What’s up with Nose Designs? by Len Barrow

In my past design articles we have analyzed tail, fin, bottom configuration and rocker elements in surfboard design in both the realm of surfing SUPS and Surfboards.  One aspect of board design that does not receive a lot of attention is Nose outline and configuration. It is a bit of a mystery.  The following article will explore various nose designs.

I once asked the famous shaper Ben Aipa about how nose designs affected board performance and he responded dryly: “It’s in front of you”.  This may sound like a dull answer yet it is most profound.  When you are surfing, the portion of the board that is in contact with the water “first” is the nose.  The Nose engages the water initially and thus is of most importance in surfboard design.  It “orients” and directs the water flow under the board first and is of great importance to SUP or surfboard performance.

One cannot talk about nose design separate from nose rocker or “entry rocker”.  Various types of entry rocker will allow you to enhance certain characteristics of your board’s performance.  All of this might sound a complex yet it is quite simple.

The Round Nose

The rounded nose is simply that. They include noses that look like the shape of your thumb.  They occur both on longboards and surfing SUPS.  Typically they have low nose rockers.  The extra area equates to more foam, hence more lift.  This allows you to walk up to the nose and nose ride.  Another advantage of the round nose with a low rocker is that it is easy to paddle into waves or if you are on a surfing Sup the low nose rockers allows you to paddle into the wave without “pushing water” (I will explain what pushing water is later).  The noses are ideal for the beginner or for those of you who want to noseride or just surf more traditionally and cruise.

The disadvantage of a round nose is that the outline of you board near the nose is pulled outward.  This may cause your board to have a wider turning arc.  If your nose is too wide it can also “catch rail” which means your nose rail outline can dig into the water causing you to fall off.  That is why round noses with low rockers are not recommended for big waves or super high performance surfing. 

The Narrow or “Needle Nose”

Most high performance surfing sups and short boards have pulled in noses that roughly resemble a triangle (albeit, a “rounded triangle).  The narrow noses are also combined with high nose rockers.  This enhances the performance of the board especially if you want to “hotdog” or high performance SUP or Surf.  This nose design allows the surfer to cut his turning radius by a third or more in relation to the rounded nose.  As the nose rocker is more bowed or curved it allows you to “pocket surf” meaning you can keep pivoting right in the sweet spot of the wave next to the curl which is the area of the wave that is curved.  Remember, a curved surfboard fits a curved wave!  This design also allows you to take late drops as the nose is narrow and flipped up.  Simply, you have less chance of pearl diving.   A narrow nose with high rocker also allows you to “lift the board” in to off the lip sections.  If you want to see what a narrow nose board is capable of YouTube Kai Lenny and my above comments will come to life. 

The disadvantages to this design are that you have to keep the board moving from rail to rail or they slow down rapidly.  They are usually meant for the advanced surfer who is able to utilize the performance characteristics of a narrow nose to put the board up into the lip, or gouge a deep cutback.  If you are a beginner going strait, the high nose rocker will slow you down as it pushes water in front of the board as you are not constantly pivoting on the rail.  It is also for this reason that narrow noses are not meant for nose riding, as the high rocker and lessened amount of foam will cause the board to sink if you run up to the nose.

The “Fun Board Nose” or the Middle Path

Some boards are called “Fun Boards”.  The nose is neither narrow nor round.  The rocker is neither extremely high nor low.  It is a blend of the two configurations.  Due to this you get the advantages of a round nose mixed with the maneuverability of a narrow nose.  The boards are called fun boards for a reason.  They allow the average surfer to explore hotdog, maneuver oriented surfing without losing the flow of a larger rounder nose.  Many fun boards can even be nose ridden.  They exist in both the SUP world and the surfing arena.   If you are an advanced beginner or intermediate SUP or surfer I would recommend this design type.

Avoid Dogmatism

The above information are just broad recommendations.  Every shaper will have his theory.   If someone swears by a design he or she has just never tried other things.  I ride longboards with wide noses and low rockers and am able to surf big waves and hotdog surf on it.  This is not supposed to happen but if you figure it out, it can be done.  Conversely, I have seen SUP surfer’s nose ride on narrow noses.  It is up to you to explore the possibilities.  That is the beauty of our sport!   There are no boundaries!  I hope to see you all in the water experimenting with different designs!

