FROM FIRST WOBBLE TO FIRST DOWNWINDER

How-To

Guides written by riders who remember being terrible. Pick your level, learn one thing, go get wet.

The progression path

START ANYWHERE - MOST RIDERS FOLLOW THIS ORDER

01 Stance & balance 02 The basic stroke 03 Turning & pivots 04 Catching tiny waves 05 Downwinders 06 Racing & distance

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP Stance and Balance: Stand Steady, Stay Dry

Foot position, soft knees and staying upright.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

The SUP Forward Stroke: Catch, Power, Exit

Build an efficient stroke that lasts all day.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Turning a SUP: Sweeps to Step-Back Pivots

Sweep turns, back-paddling and the pivot turn.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Catching Your First Tiny Waves on a SUP

Wave choice, positioning and the surf stance.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Your First SUP Downwinder, Done Properly

Plan the run, read the bumps, link the glides.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP Racing and Distance: Train, Draft, Turn

Structure training, draft smart, turn clean.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP Board Size: Volume, Width and Purpose

Match volume, width and length to how you paddle.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP Paddle Setup: Length, Blade and Grip

Size the shaft and hold it the right way round.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP in Wind and Chop: Lower, Shorter, Home

Stay upright when the flat water turns lumpy.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Falling Off a SUP: Land Clear, Climb Back On

Fall clear of the board and climb back on.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Paddling Straight: Hold a Line, Stop Switching

Why the board veers, and the strokes that fix it.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Inflatable or Hard Board: The Honest Trade-offs

Rigidity and glide against storage and transport.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Tides, Currents and Wind: The Go or No-Go Call

Read the water before you commit to it.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Legs and Core: Stop Paddling With Your Arms

Power from your hips and legs, not shoulders.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP Transport and Care: Straps, Heat and Dings

Straps, shade, rinsing and smarter storage.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Your First Long-Distance Paddle, Planned Right

Build the hours, then plan around the tide.

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Read the Sky: Clouds and Weather

A field guide to coastal clouds and what they mean

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Highs, Lows and Why the Wind Changes

Pressure systems steer every wind shift

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Why the Beaufort Scale Still Beats the Gadget

A 200-year-old scale still wins

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

How to Get Started on a Stand Up Paddleboard

Your first steps on a paddleboard, made easy

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

How to Read a Synoptic Weather Chart

Highs, lows, fronts and isobars made simple

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

The Pivot Turn: Spin Your SUP in One Move

Step back, sink the tail, spin on the spot

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP Race Starts: Position, Timing, Acceleration

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Wave SUP: Surfing Breaks on a Paddleboard

How to take your flat-water SUP skills into the surf: board selection, wave catching, turning, and lineup etiquette for beginners.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Downwind SUP: Bumps, Runners and Going Fast

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Paddling a SUP: Stroke, Balance and Turns

Master flat-water SUP paddling with correct stroke mechanics, body position, and technique from ISA and APP World Tour coaching.

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Catching Downwind Bumps: Linking Ocean Energy on SUP

Read chop, time your stroke, ride bumps

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

SUP Downwinding: Catch Your First Bump

Read the water and link open-ocean bumps

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Bunbury Weather: Fishing & Boating Guide

Your guide to Bunbury coastal weather

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Sydney Rain Radar: A Boater's Guide

Read Sydney's radar for safe coastal trips

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Wollongong Weather: Surf and Boating

Wollongong's coastal conditions explained

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

How to Read Australian Weather Radar

Decode radar colours and storm cells

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Newcastle Radar: Hunter Coast Guide

Track Hunter Coast weather using Newcastle radar

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Yarrawonga Radar: What It Covers

How the Yarrawonga radar works for boaters

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Brisbane Rain Radar: Storm Tracking Guide

Track Moreton Bay storms using Brisbane radar

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

Sydney in Winter: Beaches and Ocean Pools Guide

A visitor's guide to Sydney's coast in June–August

HOW-TO • WEATHER GUIDE

El Nino Winter: What It Means on the Water

Plan your season around the BOM outlook

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Stand Up Paddle in Perth

In Perth, and want to get our SUPing?

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

Top 5 SUP Myths, Mistakes & Misconceptions

Stand Up Paddle is a new sport, and already myths are developing - read on to dispell them!

HOW-TO • STAND UP PADDLE GUIDE

How to Stand Up Paddle

Awesome tutorial on the basic of standup paddle, and a segment from the TV show "Totally Wild", an introduction to Standup Paddle

BEFORE YOU NEED IT

Leash on, sunnies on, eyes on the wind

A leash and a quick look at the forecast keep a fun paddle from becoming a long swim home. Five minutes, huge payoff.

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