The short answer is that it is unnecessary and horribly inefficient.
You can make a J stroke work and force your board to track straight but you will waste a heap of power and feel like a dork doing it.
The reality is some boards track straight and some don't.
If your basic stroke is solid and your board is still very squirrelly then you have two choices:
- work with it by starting your run for a wave in a side-on position and only digging in hard late with a paddle swap if necessary.
- get a bigger fin (a much better solution for flat water or surfing at trim).
If you watch a heap of videos and do a heap of paddling you will notice that nobody does anything tricky or special when paddling other than keep their arms straight during the power delivery. No "chicken-winging" allowed.
hi i may be wrong as i'm a beginner but i think i've been doing the j stroke to do my pivot turns and or power-arc turns ...? check this link half way on the page click -power turns
I reckon as Gorgo said, you can keep it simple in the surf and just do what works for you and whats feel comfortable I dont do no fancy stroking and catch heaps of waves
Did that j stroke (thing)on my first ever go on a SUP,IMO it helps with balance. The more you play around with basic moves it all counts to your overall skills! That's my take anyway!
messup,keep the great posts coming!I see your stoked!
Just put the paddle in as far forward as you can..pull/push the paddle back keeping it deep and as close to the board as you can.. That's about it IMO..
J-Stroke doesn't work on a surfboard because the sweep happens at the end of the stroke and therefor is pushing against the fin. And your stroke should only be powered until you reach your feet anyway. Pushing hard past your feet or (god forbid) trying to turn the board with a stroke way back will mostly just pull you off balance.
In flatwater, you can turn the nose by planting your paddle a little away from the nose at a slight angle and starting your stroke by pulling the paddle to the nose. Good way to ding up your board but it works. I still do it when the wind is at a rasty angle. I did a video about it long ago, probably on Ke Nalu somewhere http:www.kenalu.com
In the surf, the best thing to do is keep it all simple. It's easiest if you start off at 90 degrees to the wave, facing the waves with your open side (the side you normally face towards in a surf stance). Look for the shoulder peak and paddle towards it, then step back with your back foot, put a little weight on it, and sweep your paddle from the nose to about 90 degrees with short, hard sweeps to spin the board. When you're facing away from the wave paddle like hell. Try to make your last stroke--the one that set you into the wave--on the side away from the direction you want to take in your bottom turn. That will let you switch the paddle as you start to turn which helps with the body motion.
So if you were going to the backside (left for a regular foot) you make your last stroke on the right, swing your shoulders up, switch the paddle, shift your back foot to the left rail, lean back and slide you paddle along the face. Do that right and it feels like sex in the water.
hey ponobill sounds like you have a outrigger canoe background , the reason i say this is when you j stroke in a canoe usually the steerer or seat 1 do this . in a canoe when u j stroke that rather than u pull the blade towards you from the front you place the blade to your side (about 90 deg) and pull sideways to drag the ass end of the canoe around .great for stuffing up your back muscles because you lean out of the canoe so much to do it and ur right that type of j stroke would unbalance u quick ,
IMO( and i could be wrong big time) i believe it is a sort of j stroke almost a cheat j stoke for SUP ....seems like a small stoke with a flick to it ,done by twisting your wrist at the end of the stroke before you pull out the blade??? I'm not really sure this could be a total miscommunication
thanks for the kind words 62mac i am stoked i love sup I'm alive again!
check this guy i'm sure most of u have seen it already..
(newer)
. I thought I must be doing 
I dont do no fancy stroking and catch heaps of waves
