Do you find yourself surfing along on a downwinder, drained of energy but looking ahead at the paddlers who were once right beside you? You’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable according to Suzie Cooney, owner of Suzie Trains Maui, a personal training company in Hawaii.

A few years ago she wrote this article exclusively for Naish Stand Up Paddle, but now she’s shared her tips for downwinder paddling and tips for long distance paddling with you!

“First, I always tell my clients to train on both land and water. It’s important to push to the point where you get uncomfortable and stay there for one more minute, then two, then five and so on. Bottom line, “you gotta get comfortable being uncomfortable”.

A great tip I once got from Michi Schweiger (Naish) is to stroke hard and fast twice then step back two steps and surf. He is a very strong paddler with a fierce mindset, great lung capacity and incredible footwork. Sometimes, I refer to his technique as the 2 & 2 or 2-3 and 2.

As you’re paddling, be mindful of your breath. Is your heart pounding out of your chest wall? Do we call 911? Or is it a nice smooth, trained, nicely elevated rhythm? Can you maintain this for 5, 8 or 15 miles"

Team rider for Naish, ambassador for the Ho’olaule’a Fun paddle event and Elite team athlere for The True Collection, Susie’s certainly been around the stand up paddling game for a while. Although she doesn’t often compete, with her credentials and these fantastic cardio and fitness tips, we rekcon she’d be pretty up there in numbers.

Check out the great tips for downwind paddling, endurance paddling and stand up paddle racing by clicking the link here.

#News #StandUpPaddle #Surfing #Naish #Paddling