After 14 seconds I can improve your time by learning how to brace better on the right hand side. You start after a brace on the same side of the brace this will loose you nearly half a second and more every time you do that. From the brace you start on the opposite side with a full rotation. Starting on the opposite side will give you more power at the start of you stroke so that you will catch more runs earlier. At one minute your brace stoke is slowing you down and you not using your paddle stroke as a brace. That will cost you lots of power and speed. Your cadence is way too high and you don't lean back enough, once on the run. Fitness is not needed at all its skill and technique. You seem a lot fitter and faster than me. One thing you don't do which cost you lots of energy and stress, is you should open you hands and relax every time you brace. Your whole stroke is pulling too far back, you have to take your paddle out a lot sooner. I had done a lot more then UA-cam just deleted another whole lot. 🥵 Let me ask you how many Millers Runs do you do not going for time but doing techniques? How many time do you just practice the brace stoke so the left side is the same as the right side? How many time a week to you do stroke paddling techniques on flat water? You have a feather but you catch isn't symmetrical, therefore what ever feather you have has to be changed to make you symmetrical. When the freight train came your boat is too tippy for you. If you had caught the freight train and linked all the big waves without paddling you would have made up to a minute or even 2. Do you think at age 50 winning the Molokai I had any fitness and strength like you have? No way I couldn't do one pull up. For the race I did at least 3-5 technique sessions a week only for 1-2 hours, only on dead flat water, and only did downwind when the wind was blowing. I also did many of the runs doing downwind techniques ask Dawid I didn't try and get times I want to improve and you never do that just going against the clock. In conclusion what I have seen you can easily break 50 then 48 then 46 with the correct technique.
Whew Oscar, thank you ! That is a real eye opener as most of what you are suggesting is not even in my "consideration funnel". I think that I am going to have to buy you a beer or two and find out a bit more 🙏
@@ForbesRichard greetings from Adelaide, Australia. Gotta luv it when the guy who wrote the book replies! If I ever get to SA, I'd buy you both a beer; and I don't even have surf ski.
Hi Rich, thanks for asking. I'm going to comment without reading any of the other comments so that you get as much authentic feedback as possible. 1. Technique really matters and you pull way too far past your body, especially on the left, making you unstable. You will definitely improve downwind by focussing on improving technique, especially a more balanced catch on both sides, currently unequal. 2. Fitness +flatwater technique. Before doing a downwind below 45min ,you should at least be able to do a 10km flatwater timetrial below 50min, for which you will need to work once again on technique, and leading to the next point... 3. Explosive fitness, the ability to apply pressure at the right moment, once again related to technique, but this time your efficiency in the stroke and being able to change your cadence between higher and lower at the right moments. 4. Swell riding is a skill you should practice anyway as this helps you ride t 0:02 he runs better, so catching waves on a beach will improve this ability. 5. Stability. You are clearly unstable at the critical moments. This once again looks like a technique issue, but i would say a more stable boat will help you "cheat" as you can put 100% power instead of 80% as you say. 6. You are not using your body weight enough when trying to transfer between runs, something you will learn riding waves at a beach. 7. 😊 Join a downwind camp. We have seen every single one of our downwind camp clients improve in only 1 short week of focussed coaching. All the best with your quest.
Rich from watching your videos you've definitely improved the hopping over runs. Keep it up! Some things I've learnt from my fellow paddlers: 1. You need to reduce the amount of slow speed when off a run. Sounds ridiculous, but paddling slower less is better than paddling fast more. For this you need to be able to see your speed on your watch on your footsptrap. If, for example, you know you can achieve 11 kph on a flat day, then you should never allow your boat speed to go below that, ever. If it drops below that you're not paddling hard enough. 2. Don't stop paddling. Dawid made us do some training sessions where we were not allowed to ever stop paddling on the downwind section. This teaches you to keep the speed up, but also to "freewheel" down some waves and then properly gun it for the next wave. Obviously when on a proper downwind we stop paddling at a certain speed but it's a good thing to try. 3. Watch your splits. For a sub 50 you need an average 4 min 10 second per km. Have your watch show you how fast the last km was. That allows you to manage your energy and put in extra effort when required on the next km. Keep at it. Once you go sub 50 you'll be wondering why you never achieved it before.
