What is the cure for a Rail Banger?

[Wetstuff]

I came off the water a day ago fairly disappointed with myself.  I sound like one of those kids in Times Square beating a plastic bucket.  I am remembering to keep loose hands - get quite far forward on the Reach - but seem to bang the rail just before I should be rotating the blade to remove it.

I am also getting a little 'wobble' with my new, 8.75" KeNalu ..but then I get it with a 8" Methane. (both about 79" or my 5-10 height)  Maybe you have cured yourself and can share?

Jim

[PonoBill]

Keep that lower hand really loose--just your curled fingertips. If a Ke Nalu is wobbling it's because you are resisting it's insistence on going straight. I bang the crap out of my rails, my cure is Railsaver Pro. But one thing you might try is making certain you are pushing up with your lower hand as you pull the blade out of the water instead of pulling with the upper. Just before the paddle gets to your feet you close your lower hand, break your wrist inward to feather the blade and push up. I still beat the crap out of my rails because I lose concentration, but when I'm actually paddling properly it's a lot less.

[mrbig]

Hey Wetstuff, that JM still looks as good to me now as when you first posted it. As a recovering rail destroyer, the infamous Larry Cain video where he broke his stroke into five separate parts had an interesting and unexpected benefit.

After scaring the beavers and the swans by practicing his paddle insertion drill I noticed that my rail smashing has almost gone. I also now place the paddle so it is resting on the side of my Marlin - yeah Jim K it does chip, and JD where is our paint! - BEFORE starting the pull. NO BANGING, CLANGING, DESTRUCTION. However, I am sure real racers nod serious students of paddling will not approve of using the side as a stabilizer. But I am not a racer, fer shur dude!

[Wetstuff]

"Just before the paddle gets to your feet you close your lower hand, break your wrist inward."   Bill,  I have to print this out and test it.. I sense perhaps I am breaking outward... ?

Big,  If I read you correctly - you make soft contact and then paddle-slide-the-rail. If correct, you'd think that you get the opposite result when you triangulate stability with legs and paddle - offset vs centered ..partially fixed vs dynamic.  I put some textured, vinyl on one board last fall and would get this 'Zzzzz-P' sound as I swept.   ..I'll chase up that Cain video.

Thanks guys.

Jim

[raf]

Sort of depends on your board too.  Almost impossible to have a perfect stroke on a 32" wide plus board.  Once you get down to 28" or less, its a lot easier to have a "bang" free stroke. 

[shankfoo]

I think the key, for me at least, is the position of my elbow.  If it's out of alignment with the paddle shaft, then the wrong muscles engage to stabilize, and I end up pulling the paddle towards my body instead of straight back, grinding it on the rail. 

So my tip is to make sure your elbow is 'down', not winging out and not pointing back toward own ribs, so that the elbow travels back along the same line you want the paddle to use.  Every body is different, but for me I imagine my elbow is a hinge, and the axis of that hinge should be horizontally level and not tilted.  Then I know my elbow/shoulder/wrist is lined up, the paddle's just about vertical, and i'm not fighting my own joints to keep the paddle straight.

[mrbig]

Jim - When I insert the blade I rest against the board, light touch no bang, and then pull but am not sliding along the rail. I can only do this on my Marlin! It would be fun to put Larry Cain on a surf sup in extreme conditions, betcha we might see a chip or two in the paint!!

[raf]

Jim - When I insert the blade I rest against the board, light touch no bang, and then pull but am not sliding along the rail. I can only do this on my Marlin! It would be fun to put Larry Cain on a surf sup in extreme conditions, betcha we might see a chip or two in the paint!!

betcha you wouldn't 

[Caribsurf]

a lot has to do with your technique which will come in time and also the width of the board.

What you can do in the mean time to minimize chips and marks is to line the edge of the blade with electrical tape (buy it in color that matches your board) it helps cushion the blow and helps prevent paint chips and if it does leave a mark it is the same color as the board's rails

[PDLSFR]

Railsaver pro - easy application, looks good, and will save your board


http://www.railsaverpro.com/

[mrbig]

Raf - Long sands off the rocks in the corner in a noreaster maybe a tiny mark? LOL!

[Wetstuff]

Next test:  1.5hrs bayside this morning.  Here's what I think I did differently...

1.  I set the blade farther away from from the nose - more inline with the center of the outline. (see #4)

2.  Watched a video about hand paddle shaft placement - my hands were too close.

3.  Wider hands had me bending forward for the reach.

4.  I allowed the board to add its reserve buoyancy.  Cold water had me freaked, standing too upright in an attempt to not fall in! (attempting to stand erect is probably dynamically unstable..)

5.  Dropped the upper hand close to when the blade was even with my feet.  Blade comes out faster that way.  (was attempting to 'make a circle' with my upper hand)

6.  Rather than my Polish Mule stroke (pull harder - No Harder!), I attempted to step up the cadence vs the torque. 

It is better.  Nobody asked me to try out for their band...  It gives me an excuse to go back in a couple of days.


PDL..  I've always used rail tapes but took it off the Allwave. The Allwave can take a flogging compared to this fragile mutha.   I have 7mm 3M clear and some 6mm Carbon-look film.  The carbon is cool because it makes a Ziiiiiip! sound.  I now add 3M tape to my paddles but it is worth about 1-2 outings as the edges are soooo sharp. 

Carib,  Color tape on the paddle is also a good training aid:  you can tell exactly where your paddle has been. 

Thanks all.     Jim

[1tuberider]

I just moved to a wider board and found myself holding the top hand about the center of the board instead of stacking
the shoulders which places your top over the outer rail.

This causes the paddle to angle out away from the rail and gives greater distance and no rail sliding. I am in the surf
zone so I could care less if I am not the fastest.

In time your technique will improve so that you are not a whacker or banger all the time but it never completely goes away.

[Wetstuff]

Tube,  ...funny you mention.  I have a pond about 5min from my office to sneak in a quickie.  Yesterday I attempted to pay attention to my elbow like Foo said.  In doing so, I felt I looked like the Leaning Tower in an attempt to keep 'stacked hands'. I was using the 10-6 Nalu.  If I stood more straight and angled the paddle shaft.. I would have to switch sides in three strokes because I was always headed off course.  The advantage I see in the surf zone is that three strokes may be too many already so that shift is not an issue.. actually desirable if you listen to Rick/Creek.   The fact that good SUP is not totally easy - makes it all the more worthwhile.  Cheers.

Jim

[1tuberider]

True enough I don't get 10 strokes per side anymore unless I really
concentrate on blade placement.  I found that the blade being placed out far in front and
away from the board with the blade drawn to the board with the power stroke helps keep you going
straight. Still I switch more often than I used to compared to when I stacked my shoulders. What really impacted
my tracking was going to short paddle boards as opposed to paddle technique. Short boards turn with every stroke.
I now surf an 8' 2 and just parked my 8'5.

Good surfing is not easy it takes a lot of experience where as good paddling is 75% learned after a few
laps on the pond. The other 25% may take a lifetime. The challenge is there but the beginner can get on
a board and go without having to learn more than the basics. The beginner needs a healthy dose of common
sense so as not to get in over their heads and to take the time to learn surf etiquette before they enter the
surf zone. Because of this I think the sport is gaining popularity as it can be done on most any water any where.
Most people enjoy some form of water activity.