Table of Contents
Introduction
Paddleboarding is an exciting new activity that you might want to try, but if this is your first time on a board, it can be hard! You may not be able to balance very well, and there’s a learning curve when it comes to paddling. However, there are some tips for making paddleboarding easier. If you’re looking for a new outdoor activity and want to give paddleboarding a try, follow these tips for easier balancing when first starting out. You can even start by sitting before standing!
Paddleboarding can be a great way to get out on the water and get some exercise, but it also comes with a learning curve.
If you’re new to paddleboarding, you may be surprised by how much balance is required. If you haven’t yet learned how to stand up on your board and don’t know how to balance on it, then it’s going to take some time before you can even think about doing anything else.
In order for paddling an existing boat or kayak into something fun, the next step is learning the basics of body movement and positioning: standing up straight; moving forward while leaning back; turning around 180 degrees or 360 degrees respectively (you’ll need this kind of flexibility later when surfing waves). The most important thing here is balance: You can’t just jump onto a paddleboard without knowing how to do that first!
Make sure your paddleboard has enough buoyancy to support you and your body weight.
The primary purpose of a paddleboard is to carry you and your body weight from one section of the water to another. The board must have enough buoyancy (ability to float) to support that load, but not so much that it gets out of control and begins tipping over when you step on it. If this happens while you are out in open water, there’s nowhere for you go—you’ll be in danger of drowning if your board tips too far.
The primary method by which your paddleboard maintains its buoyancy is through the use of air chambers inside its hull: as long as there is enough air in these chambers, they’ll provide extra flotation (buoyancy). The more air in them, the more buoyant they’ll be; conversely, if they’re completely full with no room left for more air then they won’t give much lift at all.
When you’re paddling, make sure not to lean too far forward or backward, but keep your center of gravity over the board as much as possible.
Paddleboarding is not a sport for those who are easily afraid of water. It can be easy to drift off balance and fall into the water, but there are ways to avoid this. When you’re paddling, make sure not to lean too far forward or backward, but keep your center of gravity over the board as much as possible. You’ll need a good balance of strength in both arms in order to stay stable on the board while also keeping pace with it as it moves through the water. If you find yourself leaning too far back or forward while paddling, try shifting your weight slightly forward or backward until you find an even keel where you feel comfortable again.
Don’t look down! The more you focus on the water, the harder it will be to keep your balance.
As you paddle out to the water, look forward and then focus on the horizon. You should be able to see everything in front of you with your peripheral vision, including boats and other people.
Don’t look down! The more you focus on the water, the harder it will be to keep your balance. As long as you keep moving forward, there’s no reason for a fall—and if one does happen it’ll be less dramatic if you were expecting it.
Don’t look at your feet! If one foot starts slipping off its side of the board, grab onto another part of it instead of trying to put it back into place immediately. Keep paddling forward until all four corners are stable again before looking at anything else or attempting any adjustments (if necessary).
Warm up by sitting on the board first.
The first thing you should do before standing up on your board is sit on it. Sit facing outward, with your back to the shore. Sit in shallow water and feel how stable the board is beneath you, and get used to how it feels under your body. The goal here is to learn how to move around on the board without tipping over or falling off, which will help prevent injury later when you actually start paddling out into deeper water.
Don’t try to stand up until you’re in deeper water, since it’s much harder to balance on shallow ground.
As you paddle around, it may be tempting to stand up and see how it feels. But don’t try this in shallow water! It’s much harder to balance on shallow ground, so make sure there’s a good amount of depth beneath you before attempting to stand. You should also wait until you feel comfortable standing on the board, especially if it’s your first time. You should feel stable and balanced enough that if someone were standing next to you and asked “What are your feet doing?” (which would only happen because they’re friends with an idiot), you could answer immediately without feeling intimidated or awkward about it.
If you’re looking for a new outdoor activity and want to give paddleboarding a try, follow these tips for easier balancing when first starting out! You can even start by sitting before standing!
- Sit on the board with your feet in front of you. With the paddleboard balanced between your feet, extend your torso back over the water.
- Bend at the waist and reach down toward the water with one hand until both arms are fully extended above your head. Reach as far down as necessary so that no part of your body touches anything (not even a hair) other than its own weight pulling on it from above. It may take some practice before this feels natural!
- Keep in mind that if at any point during any step along this process something feels too difficult or uncomfortable, stop moving immediately! The goal is not to accomplish these steps quickly but rather safely while establishing balance on an unstable surface—the longer it takes to complete each step along this process means less time spent off-balance (and thus safer).
Bottom Line
Many people enjoy paddleboarding because it’s a low-impact way to get exercise, and you can do it at your own pace. If you’re new to paddleboarding, though, balancing on the board may be tricky at first. While practice is the best way to improve your balance when standing up on a paddleboard, there are some tips that can help if you’re struggling with this skill. Make sure your board has enough buoyancy to support both you and your body weight; keep your center of gravity over the board by not leaning too far forward or backward; don’t look down!