Thanks Rob. Yep, my /experience thinking recently has also led to conclude that I need to improve my off run speed so I will definitely be changing my training with that in mind. Gotta get me a garmin too ! Gracias
Richard, there are lot of comments above that I don't need repeat except for two. Technique is paramount without improving that along with timing and reading the runs correctly, you will paddled even harder without making any gains. My top tip is to paddle a spec ski for a while in dws and slow everything down to the basics by staying on top the power zone pocket and learning to link the runs without over revving or paddling ahead of them. Good luck and enjoy.
@rastusrastus1 A lifesaving Spec Ski is designed for riding surf and weighs a minimum 18kg. Some have a highseat but generally they are perfect for anyone in proper dw conditions as they are very stable and predictable to steer but because of their 'slow' rocker design and volume they sit well on a run so they allow a paddler to not overwork and surf along easily without feeling twitchy or overwhelmed with the momentum of a heavier ski keeping everything in check. I stand to be corrected but think Jasper set the Milnerton-BigBay dw record in a specski some 12-14 years ago.
Nice one Rich. A couple of comments that I can pick up from this video.... You are very tense. This is most likely a stability issue which could be the craft related or you are just trying too hard and forcing it. Most of your bracing is well behind your hip and often at the end of your stoke. (indicates a stability issue) Remember anything that happens behind you makes you more unstable. Downwind perfermance has more to do with your riding skills (when to apply power, which bump to use and how to connect to the next one) than fitness. 2% better skill will give 10% better times. Sped more time doing downwinds focusing on catching the smaller lumps and bumps with the least effort rather than going flat out chasing the big ones. Forget about your times on these sessions. Build your run riding skills. Good luck
Thanks very much Richard. Your lesson to me, over a year ago on the position of the brace, is in fact the factor that has most contributed to my stability improvement but clearly there is still plenty room for improvement.
Boat fit~ It looks like the boat can tip a lot without contacting your hips. Maybe the bucket is too wide in the hip area. You might try adding shims, either kayak foam or composite, to the inside of the bucket at the top of the sides, to make it narrower, so you get quicker feedback when the boat tips. Also try tightening the pull strap, or better yet, install a Nelo style carbon or plastic pull bar, so there's no loss of contact with your feet between strokes. Both the above should improve your boat/body proprioception i.e. how quickly you realize something is not right.
thanks David, I did previously experiment with a snugger fit (foot strap esp.) and thought at the time that it made a difference. Interestingly though, most of the elite paddlers at our club (world champs included) keep their footstrap loose......hmmmmm
I'm confident you will shave off five minutes and hit your target. Richard, do you have just the one boat, or do you have training and racing boats? I remember my last paddle, in a kayak, I went to the end of the loch (Loch Ken) and back, a total of 16 miles. It was wonderful, but totally flat water. Your videos are great to watch thank you.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Richard ! Skis: I have three: an Elite Fenn (the most narrow) that I use for flat water training, grounded on the belief that it is training my balance system. I will NEVER take this on the sea. 2nd: My Sworfish which is my regular ski (used in last 10 videos). I am still only 85-90% stable in this. 3rd is my XTS that is 2cm wider than the Swordy but its seat height is 2cm higher so, oddly, its secondary stability is worse than that of the Swordy. Previously I have used this on high wind days or messy conditions but have got to the point now, where I think that I am better off in the Swordy in virtually all conditions.
Yep, thanks Nick for pointing that out. It never ceases to astound me about how different the front vs. rear camera views are. You have given me an idea for a future"Surfski is Life" video as this truth applies equally to life itself. viz. have you looked at your situation from a different perspective ?
