What are prone paddleboards?
Prone paddleboards are built for distance, endurance, and ocean fitness—used by lifeguards, athletes, and watermen alike. Designed for speed and efficiency while lying or kneeling, these boards excel in flatwater, open ocean, and race conditions. Traditional paddleboarding, also known as prone paddleboarding, predates sup by many decades. Unlike sup, paddleboarding involves either kneeling or lying flat on a paddleboard, and the rider propels themselves by paddling with their hands instead of using a paddle.Choose a Wide and Stable Stand Up Paddle Board For overweight paddlers, a wider board (at least 32 inches or more) offers better stability. Wider boards distribute weight more evenly and make it easier to maintain balance while standing or paddling.Board Type: The term paddle board is often used as a synonym for SUP. It’s essentially the same thing, referring to the board itself rather than the activity of standing on the board whilst paddling.The length of your paddle board is a good indicator of what your SUP can and can’t withstand from and activity and water-type standpoint. Longer paddle boards are typically faster, whereas shorter ones are more maneuverable and responsive.The Role of the Board Among these, touring paddle boards are specifically designed to glide through the water at higher speeds due to their narrow and long design. An inflatable board might be lighter, but it often lacks the stiffness of a solid board which can hinder speed.
What’s the difference between a paddle board and a SUP?
SUP Equipment The Board: A stand-up paddleboard is larger, wider, and generally more buoyant than a traditional paddleboard. It ranges between 9 and 12 feet in length and is designed to support a standing rider. If you have just purchased a new board or are still struggling to stay standing up for an extended period of time when paddling, you may find one or more of the following reasons are holding you back. Size of your SUP; length, width, thickness and volume all play a part in how stable you will be on your board.No matter how hard you try to stay balanced on your paddle board, you’re going to fall into the water at some point. Even the most experienced paddlers take the plunge from time to time. So, if you’re feeling wobbly, don’t worry about it and remember, SUP is a watersport, so it’s OK to get wet.You’ll notice if your feet or body position is slightly off to one side, it makes it hard to balance. Your knees should be bent slightly and your ankles lose. As soon as most people stand up on a paddleboard for the first time, their body freezes and goes stiff as a plank.Stand up paddle boarding is an excellent full-body workout, meaning, it works all the muscles in your body – your shoulders, chest, back, core, arms and legs. And while you’re getting fit, you get to be outside, in the sun, enjoying beautiful views and the sounds of nature.
Is prone paddleboarding a good workout?
Whether you are an elite level Triathlon competitor, a surfer looking to stay paddle fit or are just looking for a new way to keep active and get outside, jumping on a prone board gives you a whole new way to cover distance on the water and get a great workout. To find the right stand up paddle board for you, consider how you’re going to use it, how it will fit your body and how you want it to handle in the water. The key decision points will be the shape of the board, getting the correct volume and capacity, as well as the proper length, width and thickness.If you’re a beginner in paddle boarding, you’ll want a longer and broader board, between 10 and 12 feet in length and 30 to 32 inches in width. This size will give you better stability, allowing you to balance and handle the board.Versatility: Paddle boards aren’t just for standing. You can kneel, sit cross-legged, lay down, or even stretch out. Paddle North paddle boards are designed with textured, EVA-foam, comfortable traction pads that are great for sitting.Paddle boarding is a fun and exciting way to keep fit and active. It can be tailored to suit different fitness levels and ages, you can take it nice and slow or challenge yourself. Either way you’ll be getting a full body workout.
What is the secret to paddle boarding?
Keep your arms straight and twist from your torso as you paddle. Push down on the paddle grip with your top hand rather than pulling the paddle back with your lower arm. It’s helpful for some people to think of pulling the board past the paddle rather than pulling the paddle through the water. When you pull the paddle back towards you, your body engages the biceps to flex the elbow. Paddling is a challenging workout for your biceps. Water resistance increases the load on those muscles and builds strong arms. The triceps are on the back of the upper arm.Even experienced paddlers take the plunge from time to time, so if you’re feeling a little wobbly, don’t worry about it and remember that SUP is a watersport, so it’s okay to get wet.Also – keep your paddle near the water and ready to help provide a bracing stroke to help you balance. Not only does this naturally lower your centre of gravity, but the paddle in the water forms a third point in a ‘triangle of stability’ that makes you much more difficult to spill off the board.While there is gear to keep you safe, like PFDs or SUP leashes, these can fail and it’s important that the paddler can keep themselves safe until help arrives. If you are a non-swimmer, we do not recommend you take on the challenge of paddle boarding in deep water.
Can you prone a paddle a SUP?
You can padle prone on most paddleboards. If you lose a paddle and have issues with swimming or getting back on your board, just lay face down and paddle like a surfer heade out. It’s also helpful if you have to go through mangroves and other trees where branches get in the way. Performance Limitations: Inflatable paddle boards might not offer the same level of performance as hard boards. They are often less rigid, which can impact their speed and maneuverability. This is particularly noticeable in advanced paddling techniques, racing, or when navigating choppy waters.Paddle-boarders are most likely to sustain an injury from impact with their own paddle-board, rather than waves, rocks, the sea-bed, other water-craft or litter. The main areas affected tend to be the face/head, knee and foot and ankle.The cheaper inflatable paddle boards in the market tend to be constructed with glued seams which over time and constant inflating, deflating, folding up, and unfolding tend to loosen and cause punctures. This is dangerous. There’s nothing worse than being out on the water and realising that your board is deflating!Falling into the water and not being efficiently prepared or trained can cause major issues for those taking part in SUP. Weather conditions can also make paddle boarding difficult and could hamper participants being able to return to the board fully.
When not to paddleboard?
Windy Conditions Winds above 15 mph are generally not recommended for paddle boarding. Paddle Technique: Learn and practice proper paddle techniques to navigate windy conditions more effectively. Stay Close to Shore: In strong winds, it’s safer to stay close to the shoreline to avoid being blown off course. Paddle boarding is a great low-impact workout that burns significant calories. Without doing any special exercises and simply just standing and paddling on the board, you could be burning anywhere from 330 to 460 calories per hour!Increases core strength – Stand Up Paddle Boarding engages your core muscles and builds abdominal strength and lean muscle tone, while at the same time strengthening arms, legs, back, and shoulders.Paddle boarding is an effective and enjoyable way to lose weight and improve your overall fitness. By incorporating structured workouts, interval training, and SUP yoga into your routine, you can burn calories, build muscle, and enhance your cardiovascular health.Another reason that you keep falling off your paddle board is because you are not standing on the board correctly or in the right place. If you’re not standing in the centre of the board, your weight is not going to be evenly distributed and then it won’t take much to throw you off.
What is harder, surfing or paddleboarding?
Paddle boarding is generally easier to pick up, with good balance being the primary skill needed. Surfing has a steeper learning curve and requires practice paddling while lying down, popping up to your feet, and riding waves. You may consider how much time you’re willing to invest in learning a new activity. Windy Conditions Winds above 15 mph are generally not recommended for paddle boarding. Paddle Technique: Learn and practice proper paddle techniques to navigate windy conditions more effectively. Stay Close to Shore: In strong winds, it’s safer to stay close to the shoreline to avoid being blown off course.