5 New Paddleboarding Skills To Master In 2025

If you’ve committed to getting into paddleboarding or really advancing your hobby in 2025, you might be wondering what’s next. Planning trips to new SUP spots is always a great way to translate your enthusiasm into real-life paddleboarding experiences, but if it’s tangible progress and paddleboarding fitness you’re after then developing specific paddleboarding skills is a surefire way to make strides no matter your current skill level. 

The beauty of paddleboarding is that there are always new things to learn and new challenges to try. Commit to learning some of the following paddleboarding skills in 2025, and who knows where your hobby could go…

Brilliant Balance

Balance is undoubtedly the foundation of paddleboarding. From casual splashing around at the beach to seriously advanced specialist white water paddling, you need to be able to stay standing on your paddle board. Before tackling any other paddleboarding skills this year, it’s therefore critical that you work on your balance!

For beginners, developing this paddleboarding skill will start with kneeling on the board and getting a good feel for how it feels to be on the water. You can practice paddling in this way to start with, then slowly introduce smaller sections of paddling standing up to build your confidence. Keep your eyes towards the horizon, as this will not only keep you in the right paddling stance but also help you to maintain your balance and stability. 

For more advanced paddlers with the basic techniques already mastered, there is still plenty you can do to develop your balance further. Implement some simple mobility and strength exercises into your training to strengthen the core and lower body muscles required to maintain good balance. This off-the-water training will really pay dividends when you come to tackling your other paddleboarding goals for 2025, whether that be an upcoming race or a new specialism. 

Rapid Set-Up

While inflatable paddle boards undoubtedly make trying paddleboarding more accessible than ever before, the process of getting going and putting air into your board can feel endless and exhausting (particularly if you purchased from a certain middle aisle). Committing to mastering the art of rapid set-up this year will undoubtedly alleviate some of these pain points, and ensure that you can spend as much time actually paddling as possible.

The key to this paddleboarding skill does lie quite heavily in having the right kit as the type of pump you use can save valuable minutes and stop you from over-exerting before the real activity has started. Pick wisely and don’t be afraid to upgrade to something like our Titan 2 pump if your board was packaged with a sub-par pump. Thanks to its purpose-built dual chamber, this paddle board pump is designed to inflate your board considerably quicker than most starter pumps while reducing the effort it takes to get to the desired pressure. 

In addition to having the right kit, you can also develop your set up skills by paying greater attention to the way you leave your board after a SUP session. Once deflated, give your board a quick rinse and brush off any debris then fold it up gently and neatly. If you leave your board how you want to find it next time, you’ll simply be able to unroll and get pumping!

Core-Driven Forward Stroke

With the basics ticked off, the next paddleboarding skill you need to master in 2025 is your forward stroke. A strong stroke is the bread and butter of all of your SUP movements - and it’s your core you need to engage to get the power and speed you’re probably looking for. 

To practice this paddleboarding skill, think of it as an extension rather than a diversion of your normal technique. Stay standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, but pay attention to your hips and add a small rotation as you prepare to place the paddle in the water. Allow your hips and shoulders to turn away from the stroke then use your core to push power into your movement as the blade hits the water. Once you’re paddleboarding technique really includes the strength of your core, you’ll find it much easier to travel further and more quickly without feeling tired.

Reverse Sweep

Reverse strokes can be just as valuable as forward ones, particularly when it comes to quickly turning or pivoting whilst standing on your inflatable paddle board. The reverse sweep turn is therefore another great paddleboarding skill to try and master this year, as it allows you to turn around without having to move your feet and potentially knock your balance off kilter. 

To try this paddleboarding skill out, all you need to do is rotate your upper body slightly and bring your paddle backwards rather than forwards. Stick it into the water slightly behind you, then bring the blade into the water and push the water towards the nose of the board. The board will rotate - clockwise if your paddle is on the right-hand side, anti-clockwise if on the left - and you’ll be able to complete your desired turn with ease.

Nose 360 

If you’re looking to develop a paddleboarding skill that’s both a bit of fun but also shows how far you’ve come, try the Nose 360. This type of complete turn draws together your balance and stability with different board positioning.  

Start with your paddle on the leash side of the board and skim the blade around the nose of the board, shuffling your feet so that you are standing with your leash foot at the nose and face towards the tail. From here, put your weight into your back foot and take lots of strokes to spin 360 degrees. It might sound complicated, but we’re confident that you’ll be up to it. If it’s easier to visualise how this paddleboarding skill works, just check out our video explainer. 

If you need any more advice when it comes to developing your paddleboarding technique don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team for some advice. We’re always on hand to talk you through different tips and provide recommendations when it comes to the right kit to help you achieve your 2025 paddleboard goals