Surfers will paddle faster if they spread their fingers optimally.
Paddling faster gives you a competitive advantage. You'll catch more and better waves. There are several paddling tips and techniques to get your surfboard moving more efficiently.
Interestingly, the ultimate paddling/swimming secret lies not in our hands but in our fingers.
Scientists from the University of Toulouse (France), Duke University (USA), and the University of Pretoria (South Africa) have discovered what seems to contradict common sense.
"A larger paddle means a larger force exerted on the surrounding water body, not a higher efficiency," explains the paper published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.
"The explanation is that the greater force lifts the body higher above the water line, and this leads to greater swimming speed, which is in line with the rest of the constructal law design for animal swimming."
Fingers 20-to-40 Percent Open
In the paper "The constructal law physics of why swimmers must spread their fingers and toes," published in 2012, the optimal spacing of fingers when paddling is explained by the data collected after researchers used computer simulations of water flowing frontally.
They found optimal finger spacing in the 20-40 percent range. In other words, the total force is 53 percent greater when the fingers are well-spaced.
"The optimal spacing is twice the boundary layer thickness of one finger. The speed advantage comes from the greater force, which lifts more mass above water," the study concludes.
"It is a counterintuitive idea, the fact that you should paddle with a fork, not with an oar. It's like having an invisible web," adds Adrian Bejan, one of the study's contributors and professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University.
Slightly opened fingers move you and your board through the water faster and more efficiently, so the next time you're paddling through a mushy, difficult wave, spread them out a bit.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