Aloha Dr. Len Kelemoana Barrow

2012 SUP Paddle reviews by Robert Stehlik

At Blue Planet Surf Shop we are passionate about good stand up paddles.  We think a good paddle is just as important (and arguably more important) as a good board.  We pride ourselves in having one of the most complete selections of quality stand up paddles you will find anywhere with all the top brands represented as well as some lesser known brands and we can help you choose the best paddle for your needs.  Here are some reviews of the new models from some of the brands we carry.  Thanks to Evan Leong of standuppaddlesurf.net for shooting the video reviews, presented here in no particular order.


Native Living Custums:
Beautiful hand crafted paddles, made in Hawaii with plenty Mana inside and great innovative features, including a detachable blade design and egg shaped shafts.  The owner and craftsman, Alex Nix keeps pushing the limits of what's possible.  A video of his workshop is currently being edited and will be posted here soon.


For more information, visit their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Native-Living-Custums-Hawaii/134766546642667







Ke Nalu Paddles:
This newer brand that has been taking the market by storm with innovative, high quality paddles with amazing performance, thinner shaft diameter, and many customization options.  Once you get used to a Ke Nalu paddle, it's hard to go back to anything else.  It's no wonder these are some of our best selling paddles.


For more information, visit: 
http://www.kenalu.com/ke-nalu-elite-paddles/







Kialoa Paddles:
Kialoa's are some of the most popular paddles out there, and for good reason.  A long history of making excellent paddles, quality, lightweight construction, made in the US, and comfortable oval shaped shafts.  Their new Lever Lock adjustment system is, in our opinion, the best adjustment system currently available.


For more information:
http://www.kialoa.com/paddles-gear-1/stand-up.html





Whiskeyjack Paddles:
If you like handcrafted wood, check out these paddles:  beautiful craftsmanship with excellent performance, made in the Rocky Mountains.  Lightweight, beautiful, strong and functional, what more would you ask for?


For more information, visit:
http://www.whiskeyjackpaddles.com/paddles.asp






Werner Paddles:
Werner has a long history of making excellent paddles.  Their newest Grand Prix paddles are very impressive- light, strong and efficient blade design.  Their handle shape is one of the best-ergonomic and comfortable, it now comes in full carbon on the GP paddles.


For more information, visit:
http://www.wernerpaddles.com/paddles/stand_up/performance_core/






Quickblade Paddles:
Quickblade owner Jim Terrell is an olympic paddler and his company has probably done more than anyone to drive our sport forward.  The thin, sharp edged blades are the result of many years of testing and development and make the entry and exit super clean and efficient.  It's no wonder that Quickblade paddles are used by many of the top racers in the world.
For more information:
http://www.quickbladepaddles.com/our-paddles.html






Riviera Paddles:
If you are looking for a good value, the Riviera Danny Ching Scout paddle and Asset adjustable paddle are hard to beat.
For more info:
http://www.rivierapaddlesurf.com/

Kahuna Creations:
The new Big Stick skate stick is a cool cross training tool.
For more info:
http://www.kahunacreations.com/bigstick



That's it for now, we'll try to add more paddles and reviews as they come in and appreciate your feedback.  


For more general information on paddles, check this older post on: Choosing the right paddle.
And this one: Some thoughts on water flowing over a paddle


Click here to watch the paddle review videos on vimeo

Zen Mind as the Beginners Mind: A Surfing Story

by Len Barrow

The eponymous Zen Master Dogen Zenji stated that the beginners mind was the Zen mind.  The ultimate beginners mind could be likened to that of a 1 ½ year old’s mind.  They have no concept of self or self-reference.  In fact if you put them up to a mirror they cannot recognize themselves.  This is a beautiful thing.  In Zen philosophy the self and selfishness can be likened to Being a hungry ghost suffering in hell or a demon in Zen folklore.  In relation this, the selfless person is regarded as a saint or Bodhisattva. If you think this is crazy, look at the selflessness of Martin Luther King or Gandhi.  They were saints.  Look at histories selfish people.  Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin (among others) were extremely selfish and truly demonic.  It is as simple as that in Zen philosophy.     

To a young child everything is a wondrous new experience.   They don’t look at things as right or wrong, good or evil and rich or poor.   Young children don’t have stereotypes.  They view everything as it is with no ego commentary.  According to Dogen Zenji, they have the Buddha’s mind.  I find this so simple and beautiful.

This is a wondrous state to be in yet the question arises: “can we get back to this pristine state”.  I think we can. This can be achieved both as teachers and students.  The following is a story of how student’s “beginner’s minds” can be a great asset to us all.

