Steve Shlens: Unsolicited Tips on Knee Paddling
Many of the mullets are getting into Prone paddling, led by The Mullet (cause he likes to prone), and we’re soaking up advice like a cube of peat moss left in a lake for a month. One of the paddleboard clubs is a font of wisdom and advice, and we asked them of we could share some of their information. Steve Shlens posted these helpful tips for knee paddling and said we could share. So here’s his official unofficial “Unsolicited Tips from Steve Shlens” post. If you’re nice and ask questions, maybe he’ll answer them.
Thanks Steve!
And stay tuned for more paddleboarding info on the Mullet.
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Unsolicited tips for knee paddling (take with a grain of salt):
1. Quiet entry, quiet exit- splashing and/or noise at entry or exit means you’re causing cavitation. That means you’re slowing yourself down. Enter and exit quietly for speed.
2. Bury your arms- don’t just go to your elbows and think those arms are deep. Lean forward and bury your damn arms into the water. The more you can pull, the faster you’ll go.
3. Elbows and a$$holes- that’s all your competitors should see from you.
4. Don’t be a seagull- bring your arms straight up the board. Don’t circle wide. It’s wasteful and a loss of energy. All you’re doing is making yourself more tired. Don’t.
5. When knee paddling, your arms are an extension of your back- you are not pulling with your shoulders here, you’re pulling with your back. Rest the shoulders and use your legs and back. Prone is when you use your arms/shoulders.
6. Don’t pull straight- make an “s” underwater with your hands, just like when you’re swimming. This goes for prone and knee strokes.
Okay- that’s TMI. Good luck!
Good advice for new prone paddlers!
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