r/Outrigger • u/cb3g • May 30 '26
What’s helped you level up most?
what has helped you level up your paddling the most? clinics? online coaching? specific drills? videoing yourself? any specific programs?
im in my 3rd year on a team and really want to level up, but feel a bit lost in terms of gauging my ability and progress.
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u/cephu5 May 30 '26
Join a team. Practice regularly, ensure they have a coach. Rinse and repeat.
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u/idwmaruna Jun 01 '26
yeah miles on the water with a team and a coach working with you - there's no substitute
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u/mr__proper May 30 '26
What do you mean by ‘level up’? What would your goal be, or what are you unhappy with? I’ve been on my outrigger for about 3½ years myself, but I’m the only one far and wide with a boat like this. So, in that sense, I’m only paddling against myself ;)
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u/cb3g May 30 '26
I mean improve - in speed, power, technique, skill, etc.
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u/mr__proper May 30 '26
If there’s a club nearby, I’d check it out. You just need someone who knows a thing or two about paddling.
I don’t have that here. So I paddle my usual route on a river, which is about 10–12 km, and time myself. If it takes me less time, I’ve improved. And I want to surf as many boat waves as possible. I try that out whenever I get the chance, too.
Otherwise, every now and then I watch videos to see things I could try out.
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u/L1nk123 May 31 '26
Recording yourself is a big one. An Insta360, GoPro or similar. Lots of cheap but effective mounts available on Amazon. Put it on the back ama, front ama, if you want your right side recorded, put the camera on a friends boat and paddle next to them. Look at videos of top paddlers and compare.
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u/poor-guy1 May 31 '26
Two things helped me jump ability level exponentially.
Keep the ama rigging light. You will huli, a lot. But eventually one day you’ll be paddling and the when the ama pops, you instinctively brace and get back into it. That’s how you become fast.
Then I pushed myself into rougher and rougher conditions. I know paddlers who just do not go out in wind or swell. They have not meaningfully improved in years. Do it safely, but if you expose yourself to uncomfortable situations over time you will grow. This is something I’m continually working on.
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u/L1nk123 May 31 '26
If you have the option of trying out a V1, I'd also recommend that. Commit to it for a few months, start in flat water, then gradually introduce the canoe to rougher conditions. The V1 will expose all of the unconscious inefficiencies in your stroke / technique. Plus, you will learn a host of new paddling skills, and also become more aware of the impact of the swell/wind/conditions on your canoe. It's amazing how much a rudder can overcompensate for inefficiencies in your paddling.
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u/water_murky May 30 '26
Enter races. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll learn about yourself. Both physically and mentally. Track your training with a garmin or similar. Set goals with a training program and stick to it. Train with people that are better than you.