Top Speed vs. Average Speed: What Every Serious Paddle Boarder Needs to Know

We see it all the time from athletes and manufacturers. Performance paddle boarders are obsessed with top speed.

• “How fast can this board go”?
• “Will this paddle increase my top speed”?
• “What technique changes can I make to go FASTER”?

These are all great questions, but few paddlers think about TOTAL AVERAGE SPEED. Monitoring average speed over the course of an entire paddle can lead to better results depending on your goals, your current fitness level, and what you’re training for. Let’s break it down clearly and practically, because understanding this can make or break your performance in training, racing, and even long-distance touring.

TOP SPEED: WHAT IT TELLS YOU

Top speed is that max effort burst. The fastest moment your board and body can produce, typically over a short distance. Think of it like a sprint or a power lift. It tells you what your output ceiling looks like. That ceiling matters, especially for:

• Race Starts – Getting off the line cleanly in a race.
• Passing moves – Making a strong move mid-race when positioning matters.
• Breakaways – When you want to gap the pack or reel someone in fast.

But here’s the problem: top speed is often misunderstood. It’s flashy, and paddlers love chasing that number on their GPS and speedometers, but you can’t live there. It’s a short-term gear, not a long-haul strategy. The energy cost is huge, form often breaks down faster, and efficiency goes out the window.

WHEN TO FOCUS ON TOP SPEED:

• During short interval sessions
• As part of your anaerobic training
• When practicing starts or sprints
• To expose flaws in technique at high intensity

AVERAGE SPEED: THE REAL MEASURE OF PERFORMANCE

Average speed is where real paddling happens. It’s a measure of your output over time and your ability to stay efficient, consistent, and smart over longer distances. This is what wins races and goes the distance. It’s also what makes a recreational effort feel smooth and satisfying instead of sluggish and exhausting.

Average Speed Tells You:

• How well your technique holds up over time
• How efficient your stroke really is
• How well you manage energy, hydration, and conditions
• Whether your training is actually paying off

Top speed may spark the fire, but average speed keeps it burning.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SPEED IN SUP

Let’s get a bit nerdy because understanding the science can help you train smarter, not just harder.

1. Drag increases exponentially: The faster you go, the harder it gets to go even a little faster. Water resistance rises quickly with speed. That means pushing top speed requires massive power output for relatively small gains.
2. Aerobic vs. Anaerobic:
   • Top speed relies heavily on anaerobic energy systems; short bursts, high fatigue.
   • Average speed relies more on aerobic metabolism; sustainable and trainable.
3. Technique under fatigue: Average speed reveals how well your form holds when the body is tired. Top speed hides bad habits behind brute strength.

HOW TO TRAIN BOTH INTENTIONALLY

A well-rounded stand up paddler needs both. But the training needs to match the goal. Here’s how to target each:

Top Speed Work:

• Short, all-out effort sprint (10–30 seconds)
• Full rest between reps
• Focus on max paddle cadence, a clean catch, and full power
• Use video analysis to check for form breakdown at high output

Average Speed Work:

• Long intervals or continuous paddling (20–90 minutes)
• Controlled intensity (Heartrate Zones 2–3)
• Focus on cadence control, glide, and breath rhythm
• Track progress with GPS data and RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort)

IN RACES & LONGER DISTANCE PADDLES: PACING > BURSTING

Winning or going the distance isn’t about who sprints fastest for 10 seconds, it’s about who can hold their form and rhythm across the whole course.

Strategic Paddlers Will:

• Use short bursts to position
• Recover quickly to return to a steady average pace
• Know exactly what tempo they can hold without blowing up

Chasing your top speed for too long? That’s a recipe for burnout.

FOR RECREATIONAL PADDLERS AND TOURING

Let’s get real for a second: most paddlers aren’t racing. But even for recreational paddlers, average speed matters. If you’re always trying to “go fast” for short stretches, you’re missing the point. You’ll burn out, your technique will suffer, and you’ll never build the rhythm that makes paddling feel effortless.

Instead, work on glide (distance per stroke). Work on cadence (strokes per minute). Learn to hold a pace that feels good and smooth and allows you to paddle longer, safer, and with less strain.

COACHING TAKEAWAY: KNOW YOUR INTENTION

Don’t train aimlessly. Know when you’re working on peak power, and when you’re dialing in efficiency. Both matter, but they require different approaches, a different mindset, and different feedback. If your average speed isn’t improving over time, that’s a signal. If your top speed isn’t budging, maybe your technique under load needs work.

This is where video coaching, stroke analysis, and individualized training come in. Numbers are only helpful if you know what they mean and how to change them.

FINAL THOUGHT: SPEED WITHOUT CONTEXT IS JUST DATA

You can hit 10+ mph for a few seconds and still be a poor racer. You can paddle 4 mph all day long with perfect technique and win races through efficiency, not ego.

Train for your purpose. Don’t chase speed, BUILD IT WITH INTENTION.