i'm a sup rider only surfing but as summer is now upon us i was wondering how big does the swell have to be to go & say start at snapper & down wind to currumbin, how dig does it have tom be to get runners that u can ride & have fun ,rather than just paddling with the wind behind me.... if anyone could help me out .it would be great.....thank u!!!

You don't really need much if any swell at all. Ocean swells move to quick and don't have enough of a face to catch and are usually to east and tend to mess up the runs if anything. The best conditions on the southern end of the coast are usually when you get a strong (the stronger the better 25 knots +) SSE wind over a couple of days so the wind swells are groomed in the one direction and there are white caps everywhere. The best line is usually from Bilinga to Burleigh but if there is more east in it you could start from Snapper.

PM me your contact details and I will put you in touch with a few people.

It's better to do a few runs with experienced people to shorten the learning curve. Its not as easy as it looks but if you get a bit of help you will be into it in no time. Also, for safety reasons start slow and work your way up...

good replies. another thing is you don't really look behind like surfing. you are looking for the 'trough' in front.

as mikeman said get in touch with some experienced dw paddlers and save yourself a lot of wasted time so to speak

Mikeman and Lacey along with world class paddlers like Kelly Margetts and Mick diBetta with years of ocean paddling experience on the coast have been only too happy to share their knowledge with myself and others willing to learn and wanting to be a part of the sport. I suggest if you are serious get yourself a 14' and join in with one of the training groups on Currumbin creek just about any morning of the week to get your fitness and stamina up and to learn some good tips and technique. It will definitely help you to get the most out of your downwind runs. I guarentee you'll be so hooked you'll stop looking at swell charts and start looking at wind charts