When you first pick up a paddle, it seems like you should scoop water with the broad face. But with a SUP paddle, you need to check which way the blade is angled first. Before you go in the water, let's set your hand spacing and the paddle's front and back, step by step.
01. Top hand on the handle, bottom hand on the shaft
Wrap one hand around the handle at the top of the paddle, and hold the long pole part, the shaft, with the other. Don't bunch both hands near the handle; keep space between them. It's easier once you remember that each hand has its own place.
When paddling on the right side of the board, your left hand holds the top handle and your right hand holds the shaft lower down. On the left side, it's the opposite. When you switch sides, switch the roles of your hands too.
02. Check your hand spacing above your head
In a wide, flat spot out of the water, hold the paddle horizontally above your head. Use the hand spacing you get with both elbows bent to about 90 degrees as your starting point. First make sure the paddle won't hit anyone or anything around you.
Remember where your hands are, then lower the paddle and hold it. Rather than tensing your shoulders or forcing your wrists to bend, feel whether you can move comfortably. Hand spacing and total paddle length are separate things to set.
03. The blade angles toward the front of the board
The wide part at the end of the shaft is the blade. Look at the paddle from the side and you'll see it isn't in a straight line with the shaft; it's slightly angled. Hold it so that angle points away from your body, toward the front of the board.
Don't judge front and back only by which side the logo is on; check the actual angle. Comparing with the picture makes it easier to avoid holding it backward, as if to scoop water toward you like a spoon.
04. Switch your grip each way before you go in
Holding the paddle, slowly switch your grip for the right side, then the left. Even as your hands change, keep the blade angled toward the front of the board. Once this feels familiar, you'll rush less when switching hands on the water.
Finally, check the paddle length and that the adjuster is locked. At first, it's good to link short moves together in calm water with an instructor's guidance.
Sources and scope
The illustration is Starboard's original diagram on holding the paddle; the explanation is Starboard Korea's commentary. The overhead 90-degree elbow check and the forward angle of the blade come from the original picture; switching hands between sides and the practice order were added as editorial commentary.
The illustration is Starboard's original artwork; the explanation is Starboard Korea's editorial guide, translated into English here. Sources checked: 2026-09-08.