After 14 seconds I can improve your time by learning how to brace better on the right hand side. You start after a brace on the same side of the brace this will loose you nearly half a second and more every time you do that. From the brace you start on the opposite side with a full rotation. Starting on the opposite side will give you more power at the start of you stroke so that you will catch more runs earlier. At one minute your brace stoke is slowing you down and you not using your paddle stroke as a brace. That will cost you lots of power and speed. Your cadence is way too high and you don't lean back enough, once on the run. Fitness is not needed at all its skill and technique. You seem a lot fitter and faster than me. One thing you don't do which cost you lots of energy and stress, is you should open you hands and relax every time you brace. Your whole stroke is pulling too far back, you have to take your paddle out a lot sooner. I had done a lot more then UA-cam just deleted another whole lot. 🥵 Let me ask you how many Millers Runs do you do not going for time but doing techniques? How many time do you just practice the brace stoke so the left side is the same as the right side? How many time a week to you do stroke paddling techniques on flat water? You have a feather but you catch isn't symmetrical, therefore what ever feather you have has to be changed to make you symmetrical. When the freight train came your boat is too tippy for you. If you had caught the freight train and linked all the big waves without paddling you would have made up to a minute or even 2. Do you think at age 50 winning the Molokai I had any fitness and strength like you have? No way I couldn't do one pull up. For the race I did at least 3-5 technique sessions a week only for 1-2 hours, only on dead flat water, and only did downwind when the wind was blowing. I also did many of the runs doing downwind techniques ask Dawid I didn't try and get times I want to improve and you never do that just going against the clock. In conclusion what I have seen you can easily break 50 then 48 then 46 with the correct technique.
Whew Oscar, thank you ! That is a real eye opener as most of what you are suggesting is not even in my "consideration funnel". I think that I am going to have to buy you a beer or two and find out a bit more 🙏
wow how cool! oscar this note is epic many blessings to you sir
Thank you for taking the time to express your value insights based on proven experience.
@@ForbesRichard greetings from Adelaide, Australia. Gotta luv it when the guy who wrote the book replies! If I ever get to SA, I'd buy you both a beer; and I don't even have surf ski.
@@doubledark2 Thanks DD. Your intention is hugely appreciated. 🙏
Hi Rich, thanks for asking.
I'm going to comment without reading any of the other comments so that you get as much authentic feedback as possible.
1. Technique really matters and you pull way too far past your body, especially on the left, making you unstable. You will definitely improve downwind by focussing on improving technique, especially a more balanced catch on both sides, currently unequal.
2. Fitness +flatwater technique. Before doing a downwind below 45min ,you should at least be able to do a 10km flatwater timetrial below 50min, for which you will need to work once again on technique, and leading to the next point...
3. Explosive fitness, the ability to apply pressure at the right moment, once again related to technique, but this time your efficiency in the stroke and being able to change your cadence between higher and lower at the right moments.
4. Swell riding is a skill you should practice anyway as this helps you ride t 0:02 he runs better, so catching waves on a beach will improve this ability.
5. Stability. You are clearly unstable at the critical moments. This once again looks like a technique issue, but i would say a more stable boat will help you "cheat" as you can put 100% power instead of 80% as you say.
6. You are not using your body weight enough when trying to transfer between runs, something you will learn riding waves at a beach.
7. 😊 Join a downwind camp. We have seen every single one of our downwind camp clients improve in only 1 short week of focussed coaching.
All the best with your quest.
Thanks so much Dawid ! Do you have any 3 month camps ?! Flip, back to the drawing board.
Cannot beat golden advice like this! 😅😊
Rich from watching your videos you've definitely improved the hopping over runs. Keep it up! Some things I've learnt from my fellow paddlers:
1. You need to reduce the amount of slow speed when off a run. Sounds ridiculous, but paddling slower less is better than paddling fast more. For this you need to be able to see your speed on your watch on your footsptrap. If, for example, you know you can achieve 11 kph on a flat day, then you should never allow your boat speed to go below that, ever. If it drops below that you're not paddling hard enough.
2. Don't stop paddling. Dawid made us do some training sessions where we were not allowed to ever stop paddling on the downwind section. This teaches you to keep the speed up, but also to "freewheel" down some waves and then properly gun it for the next wave. Obviously when on a proper downwind we stop paddling at a certain speed but it's a good thing to try.
3. Watch your splits. For a sub 50 you need an average 4 min 10 second per km. Have your watch show you how fast the last km was. That allows you to manage your energy and put in extra effort when required on the next km.
