is why doesn't someone produce a hybrid board that is paddled on the knees?

It has been produced at the beginning. Blane Chambers (founder of the PSH brand) was notably paddling his SUPs on his knees, and using a canoe (short) paddle. The French main "how to SUP" web site 10 years ago was advising to knee-paddle SUPs for surfing.

But as soon as SUp shapes and techniques progressed, knee paddling was seen as an hindrance. Especially once you discover the staggered stance and how to use your body leverage to help the takeoff. Plus, once your board hits you in the face while knee-paddling into a breaking wave...
And good boards are now able to be both stable and manoeuverable.

This say, I still see some guy knee-paddling small SUP boards here, the shaper of POM SUPboards: www.pomcustom.com/ He is on boards typically 5 liters less than his weight (e.g: 82 liters for his 87kg), and SUPs at a very high level. But I do not really understand why, as prone paddling a SUP is both faster and simpler.

Thanks Colas. Interesting information. Nothing new under the sun eh? I will reiterate however that I presently own two of the best boards made in Australia. An Atlantis Runway and a Sunova. They are neither as manoeuvrable nor as stable as you infer. Maybe it is me?

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elbeau said..
Maybe it is me?

Most probably, it is neither you nor the board, but the combination of the two. I guess you should try more boards, if possible wildly different, and try different techniques.

Stability is a tricky subject, for instance too much volume can make the board less stable by a "cork effect". And thus, if you are on a board with too much volume, you will never want to try a board with less volume because, since you are already feeling unstable on such a board you imagine it would be worse with less volume.

For example, at 100kg, my first true SUP board was a 9'6" x 155 liters. But I used it only 3 times before switching to a 8'11" 140 liters because I was frightened by the cumbersomeness of the 155 liters boards and was afraid to hurt myself when waves were a bit steep (in the mediterranean sea... a big lake). Seeing that the smallest Atltantis Runway is a 9'6"x152 liters board, and you claim to have years of experience, I guess you suffered the I-dont-dare-try-smaller-boards syndrome, and this has stalled your technical progresses. We all suffer from it, for instance often I did not dare get on my smaller boards if there was a bit of chop, but I discovered that you can actually use them, if you adapt your technique (e.g: feet closer to the stringer, staggered stance, ...). A 10' x 26" x 100l longSUP is insanely enjoyable, you get the speed and power of SUPing with the nimbleness of a prone longboard. Granted, it is more tiring to paddle than a 150 liters board, but it is surprisingly stable, as the deck is underwater and not pushed around as much by the chop.

It is a kind of chicken-and-egg problem: you must challenge yourself a bit to progress and be more at ease. But not too much as to prevent your progress because it isn't fun anymore...

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elbeau said..
any reasonable surfer should be able to ride it while standing up, fluently with out needing to use the paddle.

That is true. However you are underestimating the other advantages a paddle provides. Being able to lean and dig the paddle into the face of the wave to turn the board more aggressively. And also in smaller/less powerful conditions where surfers without paddles would drop off the back of a wave they are riding, a few quick strokes of a paddle and a ordinarily short ride becomes a much longer one. This would still be possible with a short paddle by squatting down but would look a bit goofy.

Having said that- I saw a guy a while ago kneeling on his longboard (not SUP) and paddling on to waves with a short paddle and he made it look pretty good.

would you stand up from there or be dedicated kneelo paddler?

Personal preference and what ever floats your boat (excuse the pun) the paddle is an extension of my arms and enhances the surfing experience as well as giving options for flatter conditions. Pretty much ride any wave. That being said as a Polynesian the paddle feels natural to me as it genetically links to my ancestors, this with my years of surfing long and short boards. SUP and SUP surfing has been a godsend...thank you Laird and DK

P.S as long as the majority of the misinformed thinks it sucks the better, more waves for us ...

Live on your feet or die on your knees . It's a stand up paddle board so stand up , nothing worse than seeing someone scratching for a wave on their knees rolling from rail to rail scrambling to get to their feet . Does nothing for the sport and just invites the haters. IMHO.

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JoffaDan said..
Having said that- I saw a guy a while ago kneeling on his longboard (not SUP) and paddling on to waves with a short paddle and he made it look pretty good.

That is probably more like what I was thinking of JoffaDan. Using the advantage of the paddle plus the manoeuvrability of a narrow board. Best of both worlds.

I think one of the biggest issues is how often you get to go out, and thus the leg strength and paddle power you have.

I was never a short board rider, but I am sure I can do far more on my sups than I ever could when proning. I am now on small enough boards that I ride like a "normal" surfboard - not like what you were describing.

But today I went out for the first time for over two weeks (in pretty lumpy conditions mind you) and I was surprised how different it felt. If you are going out infrequently, I don't know how anyone can maintain the leg strength & fitness to balance on a small board - unless the conditions are good.

As Colas said, stability is a funny thing - my boards ride low in the water and I think that helps tremendously.

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Nozza said..
I've got a Deep Horizon 12' board.
Really hard - after 2 months intermittent use, I can go about 10 minutes on my (ample) belly.
Knees impossible so far.

Keep at it Nozza. The reward is worth far more than the effort you will expend. The view from the board as you paddle over reef and sand is worth the effort, with fish, turtles and dolphins swimming underneath. The adventure of journeying up rivers and inlets as you become more adept is worth it. The joy, that day you catch your first wave and then the subsequent days as you grow more and more confident is worth it. That wonderful moment when you go home and wash off the salt water, muscles sore from hours in the surf and the overwhelming feeling of being truly alive. That's worth it too. Keep at it Nozza