I was reminded that this phenomena could be achieved a couple of weeks ago.   Robert asked me to do a surf lesson with a German couple.  They were complete beginners in relation to the surf and as such had the beginners mind.  In addition to being nice people, the couple was fresh, spontaneous and open to whatever came their way.    They had the minds of 1 year olds in relation to the surf.  Another way of saying this is that they exhibited pure awareness and attention.  In other words they had the Buddha’s mind or exhibited the Zen way of attention without even knowing it.

I asked them to observe the water carefully.  They became aware of the direction of the current and the various movements of the waves.  When I looked at their faces I was surprised to see how in tune they were to the ocean as they were observing every movement of the sea.    All of their actions were unconsciously and spontaneously directed by the ocean.  In a way, through their hyper-attention, they were fusing themselves to the ocean.  The ocean was no longer something outside of them-selves.  The subject and object dissolved into pure awareness.   

They were infectious in their ability to pay attention.  I started to get into a Zen meditative mode without even trying. It was as if we were sharing minds as they were in tune to what I was teaching them about the ocean (sharing minds is not an unusual Zen theme).  We were doing the Spock Vulcan mind meld, surfer style!

As they caught waves the look of pure attention on their faces was infectious.  I watched them with total awe as they were catching their waves for the first time.  I had no thoughts or judgments in my head and just became a one year old also!  What a pure and sacred act!  We were three “one year olds” existing in perfect attention with the beautiful ocean.  For a time there we had the Zen mind.  It was as simple as that.

As they caught waves they had the hugest smiles on their faces.  It was an honor to teach them.  In a way they reminded me to slow down, pay attention, and be a child who is open to the wholeness of the universe.  

Mahalo Silke and Martin!

You actually were the teachers that day!

For more information on surf lessons by Len Barrow and SUP lessons, please visit:

http://www.getupstanduphawaii.com/

Paddle Technique Part 6: Turning the Board

This post covers techniques to turn the board and adjust direction.

First off, it is important to understand the difference between a forward stroke and a steering stroke.

The forward stroke is used to propel yourself straight forward with minimal turning or yaw.  The basics of the forward stroke are covered in Technique Post #3: Stacking the Shoulders.

The steering stroke is used to turn the board effectively.  To turn the board, you want to use the angle of the blade and the stroke path to maximize turning.  To go straight, you want to use the pitch and path to minimize steering.  My friend Jeff Chang wrote a good post on his blog on using the path and pitch of the paddle: Paddle Steering by Jeff Chang.

To steer the board you basically want the blade to angle out away from the board at the beginning of the stroke, then follow a curved path as far out away from the board as possible, watch the video for a demonstration.  The same applies to the backward strokes on the opposite side.

If you are paddling in a side or cross wind, you may have to use a slight steering stroke for every stroke just to go straight.  Remember, the more forward you can get the blade towards the nose and the more you angle it away from the nose, the more effective the steering stroke will be.  On longer racing boards you can also use the rail of the board to steer into the wind.  Most racing boards with full rails will turn upwind if you put more weight on the downwind rail.  Try taking the weight off the upwind rail, leaning the downwind rail into the water; this should result in the board turning upwind with less effort if combined with steering strokes on the downwind side.

During a race, you want to avoid paddling backwards and slowing down, so the crossbow turn and pivot turns are better options.  Turns in a race can be very important and place changes often happen at turns, so practicing turns is an important part of race training.  In Stand Up Surfing, turns can be even more important as a quick pivot turn can make the difference between pulling off a late drop into the bomb of the day and getting pounded.

Links to the paddle technique series posts:

Paddle Technique Part 0: Introduction to SUP

Paddle Technique Part 1: Choosing the Right Paddle

Paddle Technique Part 2: The Three Ingredients of a Powerful Stroke
Paddle Technique Part 3: Stacking the Shoulders

Paddle Technique Part 4: Reach and Catch

Paddle Technique Part 5: Recovery, Paddle Length and Grip

Paddle Technique Part 6: Turning the Board

Introduction to Stand Up Paddling for beginners

When I first started to stand up paddle, there was not much available in terms of instructional texts or videos etc.
I know I would have learned much faster with some instruction, instead I learned mostly by trial and error and with the help of friends that gave me some tips.  I found that applying some of those simple tips made a big difference.


The paddle technique series on this blog is intended to help those that are already into SUP to advance and improve their technique and efficiency but does not really have the very basic tips first timers need.


So, this post should have really been part one, but since there already is a part one, this one is called:


Paddle Technique Part #0: The Basics for Beginners


We recently made a video with basic safety tips and instructions for beginners that we ask everyone renting a board from us for the first time to watch.  This video is the edited version with just the basic things everyone going out for the first time should know.


