Th0m0 said...
I've got a Naish 7'6. It's short and wide. Surfs good but the yaw when paddling is a killer. I've read Colas posts on paddling technique and adjusting stance to reduce yaw on shorter boards. Thats good info but it's going to take a bit of time to learn. I'm thinking I can get a quicker result by changing fins. The board comes standard as a quad. So here's the question. What will make it paddle straighter, A big centre with smaller sides (2+1 longboard setup) or a large thruster set such as shapers S9's?
Forget putting big fins, it wont help that much.
My best advice is to do your fitness flatwater sessions with your short board. Your body need time to "digest" the needed micro movements to counter the row. I did a lot of round trips to a nearby island (10km in 2+ hours), but I guess even 30m flat water paddling sessions will help. Just simple parallel feet stance, let the body accustomate to the board.
It is also a great way to paddle with your kids or wife or other beginners, to keep up with them on your 7'6".
What I found out is that, since the short boards have a limited top speed, you want to avoid wasting energy trying to go fast. What seem to work best is to reach far away and pull steadily the board in the water with a very long stroke, trying to keep a constant speed an minimizing the paddle-in-the-air time as the board brakes as soon as your paddle leaves the water.
