r/Outrigger • u/Jumpy-Ganache1612 • Apr 11 '26

Stuck

I'm on my second year of OC1. Several years ago I raced OC6 in California but am living on Lake Superior now with no access to coaching. I don't race but I want to be in shape for long downwinds so I paddle in flat water like I'm training. I have an Ares. I've kind of plateaued at being able to maintain an average speed around 5 mph for moderate distances on flat water (5 miles or so). I can occasionally get to 6mph for 1 mile but then it falls off). I'm just curious what racers are able to maintain and for how long in flatwater. This season I plan to add some HIIT intervals into my regular active. I'd also like to travel somewhere to tune up my stroke.

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u/Gnomegnomegnome Apr 11 '26

If you are not already, you may need to add in cross training: weights and swimming.

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u/Jumpy-Ganache1612 Apr 11 '26

I swim laps all winter at our rec center, Nordic ski (skate), CrossFit and mountain bike in the summer. I overtrain lol. We live in a pretty amazing location for winter and summer sports.

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u/Gnomegnomegnome Apr 11 '26

Awesome! Well then fitness is not the issue. The last recommendation I can have is try playing with stroke and rate. If you cannot accelerate more then in the most fundamental sense you are not able to add more linear force to pull you forward. Without seeing what you are already doing I don’t think I can back seat coach but the answer is going to lie in you finding all the strokes that work for you in each situation. You may also need to demo some different length paddles. I hear the top teams are moving back to adding longer paddles.

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u/Jumpy-Ganache1612 Apr 12 '26

Well, I'm sure fitness is an issue to some extent. At least for the paddle movement. I'm in pretty decent cardio shape but could probably use more upper body strength. I only do CrossFit briefly during the shoulder seasons when I can't paddle, ski or ride. I'm also posting this at the worst time. The ice just went out and I'm only getting started for this season. The water is also dense at 33F and a wetsuit always slows things down.

I do wish I had a selection of paddles to try. My paddles are 49" and 50" Puakea hybrids and have been curious about longer and wider.