Some tips for beginners:

• If you can, take a lesson or ask someone experienced to help you.
• Make sure you have a board that is stable enough for your height, weight and conditions and a paddle that is the right length.
• Find some calm, protected water to learn how to get up, balance, turn the board and basic steering and forward strokes.  
• Don't attempt to surf waves until you can do these very basic things.
• Watch this video and have fun.  
• Warning: SUP is highly addictive

For more tips, visit this thread on Standupzone.com (and make use of the search function for specific questions):


http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=15627.0;topicseen


Also, read the technique series here on ZenWaterman.com

Links to the paddle technique series posts:

Paddle Technique Part 0: Introduction to SUP

Paddle Technique Part 1: Choosing the Right Paddle

Paddle Technique Part 2: The Three Ingredients of a Powerful Stroke
Paddle Technique Part 3: Stacking the Shoulders

Paddle Technique Part 4: Reach and Catch

Paddle Technique Part 5: Recovery, Paddle Length and Grip

Paddle Technique Part 6: Turning the Board

Getting Barreled on a Big Board by Len Barrow

One of the hardest things to do is to pull into the tube on any piece of equipment.  The problem gets exponentially harder as your board’s length and thickness increases.  Despite this, pulling in on a big board whether it be a SUP or longboard is possible.  Here are a few quick tips.

Firstly you need to understand what type of barrel you are pulling into.  I know this sounds a bit strange but there is a great variation in barrel types.  One type of barrel is a running tube.  Running tubes can be described as fast tubes where you sometimes have to weave in the barrel just to keep up.  The tube runs when you are in it and you must be fast to get out.  Another type of tube is what I call the bending or A frame short tube. Look for waves that are heavily peaked (that’s why they call them A-Frames) with a tapering shoulder that are next to a channel. These waves barrel and shoot you out into the safety of deeper water.  They are ideal for bigger boards as you can pull in an have an exit door within reach and you don’t have to weave in the barrel to get out. 

The Set UP

The Set-Up is everything.  Big boards such as stand ups and longboards require much more setup time in relation to shortboards.  When I mean set up, I am referring to the period of time maneuvering your board into position before pulling into the barrel.  Typical with a larger board, don’t get too ambitious.  Bonga Perkins and Duane Desoto get massive running barrels on SUPS and Longboards but that’s why they are world champions.  We mere mortals should look for A frames peaks described above to attain makeable barrels.  As you develop your barrel skills you can get more ambitious yet it is great to keep it simple at first.  Paddle hard into the wave and you have two options

A. If the wave is looking like it will barrel of the takeoff prepare to tuck under the lip.  Bend at you knees, not your back and compress your body to fit into the tube.  This is the most important aspect of the barrel position.  Have a go for it attitude mentally.

B. If the barrel looks like it is going to form down the line head for that area.  When you get to the barreling section in this case, you may need to put on the breaks.  For SUP and surfboards this means to stall.  A stall is accomplished by literally leaning back and pulling a little wheelie   Be patient.  Let the wave form up for you.  In other words let the wave do the set up work for you.  The more time you spend setting up, the more success you will have of getting out of the tube.

Entry into the Barrel

The lip will throw over you in both cases and here is where it gets tricky with a big board or sup. You need to understand that a SUP or longboard literally have 3 to 4 more feet of rail than a shortboard.  You must be able to control the extra rail.  How do you do this?  As the lip throws over you, the lip may contact your long rails and force your nose to point at the beach.  This is how people get axed by the lip.  With a big board it imperative to control this incorrect drift.  This is done by putting pressure on the inside rail (the rail in closest contact to the lip) and keep correcting your trajectory every time the wave wants to pull your nose toward the beach and a definite wipeout.  This pressure keeps the nose pointed towards the barrel exit.  In the meantime, enjoy the view!!!!!!

There is a mental aspect to this also.  If you think you are going to wipeout, I promise that you will!  You must have a go for it attitude and literally believe that you will make the barrel.  You can “will” your way out of some barrels.  This sounds strange but try it.

The Exit

 

There are two types of exits.  One is the clean exit where the wave just spits you out.  It’slovely!  This type of exit feels like being reborn.  The other type of exit can be a bit rough.  We call this a chandelier exit as it is as if a chandelier of water has just fallen on your head.  In this type of exit you must again hold your line with pressure on the inside rail or the wave will push your boards nose towards the shore and you will wipe out.  Don’t be afraid of having a wide stance as it provides stability as the lip is crashing into you.  Bend at your knees and use them as shock absorbers and will your way out of the barrel with your mind!

