Some tips from a surfer/swimmer on getting prone paddling technique better. These will help to maintain an efficient paddle and prevent the waste of energy.

    Typically, when we get tired, we get lazy, and our technique deteriorates, making us more tired, and soon we cannot paddle any more. Focus on technique particularly during those long paddles back after a great wave.

    Lots of paddling can also damage your shoulders, but there are some easy exercises for treatment and prevention of shoulder tendonitis.

• Make sure you're positioned on the board correctly... your hand should enter just about at the nose (on a typical shortboard). This is important to prevent the nose of the board from tipping up too high, which forces you to plow through the water rather than skim along the surface. Being too far forward will tend to bury the nose and force you to arch your back excessively, which can lead to back problems. So find the balance.
   
• Hand entry should be flat and nearly at the limit of full extension. Don't slice your hand in sideways. Instead, arch the elbow on the arm recovery and bring it in with fingertips pointing forward and slicing under the water.
   
• The ideal paddle stroke is as close as you can get to a freestyle/crawl swimming stroke. Your hands should ascribe an 'S' motion, with the outside of the 'S' shape coming at the start of the stroke, accelerating under the board through to the finish. Longboards will be different, given the board thickness and width. The main thing is to concentrate your power as close to the midline of your body as you can.
   
• Finish all the way to your legs. A good way to ensure you are doing this is to try touching your thumbs at your thighs or the side of the board on every stroke, right before the recovery (arms out and over the water).
   
• Don't throw water behind you at the finish, that's just wasted effort. Concentrate on power through the stroke in the region from shoulder to waist.
   
• Keep your hands flat and fingers together, but don't overexert trying to hold them together.
   
• Keep your hands pointed as a natural extension to your forearm; try to minimize any bending at the wrist... this will improve your power.
   
• For long paddles, keep your head and neck down... conserve your energy and prevent injury from craning it.
   
• Keep your feet together, use them for balance in long paddles, and kick like a wild man when going after that wave.
   
• Practice, practice, practice. Try surfing point breaks with super long rides, paddle back way on the outside and try to keep up with the longboarders as they paddle back. If you can't get into the ocean, find a pool and work on your freestyle stroke. Using hand paddles and pull buoys provides an excellent approximation to the exertion of paddling your board.
   
• When paddling for a wave, you will naturally need to get a faster turnover than you will when paddling back from a wave. However, you should always keep strong hands and powerful technique. Don't let your hands slip, keep them strong against the water, and stroke hard. Don't flail.