How to Get Back on a Paddle Board
Table of Contents
Taking up paddle boarding and worried you won’t be able to get back on if you fall? Or maybe you just felt like going for a quick swim, but don’t know how to get out from the water?
Trying to get back on your board is especially hard as a beginner. But, even those who are more advanced may find themselves unable to do it if they’re in rough waters. So don’t be discouraged if you can’t figure it out!
You never know what’s going to happen, and what conditions you may have to face, so it’s better to learn now how to get back on your SUP before it’s too late!
Where You Should Start
To get back on, you can position yourself at either the side of the board or the tail. Depending on your own comfortability with your board and where you fall from, one of these positions may be easier than another.
From the Side
- Grab ahold of the carry handle or side rails with your legs behind you.
- Kick your legs while simultaneously pushing yourself up with your arms.
- At this point you’ll be laying on the board.
- Now just slowly reposition your body so you are laying forward on your board.
And that’s it! By using the strength of both your legs and arms, you should be able to get yourself back up onto your board!
From the Tail
- Swim over to the back of the board.
- You should be eye level with the tail and looking straight down the paddle board.
- Grab the tail from either side and push the tail of the board downwards with your arms. (This will cause the entire front of the board to come out of the water and the tail to go under water)
- Push the board down enough so that you end up sitting on the end of the board.
- Slide yourself upwards back on the board (you can remain sitting and shimmy up or lay down and crawl into position)
Reminder: Watch your life jacket if you choose to get back on from the tail, just in case it gets stuck on the board!
Now that you are safely back on your paddle board you’ll want to catch your breath before standing up. If you try to stand up when you’re tired you’ll more likely just lose your balance and fall back down again!
This video will give you a visual example of how to apply these steps, so that you will know what to do if you happen to take a nosedive.
How to Stand Back Up on Your SUP
Now that you’re back on your board, it’s time to start paddling again!
- Transition onto your knees.
- Lay your paddle horizontally on the board.
- Put your hands on top of the paddle.
- Use your grip on the paddle to balance as you shift your weight from one leg to another.
- Slowly stand up one leg at a time!
If you’d like to see these steps in actions, this video provides everything you need to know about standing up on your SUP and additional information about paddle boarding for those beginners!
So If You Fall…
It’s okay! Falling off your board happens to everyone, and it’s the only way you can get better at paddle boarding. The most important part of falling is just to make sure you get back up and try again!
And with these tips, you’ll be back and paddling in no time. Now get out there and practice your moves! If you fall, at least you will know exactly how to get back up.