Board Paddling Skills and Techniques

The knee paddling stroke can be broken down into five phases - reach, catch, pull, release, recovery.

The Reach

• Reach out and take a full stroke.
• The arms should extend to the maximum.
• Look forward and keep the head and chest close to the hoard, your butt should be up.

Common Errors:

• Not fully extending arms
• Keeping head and chest too high.
• Looking down instead of forward.
• Sitting back with your butt on your legs.

The Catch

• There should be a feeling that your hands have caught something solid as they enter the water and you are pulling the board over it.
• Propulsive force on the hands should go from zero to maximum load instantly.
• Keep your hands relaxed and you should feel the water on your fingertips.

Common Errors:

• Maximum power is not applied.
• You don’t feel the solid grip of the water on your hands.

The Pull

• The hands are driven deep and the arms are buried up to the elbow.
• Maintain an even pressure with maximum power.
• The hands should travel parallel to the centerline of the board.
• Chin and chest remain close to the board with your butt up.
• Do not lift or throw the water.

Common Errors:

• Not burying arms deep enough.
• Allowing the head and shoulders to move up and down. This causes the board to hobby horse and slows you down.
• Hands not traveling parallel to the centerline of the board.
• Not taking a full stroke.

The Exit

• Do not lift or throw water back as it wastes energy.
• The exit should be quick and smooth to eliminate any drag.

Common Errors:

• Throwing or lifting water
• Hand exit is not smooth and quick.

The Recovery

• The elbow is bent and high.
• The hands are close to the surface of the water and close to the board.
• The hands are relaxed and they move straight forward.
• Look straight forward and keep the head and shoulders close to the board.
• This keeps the board on a smooth even glide.
• Keep your movements relaxes, easy and smooth.
• The best way to check an efficient recovery is from head on.
• The hands should travel a straight line.
• This is the shortest most relaxed route.

Common Errors:

• Elbows are not bent.
• Hands and arms travel to the side or up instead of straight forward.
• Looking down at the board instead of straight forward.
• Shoulders, arms and hands are not relaxed
• Duration of recovery is too long.
• Head and shoulders are lifted causing the board to rock nose to tail.

source: http://www.forcefield.com.au/surflifesavingtrainingtips.html