 

Keep practicing! Barrel riding is both the most difficult thing to do as well as the most thrilling aspect of our sport.

About the Pictures:

It is said that a picture can communicate a thousand words.  Here are a number of pictures of myself 1.setting up for the barrel, 2. engaging in the barrel and 3. exiting.  Compare the pictures with the article and things will start making sense.  It just takes a bit of Zen attention!

Hope to see you in the tube soon.

Paddle Technique Part 5 - Recovery, Paddle Length & Grip

It's been a while since I posted SUP technique post #4 and it's time to wrap up the paddle technique series with a few more posts, so here we go:


SUP Paddle Technique Part #5 - Recovery, paddle length & grip distance


Recovery: 
The recovery gives you a chance to relax the muscles for a moment and its important not to underestimate the importance of a quick, efficient and relaxed recovery. 


Once again, there are many different ways of recovering the paddle and there is no wrong or right way, so experiment and find out what works best for you, I will try to break it down into easy to understand steps that you can follow and practice.


First off, here is a 10 minute video that goes over the points discussed in this post:





Another look at paddle length
We went over paddle length in technique post #1- Choosing the right paddle and I want to mention it again because it plays a role in recovery. At our shop, we recommend a paddle length where you can just clear the top of the paddle with the palm of your hand. This length seems to work well for touring/ distance/ race paddling regardless of how the blade is shaped.


For surfing, you can shorten the paddle by a few inches. Some like to go a little longer for distance paddling which works to a certain point, depending on the board you are using. A longer paddle allows a longer reach forward and once the blade is fully planted it can be pushed deeper if the top hand feels too high, so a longer paddle has advantages in the reach, catch and power phases. So why not make the paddle even longer? I have tried going longer and found that the biggest disadvantage of a paddle that is too long is that it is difficult to quickly pull it out of the water by your feet for an efficient recovery. The other disadvantage is leverage, your bottom hand is further away from the blade on a longer paddle, we will discuss that later. The thickness of your board, or how high you stand above water level is important as well. The Starboard ACE raceboards, for example, have deep footwells where the paddler stands pretty much at water level, while an some other thick downwind boards, the feet are several inches above water level. Try doing this test with your paddle: If you have a thicker board, stand on a phonebook or something to elevate you to the about the same level you are off the water surface when standing on your board. If you are standing at close to water level on your board, stand barefoot on the ground. With the paddle next to your toes, pull it straight up like you are pulling it out of the water. If you have to stretch uncomfortably to do this your paddle may be too long for an efficient recovery. If your paddle is too long, you have to drop the top hand further down and/or stoke past your feet to get a clean release.


Feathering the blade, recovery path


As shown in the video, the two extremes of pulling out the blade at the end of the stroke are dropping the top hand to the side which lifts the paddle out to the side and automatically feathers the blade.  The other extreme is pulling the blade straight up, moving it forward in a straight line and plunging it straight down into the water.  To feather the blade when moving it straight forward, the top wrist has to be twisted. The straight line is a shorter path than the big circle when dropping the top hand and making a big circle.  Most efficient paddlers use more of the straight forward recovery with just a slight dropping of the top hand, resulting in an oval shaped recovery path.


For an easy to understand and follow description of the recovery motion, check out Dave Kalama's blog, you can read it here: http://www.davidkalama.com/2010/04/paddle-techniques-recover/

Grip height


The position of the lower hand on the paddle is important to performance.  When coaching, I often find myself telling people to try to grip the paddle lower for better leverage.   The lower hand is the fulcrum point of the paddle and the shorter the distance from the blade to the lower hand is, the easier it is to apply power to the blade (up to a certain degree).  Much like a bigger blade can be compared to a higher gear and a smaller blade to a lower gear on a car or bicycle, a longer paddle is a higher gear while a shorter paddle is a lower gear.  Gripping the paddle lower with both the top hand and the lower hand results in a lower gear that works well for acceleration or paddling into the wind.  Marking the paddle is helpful to monitor your lower hand placement.  Make sure the grip height is consistent on both sides as well.  

Connor Baxter and Kai Lenny with lowered grip,  photo: John Goodman

Links to the paddle technique series posts:
Paddle Technique Part 0: Introduction to SUP
Paddle Technique Part 1: Choosing the Right Paddle
Paddle Technique Part 2: The Three Ingredients of a Powerful Stroke
Paddle Technique Part 3: Stacking the Shoulders
Paddle Technique Part 4: Reach and Catch
Paddle Technique Part 5: Recovery, Paddle Length and Grip
Paddle Technique Part 6: Turning the Board