You want to spend more time riding waves? Get better at paddling. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
The word “surfing” describes the act of riding a wave, but surfing is way more than the time you’re actually doing that. It’s the duck diving, the positioning, and most importantly, the paddle-in. Paddling is one of the best things you can be good at if you want to get better at surfing, because the better at paddling you are, the more time you can spend doing the actual surfing part. Which is why Matt Bromley, a guy who puts himself in harm’s way frequently for the sake of a few good waves, dropped this little tutorial recently.
“A strong paddle-in sets up the wave,” Bromley said. “So whether you’re surfing a small little beach break or a giant outer reef, a strong paddle-in is crucial. It sets up the momentum of your ride.”
Bromley is a believer that no matter whether you’re early or late on the drop, the last few paddles have to be your strongest. If you’re really late, of course, just hang on and try and stick that air drop, but in general, you want to finish strong.
“You really need to be pulling yourself down the face of the wave,” Bromley continued. “If you’re riding a weak little beachbreak, a strong paddle will give you speed to go straight into your first turn. If you’re riding a massive outer reef where there’s wind blowing up the face and the wave is super steep and critical, you have to pull yourself down the face of the wave.”
There a handful of factors that can make the paddle-in difficult. The wave is sucking backwards, and if the wind is offshore, that’s holding you back too. It can be easy to give it a half-effort, but when the waves are pumping, you’ll never regret paddling as hard as you can. You will, however, regret not paddling as hard as you can.
