-Some more skills that transfer into surf freestyle from paddlesurf are,
Rails: This is essential for surf freestyle as it allows you to move your boat away from pointing directly upstream, allowing you to surf sideways without getting a beatdown. They are also used in moving around the wave which helps you both stay on the wave as well as cycling the wave.
Trim: This is used in surf freestyle by aiding your ability to catch and continue to surf a wave. For example it's much easier to catch a wave while trimming your boat forward in conjunction with trimming the boat backwards. The problem with this in surf freestyle if you are trimming too far forward you will likely plough your nose into the wave and perform a beautiful flying squirrel. leaving you more than likely kicked off the wave.
Carving: This is the act of moving from side of side on the wave. This is done using a mix of these different skills such as stern rudders and use of rails. This will come in very handy for cycling a wave and just surfing in general as often times the wave doesn't always do exactly what you want it to and you need to place yourself where you want to be rather than where it wants you to be.
Stern Rudders: These are greatly improved while out paddlesurfing as they are the primary stroke used while surfing a wave. This is true for surf freestyle as well as this stroke allows you to change the direction of the bow of the boat while in a front surf. This comes as a massive benefit while cycling and surfing a wave.
Bracing: While out on the surf you will likely find that your edges get caught very frequently along with many other things trying to capsize you. As a result of this your bracing is vastly improved. This comes in great use while freestyle surfing as is both aids you in staying on a wave and not beatering every 30 seconds.
Cycling: This is the act of riding up and down a wave, using the shoulder of the wave as your lift up and the whitewash as your ride down. This is performed using strokes such as the stern rudders, trim use, and rail use. Reading the wave also comes into play while cycling a wave as to ensure you don't drive out too far into the green of it or making sure you actually drive out into the shoulder enough.
Flexibility: All of these strokes and techniques help work towards a great deal of flexibility. Flexibility may be one of the biggest factors in surf freestyle for it is required for about every trick there is in the sport, whether it be in the form of a wind up while throwing a blunt or being on the back deck for an airscrew it is used everywhere.
-Paddlesurf delivers a great deal of confidence, in many different forms. When surfing a freestyle wave you will find yourself less scared as you will have experienced about everything you are feeling before in sea surf. You will also have a good understanding of what is going on and why it is happening. This will lead to a clear, uncluttered head allowing for nice surfs and well timed tricks. Rolling confidence is also greatly improved. Since you capsize so much while out paddlesurfing you will have developed a very solid roll. Knowing this you are much more likely to push yourself a little bit further as you are no longer afraid to capsize. A final way in of which paddlesurf can aid your confidence on the water is that while out paddlesurfing you are guaranteed to get beatdown a lot. This means when thing start to go astray during your freestyle ride and you start windowshading a thousand times instead of being scared and tempting to pull your skirt you are having a blast and are enjoying ever minute of it as you know the feeling and know that things will likely be okay. All of these confidence factors together lead to a very clear head and epic rides.
-The final point I will cover in this blog on how paddlesurf skills can transfer into surf freestyle is that paddlesurf gives you a great deal of experience out on waves. This means that there is very little that a river wave can throw at you that you won't have already experienced out at sea, whether that be in the form of beat downs, temporary blindness from massive whitewash or over edging and rocketing out of the wave you will have felt it all. This helps break that feeling of uncontrolledness that is perceived while starting in a new area of kayaking. Also due to all the practise out in paddlesurf you may find that you have some tricks that you can transfer into surf freestyle such as top turns, bottom turns, super controlled carving or maybe you will find a situation in of which you can perform a cut back. And who knows maybe if you are a god you will already have your airscrew or other freestyle tricks already aced in sea surf and can easily transfer them onto the river.
These are the skills that I find can be transferred from paddlesurf to surf freestyle.
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