Baywatch on Swiss lakes – prone paddling is everywhere

If you’ve ever watched Baywatch, you’ll recognise the red-and-yellow boards that tanned, ripped lifeguards lie or kneel on while paddling through the surf.

Paddling on the board is also part of training and competitions in lifeguarding in Switzerland and other European countries. And now prone paddling has become a watersport in its own right.

This hasn’t escaped board manufacturers’ attention. In fact, Swiss brand Airboard has just launched an inflatable prone paddleboard.

Training new muscle groups

In prone paddling, you alternate between lying down and kneeling. This strengthens your shoulder, neck, back, thigh and abdominal muscles and, for longer distances, also increases your endurance.

As with any new sport, make sure to start slowly. You’ll probably feel your upper arms and neck after just a few hundred metres. Pay special attention to keeping your neck as relaxed as possible and work with your back muscles to find the best position.

Your body will adapt to the new movement patterns fairly quickly. Once you’re used to it, paddling lying down is, in my experience at least, quite comfortable.

More than that: for me, prone paddling is a healthy workout on the water that increases fitness and core strength. I really enjoy gliding over the water and feeling the water with my hands and arms. It’s faster than swimming and allows me to see more of my surroundings.

Why paddle lying down?

You might be wondering why anyone would paddle lying down in the first place. After all, many people do stand-up paddling and more and more people paddle sitting down.

If you’re looking for a workout, paddling lying down is a great way to train muscles that aren’t used in stand-up paddleboarding. This makes prone paddling a great additional workout. Moreover, as your head’s just above the water surface, you can discover your surroundings from a new perspective.

If you struggle to keep your balance on a SUP board, prone paddling could also be a good option for you.

In windy conditions, your body also offers much less resistance lying down than standing up, which means you move faster in the prone position. And if you want to take it easy, you can simply paddle a few hundred metres out into the lake and then relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Last but not least, if you like swimming but don’t want to get into the lake when it’s cold, prone paddling offers a similar outdoor experience without having to get into cold water.

For surfers living in Switzerland, prone paddling is also good preparation for the next surf trip. This workout increases your chances of paddling onto the wave quickly enough to be able to ride it. Thanks to your improved fitness and endurance from prone paddle training, you’ll enjoy longer surf sessions in your holidays and will be fit enough to return to the line-up again and again.

If you’re looking for a sports challenge

For the ambitious ones, there are prone paddling competitions. These range from the ISA World Championships to surf lifesaving events and waterman challenges and take place all over the world – from Tahiti to Swami’s in California to Berlin (page in German).

The prone paddling classic that attracts athletes from all over the world is the Catalina Classic Race in California, which has been held since 1955, and the Molokai-to-Oahu Race in Hawaii. Both involve paddling more than 50 kilometres across the open sea while lying down or kneeling on your board. The Molokai-to-Oahu race is now also open for stand-up paddle boarders. For many paddlers, those who complete these distances are just as iconic as the Baywatch heroes.