Embrace the Chop

"Embrace The Chop"

I remember when I first started to paddle a SUP and how difficult it was to deal with any sort of boat wake or choppy conditions. Admittedly I had already made my life more difficult by purchasing a 12 foot board that was 26' wide with loads of rocker and a vee all the way through the hull. In effect it is a 12' surfboard!!

This unknowingly would become the best training tool to really strengthen my core and whole body every time I took it out. Days and weeks passed and as I progressed my ability to cope with the chop became better and better. Around this period I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Laird Hamilton, he reinforced to me how important it was to spend as much time out on the ocean in as many different conditions as possible, obviously with safety always in mind.

I still have my old faithful "Big Blue" and on the choppiest and windiest days I will punch out through the surf to a marker 800 meters offshore, turn,  glide back to the shore and repeat as an interval workout.

My advice to all beginners is, "Embrace the Chop" and you will become stronger than you could ever imagine.

Me with Big Blue!