Here are some of our teaching videos about SUP, which hopefully you will find useful. Click here to view just the SUP COACH SHARES youtube shorts vids.
The longer-form videos were made in conjunction with American magazine supboardguide.com. There are also many written articles from us on their blog pages.
Use the filter controls below to choose which categories of video you would like to see.
The 4 Pillars of SUP Safety
There’s a lot of information online about paddleboarding safety but it’s nearly always about what safety equipment you need - which is actually just one part of the picture. Bill Dawes has been National Safety Officer for New Zealand stand up paddleboarding for many years, during which time he has been researching the subject in huge depth, to gain the fullest possible picture of what goes wrong, how it goes wrong, why it goes wrong, and what knowledge do paddlers actually need to ensure that it doesn’t go wrong. The result of this research is a much wider perspective and picture on paddleboarding safety. In this video he discusses the four cornerstones of paddleboarding safety, which gives a whole new way of looking at how to be safe on the water.
SUP paddling in the kneeling position
It's called 'stand up paddleboarding', but there are occasions when kneeling down is a great safety option. SUP COACH explains when and how to paddle properly in the kneeling position.
What factors determine the lifespan of an inflatable stand up paddleboard?
There are four main factors that determine the life of an inflatable stand up paddleboard. Understanding these factors and taking the appropriate actions to mitigate their effects can greatly increase the life of your inflatable board.
top technique tips to stop your stand up paddleboard turning so much
For so many stand up paddleboarders this is one of the most frustrating things - why does my board turn so much when I'm paddling? In other sup coach shorts we've looked at many of the reasons - do check those videos out if this is a subject you want to know more about. In this video we look at a couple of the main paddle technique issues that are responsible for the problem.
What is the correct head position for stand up paddleboarding?
It might seem a very minor aspect of technique but actually, getting your head orientated correctly in line with your body while paddling can make a whole lot of positive difference to your paddling.
Ten reasons why SUP is so good for you!
The physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits of paddleboarding are astonishing, as SUP COACH explains in this video. It really is right up there as one of the best all-round activities you can do.
Most Common Beginner Mistakes
If you’re teaching yourself to paddleboard, you’re very likely to end up making a few mistakes. There are some traps and pitfalls that are so easy to fall into, and we see them on the water every time we go paddling. While many of the mistakes shown here may not seem particularly serious, they do make it harder to paddle and also do have safety implications, because they reduce your paddling efficiency. You’re doing more work for less reward, or in some cases simply not able to paddle with any speed or power. Which can be dangerous if you need to get back to the shore in a hurry, perhaps because the weather has changed or some other problem has arisen. In this video, Bill runs through some of the most common mistakes he encounters in his 15+ years of coaching. Watch this vid before you start paddleboarding and you’ll save yourself a whole lot of hassle. If you’re recently new to the sport then check it out and make sure you’re not making any of these mistakes.
How to get more of a balance workout on your paddleboard, whatever size it is
Stand up paddleboarding is a fantastic way of improving your balance. But there's a really simple way to greatly increase the intensity of the balance workout your paddleboarding is giving you, whatever board you're on. Check this out next time you're out for a paddle, you'll be amazed how powerful it is!
are you getting your blade deep enough in your paddleboard stroke?
How deep should your paddle blade go into the water when you are stand up paddleboarding? A lot of paddleboarders get this wrong and dramatically reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of their paddleboard stroke.
Turning techniques
Turning is a surprisingly under-rated skill in stand-up paddleboarding. Many people make the mistake of assuming that better turning means needing to walk to the back of the board and sink the tail, so they never learn how to turn their board hard and fast by just using their paddle. In this video, our coach Bill Dawes takes you through the full progression of paddle-powered turns, so that wherever you may be on the turning spectrum you can find out how to raise your game to the next level. If you’d like to be able to spin your board through 180 degrees at high speed with just one paddle movement, then this is the video for you.