Keep at it. Once you go sub 50 you'll be wondering why you never achieved it before.
Thanks Rob. Yep, my /experience thinking recently has also led to conclude that I need to improve my off run speed so I will definitely be changing my training with that in mind. Gotta get me a garmin too ! Gracias
Yul, sorry for confusing your response as being for someone else
"from" someone else...
Richard, there are lot of comments above that I don't need repeat except for two.
Technique is paramount without improving that along with timing and reading the runs correctly, you will paddled even harder without making any gains.
My top tip is to paddle a spec ski for a while in dws and slow everything down to the basics by staying on top the power zone pocket and learning to link the runs without over revving or paddling ahead of them.
Good luck and enjoy.
thanks Jamii, I appreciate your feedback. Please just clarify what you mean by "spec" ski ?
@rastusrastus1 A lifesaving Spec Ski is designed for riding surf and weighs a minimum 18kg.
Some have a highseat but generally they are perfect for anyone in proper dw conditions as they are very stable and predictable to steer but because of their 'slow' rocker design and volume they sit well on a run so they allow a paddler to not overwork and surf along easily without feeling twitchy or overwhelmed with the momentum of a heavier ski keeping everything in check.
I stand to be corrected but think Jasper set the Milnerton-BigBay dw record in a specski some 12-14 years ago.
OK thanks. Yes, I have seen some of the very good guys use them in big conditions
Nice one Rich.
A couple of comments that I can pick up from this video....
You are very tense. This is most likely a stability issue which could be the craft related or you are just trying too hard and forcing it. Most of your bracing is well behind your hip and often at the end of your stoke. (indicates a stability issue) Remember anything that happens behind you makes you more unstable.
Downwind perfermance has more to do with your riding skills (when to apply power, which bump to use and how to connect to the next one) than fitness. 2% better skill will give 10% better times.
Sped more time doing downwinds focusing on catching the smaller lumps and bumps with the least effort rather than going flat out chasing the big ones. Forget about your times on these sessions. Build your run riding skills.
Good luck
Thanks very much Richard. Your lesson to me, over a year ago on the position of the brace, is in fact the factor that has most contributed to my stability improvement but clearly there is still plenty room for improvement.
Love all the comments!🙏
🙏
Boat fit~ It looks like the boat can tip a lot without contacting your hips. Maybe the bucket is too wide in the hip area. You might try adding shims, either kayak foam or composite, to the inside of the bucket at the top of the sides, to make it narrower, so you get quicker feedback when the boat tips.
Also try tightening the pull strap, or better yet, install a Nelo style carbon or plastic pull bar, so there's no loss of contact with your feet between strokes.
Both the above should improve your boat/body proprioception i.e. how quickly you realize something is not right.
thanks David, I did previously experiment with a snugger fit (foot strap esp.) and thought at the time that it made a difference. Interestingly though, most of the elite paddlers at our club (world champs included) keep their footstrap loose......hmmmmm
I'm confident you will shave off five minutes and hit your target. Richard, do you have just the one boat, or do you have training and racing boats? I remember my last paddle, in a kayak, I went to the end of the loch (Loch Ken) and back, a total of 16 miles. It was wonderful, but totally flat water. Your videos are great to watch thank you.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Richard ! Skis: I have three: an Elite Fenn (the most narrow) that I use for flat water training, grounded on the belief that it is training my balance system. I will NEVER take this on the sea. 2nd: My Sworfish which is my regular ski (used in last 10 videos). I am still only 85-90% stable in this. 3rd is my XTS that is 2cm wider than the Swordy but its seat height is 2cm higher so, oddly, its secondary stability is worse than that of the Swordy. Previously I have used this on high wind days or messy conditions but have got to the point now, where I think that I am better off in the Swordy in virtually all conditions.
really like the rear view cam
Yep, thanks Nick for pointing that out. It never ceases to astound me about how different the front vs. rear camera views are. You have given me an idea for a future"Surfski is Life" video as this truth applies equally to life itself. viz. have you looked at your situation from a different perspective ?