Paddle technique.
I see a lot of paddlers on the creek these days - which is great.  Most are out enjoying the creek while getting fit at the same time.  Even if you are out just enjoying the sites using proper technique will increase your efficiency which will allow you to stay out longer and enjoy the creek! 

The following is from Dave Kalama's blog - A Waterman's Journal - http://www.davidkalama.com/.  Dave is one of several who are considered to be the father's of modern day SUP.  While he is a professional his thoughts and guidance apply equally racers and recreational paddlers alike (particularly old guys like me!).  He writes...

"
If you ever spend any time with me or almost any other paddle coach for that matter, you’re going to hear that phrase or something very similar.
The key to any stroke, Tahitian or Hawaiian, stand up or canoe, is to reach. There are a lot of other components to a stroke but I firmly believe that reach is the most important and the hardest to master. First let’s talk about the three reasons why it’s so important.
The first reason is the very simple one that no one seems to think about–we take a lot of strokes going almost anywhere. If you shorten your stroke you have to take a lot more of them. A few lost inches of reach doesn’t seem like much at first, but most people stroke about a thousand times per mile. So a thousand or ten thousand strokes later, it starts to really add up.
Second, muscles are elastic, especially once they are warmed up and working well. The muscles you use to extend your reach are not the ones you’re going to use to put power into the paddle, so it’s a good division of labor. When you reach hard and plant the paddle your muscles spring back some, and you get a little free ride right at the most critical and demanding part of the stroke...."

More here - http://www.davidkalama.com/2010/11/reach-dammit-reach/

See you on the creek!