Don't Look Down While Stand Up Paddleboarding

In skiing, looking ahead is key to giving your body time to anticipate and align the skis for the upcoming turn. In performance paddle boarding, one of the most important skills is looking up and ahead during the reach and catch.

Unfortunately, some paddlers keep their head over-flexed (chin to sternum) and continue looking down during the power phase, almost leveraging it against the paddle shaft. The list below illustrates several downsides to looking down and their effect on the overall picture.

1.) Causes cervical and thoracic over-flexion.

EFFECT - Not good for longevity and vertebrae disc health.

2.) Challenges the breathing capacity through pinching the esophagus region and compressing the ribs and diaphragm.

EFFECT - Heart rate and breathing cycling will needlessly increase causing you to get winded faster.

3.) Challenges and disrupts balance with the semicircular canals of the ears.

EFFECT - You will work harder to maintain balance on your board.

4.) You can’t see obstacles and objectives ahead in the water.

EFFECT - Anticipation in sports performance and function is crucial for fluidity, skills acquisition, and most importantly, safety.