McConks SUP user guide #14: stand up paddle boarding terminology.

When you start something new there’s always jargon and terminology to get your head around. Stand up paddle boarding is just the same. With a seemingly confusing array of descriptive terms and whole new language to learn. Shaka, shaft, offshore, swell, stoke, and cadence. These plus a whole load more words used in conjunction with stand up paddle boarding are needed to be learned.

A few more for good measure –

Stance – how your feet are placed on the SUP’s deck.

Offset stance – one foot slightly in front of the other.

Regular – left foot forward; right foot back across the board’s centre line.

Goofy – right foot forward; left foot back across the centre line.

Even if just to chat with retail staff about your shiny new stand up paddle board or paddle purchase. And don’t get us wrong. This is about being all ‘gnarly surfer dude’. It’s more about getting the speak correct. You’ll then understand more about the sport and its wider periphery.

With this in mind check out the following article to get a handle on SUP jargon and terminology – 

Making sense of it – SUP jargon and terminology

To download a PDF of this article hit the button below –

You can read more from the McConks SUP user guide by clicking the link below – 
https://mcconks.com/mcconks-sup-user-guide/

Further reading can be found via the articles below –

SUP stereotypes: things you won’t hear a stand up paddle surfer say…

Heading for the waves? Know and understand surf etiquette.

SUP Hub UK article – SUP manufacturing (the general differences of hard shell SUP and inflatables).