The SUP paddle

The paddle matters just as much in SUP
like the poles in cross-country skiing. It is with the paddle that we primarily propel and maneuver our SUP board. The more efficient and thus more energy-saving we want to paddle, the more important it is that we have a paddle
which is adapted to our specific conditions and purposes. In SUP we use a so-called single-blade paddle and the SUP paddle mainly consists of three components that we need to take into account; a blade, a
shaft and a handle.

Paddle for training and competition

If we are also going to paddle long distances or train and compete seriously in SUP, the choice of paddle is even more important. In order to get the most out of our capacity, we need a light and stiff paddle that is adapted to our body length and the distance we are training to paddle. Fixed-length SUP paddles, made entirely of carbon fiber, are preferable here. Most people who compete and train often have several paddles of different lengths and blade sizes.

Material selection

SUP paddles come in a variety of materials and designs. The most common materials used for paddles are aluminum, plastic, fiberglass and carbon fiber. Aluminum and plastic are the most durable but heaviest, while carbon fiber is the lightest and stiffest, with fiberglass paddles in between. Paddles with aluminum shafts and plastic blades are the least expensive and are what normally comes with an inflatable SUP board, while a really good paddle should be seen as an investment in
experience and effect.

Models

Paddles for inflatable SUP boards are often divisible and also have adjustable length. The most common are 3-piece SUP paddles as these can be taken apart to fit in the accompanying backpack, but there are also 5-piece ones. If you are unsure of which length is best, one with an adjustable length is recommended. Then you can easily try it out and then other members of the family can also use it.

Weight

Weight is also important. During distance training in SUP we take between 2,500–3,500 paddle strokes per hour and if there is a difference of more than half a
kilos between different SUP paddles, we soon realize the importance of weight. How stiff the paddle is also has a big impact. A stiff paddle allows us to get more out of the power we create, while a softer paddle can feel more gentle on the body.

The right paddle for the right board

For recreational SUP, basically any paddle will work to start with, while the feeling of paddling with a light and stiff carbon fiber SUP paddle must be experienced. If we invest in a hard composite board for training and competition, our recommendation is to also get an equivalent paddle, as these reinforce each other's effect.

SUP paddle length

Regarding the length of the SUP paddle, our recommendation is to start with a paddle that is a maximum of about 10 cm above your body length for hard SUP boards and 15 cm above your body length for inflatable SUP boards. As we get more used to it, we can gradually shorten the paddle all the way down.
towards about 15 cm below our body length for increasingly powerful paddle strokes.

SUP paddle blade

Theoretically, a SUP paddle stroke works by first placing the paddle blade in the water in front of us and then pulling the board towards the paddle blade. Very simply explained, this means that if the blade is too small for the force we generate, the paddle blade will move backwards at a higher speed than the board, and this results in a paddle stroke that costs more energy.
than the speed we create.

Grip

One way to prevent this is to either take more strokes per minute or use a blade with a larger surface area. The blade will then
“grip” better in the water which then the board can respond to. This means the board moves faster towards the blade than the other way around. The disadvantage of a larger paddle blade is that it requires more of our strength and probably
contributes to reducing the number of paddle strokes we can take per minute. A larger blade also increases the weight of the SUP paddle and therefore there are also a variety of blades with different shapes to compensate for this.

Leaf size

The blade of a SUP paddle is often measured in square inches (in2) or square centimeters (cm2). Which size is optimal for us is completely individual, but to give us something to start with, we could say that a “normal size” blade for an adult man is usually around 80–95 in2 and for a woman around 75–90 in2. Are we new SUP paddlers?
and weigh relatively little we can start with a smaller blade while if we weigh more we can choose a larger one. Well-trained and experienced SUP paddlers can of course use significantly larger blades than that.

Frequency

When we paddle SUP we use different gears just like in cross-country skiing, for example. We are purely recreational paddling
where we are just paddling around and looking at the surroundings, we normally take between 20–30 paddle strokes per minute. If we are paddling a slightly longer distance, we usually take between 30–40 paddle strokes per minute and if we are competing in distance, we are usually in what we call gear three, the distance gear, and there the frequency is between 40–60 paddle strokes per minute.

Different frequencies for different SUP boards

Which frequency suits us best depends largely on our body constitution. If we weigh relatively little, a higher frequency may be
more efficiently and if we weigh more, a lower frequency may be more beneficial. The same applies to the type of board we paddle. A hard composite board with a planing hull may get a better effect from a higher frequency, while a
board with displacement hull requires more powerful paddle strokes and thus a lower frequency. We also see that all types of inflatable boards benefit from being paddled with a slightly higher frequency if we are aiming for
to increase speed.

Flex

A SUP paddle with a stiffer blade also provides better power transfer but may feel a bit stiff and hard on the body for an inexperienced SUP paddler at first. A blade with more flex may therefore feel gentler before we have built up basic joint stability and strength for SUP. This will
extra important if we have previously had problems with our shoulders, for example. Here we can also choose a smaller blade in pure
rehabilitation purposes.