![\"SUP](\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/SUP-surfing-2.jpg?resize=600%2C304\")
<\/p>\nOne of the benefits of living in the California coastal town of Encinitas is the opportunity to have an ocean-centered lifestyle year-round.\u00a0During the winter we have good-sized waves, and in the summer the waves are small and the water temperature warms up.<\/p>\n
I have created an ever-changing quiver to match that lifestyle.\u00a0For surfing I like to use a 9′ 4″ x 30″ SUP surfboard because it offers stability for tall paddlers like me and good maneuverability while surfing the wave. I usually set up a three-fin setup, also known as the thruster, that lets me track better. With that larger center fin, it creates more drag, which you\u2019re going to counter by creating speed with your paddle. But when waves are small I like the four-fin quad setup.\u00a0The ride feels looser, more relaxed and responsive. Hard to get more laidback than Southern California, but little things like your fin setup can make a difference wherever you are.<\/p>\n
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For ocean paddling, after punching through the surf, I use a 14′ board.\u00a0The size of the board gives me a high volume and the length needed for effective displacement for a person my size, 6′ 4″ and 200 lbs. It doesn\u2019t feel like I\u2019m paddling a submarine\u2014it feels fast. For this displacement board I have several fins that I like to use,\u00a0depending on the type of paddling I\u2019ll be doing.<\/p>\n
![\"SUP](\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/150602-Jose-Portraits-072.jpg?resize=600%2C400\")
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When I\u2019m touring I like using a fin that will not get caught in the kelp beds of Southern California: this fin has an extended angle and rake. The distance the fin tip curves away from the base is the rake. The larger the rake is, the more maneuverable the board will be, and manuevering is the smartest way to avoid getting caught in a kelp bed!<\/p>\n
![\"SUP](\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/150602-Jose-Portraits-066.jpg?resize=600%2C400\")
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For downwind paddling, I use a downwind fin, which is long and stable, but narrow enough to allow me to catch the bumps.\u00a0For racing, I searched out a special fin and I\u2019m thrilled with it. I use a fin with a sharp leading edge and flexibility in the tip to be able to make turns.\u00a0If you\u2019re going to be doing serious racing, it\u2019s worth researching racing fins.\u00a0 By researching, I mean try to talk to some paddlers after a race about their fins, or ask the person who paddled fastest at your local spot if they use a different setup or have any tips for you. The SUP community is full of friendly watermen and waterwomen!<\/p>\n
Photography credit:\u00a0Kevin Mcllwaine<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the benefits of living in the California coastal town of Encinitas is the opportunity to have an ocean-centered lifestyle year-round.\u00a0During the winter we have good-sized waves, and in the summer the waves are small and the water temperature warms up. I have created an ever-changing quiver to match that lifestyle.\u00a0For surfing I like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[404,349],"internal-tag":[517,1681,495],"class_list":["post-5077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-paddle","tag-jose-gonzalez","tag-paddling","internal-tag-california","internal-tag-pre-redirect-paddling","internal-tag-united-states"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/paddle\/my-sup-quiver","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"My SUP Quiver","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/paddle\/my-sup-quiver","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/paddle\/my-sup-quiver"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/150602-Jose-Portraits-104.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/150602-Jose-Portraits-104.jpg?fit=1100%2C734"},"articleSection":"Paddle","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["jose gonzalez","paddling"],"dateCreated":"2015-07-23T15:28:03Z","datePublished":"2015-07-23T15:28:03Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T06:19:05Z"},"rendered":"