Paddleboarding is a fantastic activity that offers a full body workout as well as a new way to explore the coastlines, lakes and rivers.
So it’s no wonder so many new people pick up the hobby each day.
Paddleboarding has opened up the doors to watersports like no other activity has before it.
Paddleboarding has no prejudices, it doesn’t care about age, gender, height or weight.
Because paddleboarding has been so popular there is a large number of newcomers each day.
I currently own and operate a paddleboard hire company and one question I get asked more than other questions is.
“Which way should the paddle face?”
Now to some of you it may seem silly that anyone is asking this question but after you read this article I bet there will be a few of you that have been holding it wrong this whole time.
Paddles are usually designed with an angled blade.
For those that don’t know the blade is the bottom section of the paddle, below the shaft and handle.
If you were to hold the paddle up in front of yourself you will notice that the handle and shaft run in a straight line whilst the blade skews off at an angle.
Something that I see time and time again is people paddling with the blade angled towards themselves.
They believe the angled blade will allow them to push a greater volume of water thus propelling them forward further, however, the opposite is actually true.
When you are paddleboarding the blade of the paddle should be angled away from yourself towards the nose of the board not towards yourself. This allows you to extend your stroke further making your stroke more efficient.
Let’s take a deeper look into the science behind this and then you may be able to see why this is the most efficient way of paddling.
Why Is The Blade Angled On Paddleboard Paddle
The reason paddle board paddles are designed with an angled blade is to make paddling an easier and more efficient task.
As noted above when paddling the blade should be angled so that is pointing away from yourself or towards the nose of the board.
The reason for this is so that when you are paddling you are able to push a greater volume of water downwards.
This downwards motion of your paddle causes your board to lift upwards slightly creating less friction and drag in the water.
As the nose of the board is lifted slightly and you push through the stroke, you use this reduced drag and friction to propel the board forwards.
If you use the paddle backwards with the angled part towards yourself you are using the intelligent design against yourself and actually creating more downforce thus increasing the drag.
It is actually so fundamental to the success of your paddle that most manufacturers will only logo the side of the blade that is facing forward and upwards, this is not only to assist the paddler in knowing which way the paddle should be facing but also clever brand placement.
The reverse side of the paddle will spend the longest amount of time in the water so by placing the logo on the top side it means there are more opportunities for other paddlers and passers by to see the logo.
Final Words
Well there really isn’t much more to say on the matter.
Now you know which way the paddle should face and more importantly why the blade should face that way it should make paddling your board an absolute dream.
So with that being said, get out there and enjoy the water.
See you out there.