How To Feel More Comfortable With Falling Off Your SUP
“Nice trip?” ;)
** EDIT: I’ve just edited this blog as I had a great question on Instagram about falling in shallow water. When in shallow water, you should always paddle on your knees to reduce the risk of falling. You could really hurt yourself falling in shallow water, so always come down onto your knees when the water is anything less than knee-deep or even waist deep (depending on your size and weight). When practising falling, always make sure you are in DEEP water so that you won’t hit the bottom when you fall. You can practice climbing onto your SUP (self-rescuing) in shallow water, but only fall in deep water. Thanks Aimee for your question! **
I love this photo so much, sometimes falling on your SUP is made a lot easier when you have friends to laugh it off with!
But I know many for many of you, the fear of falling creates a constant niggle in the back of your minds when on your paddleboard, particularly in deeper waters!
So here are a few tips on how to feel more comfortable with falling off your SUP.
TIP ONE
Recognise that in that split second before your fall, you have the option to come down onto your knees with control. Practice the action of gently going from kneeling to standing, standing to kneeling to create the muscle memory, so that you know at even the slightest wobble, you can gain control and return to a safe and more stable position.
Being on your knees is not a sign of a beginner or of not being a strong paddler. It’s a sign that you recognise that as a paddler you have a whole toolkit of techniques and positions which you can apply to ensure your own safety in different scenarios. Being on your knees is simply part of that toolkit - see it as child’s pose in yoga. A rest position.
TIP TWO
Fall in on purpose! Grab some friends, wear your swimmers, select a sunny day and some clean clear water, and just give it a go.
From experience, I find being wet first helps. Enter the water and fully submerge yourself before you actually get on your SUP. This helps take away the shock of getting wet!
Once wet, move your SUP into DEEP water, climb on your SUP, stand up, and jump away from the board into the water, so you can get a feel for the distance between you and the water. Next climb back on (for many women the fear of falling actually stems from the fear of not being able to climb back on your SUP (see tip three!), so it’s great to practice!) and this time FALL off your SUP. Check the surroundings to check there are no hazards and then fall AWAY from your board, creating a nice big starfish position with your arms and legs, so you hit the water comfortably and away from your board.
TIP THREE
Learn to get back on your board quickly and safely. As mentioned in tip two, for many women the fear of falling actually stems from the fear of not being able to climb back on your SUP in deep water, therefore practice in the shallows! Try the two approaches below firstly in the shallows, and then once comfortable more to deeper water.
The first approach to try is climbing on from the long side (the rails) of your board.
Position yourself in line with the centre handle. Using your arms, push yourself up and onto the board like you’re getting out of a swimming pool. Kick your legs to help you push your body onto the board, aiming to get your belly button on the centre handle. Once your torso is on the board, swivel from your belly button to gradually get your legs onto the board so that you’re lying face down. Wooo! Well done! You’ve done it!!
For some larger ladies (and gents), or those with bigger boobs, you may find it easier to climb onto your board from the tail of your board (the narrow end at the back of the board).
Again, imagine you’re getting out of a swimming pool, but this time, when you push yourself up on the board, the tail will submerge, making it easier for you to get your torso onto the tail. With torso on the board, ‘worm’, ‘army crawl’, wriggle or pull your way up the board. It takes a bit of practice but once you’re on, and know you can self-rescue, you’ll feel a lot more confident on the water!
Note: a self-rescue (i.e. climbing back on your board) is never elegant… so don’t worry if you feel like your limbs are all over the place. Just focus on getting yourself safely on the board - that is the most important thing!
TIP FOUR
Play SUP Ball! I’m sure a lot of ladies in the She SUPs Community would agree, playing SUP Ball is a fantastic way to get comfortable with falling. On average (based on a few She SUPs games of SUP Ball) it takes less than 15 minutes before all paddlers are hooked and absorbed in the game. As you play and become focused on getting the ball, scoring a goal or defending your goal, the fear of falling fades away. The elements of fun and competition seem to dilute the fear, and with everyone else falling around you, it becomes more ‘normal’. Plus, it makes for some great stories post-game!
So there you have it, four top tips on how to feel more comfortable with falling off your SUP. Falling is never easy, and everyone is on their own unique SUP journey, so take your time, and don’t pressure yourself to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing.
Please reach out if you have any further questions. Happy falling!!
Vikki x