What It Was Like To Try Stand Up Paddle Boarding.
7th September 2022 - New Experience Number 16.
If you’re ‘board’ and looking for something SUPer to do outdoors, why not have a go at Stand Up Paddle Boarding if you’ve not tried it before?
What Is Stand Up Paddle Boarding?
People have been propelling themselves along water whilst standing on floating materials for thousands of years.
The modern form of Stand Up Paddle Boarding, (often abbreviated to SUP), is apparently thanks to an ageing surfer in Hawaii who found it was getting harder to get up and down on his board when he was out catching waves.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding involves the ‘rider’ (I’m not actually sure what you call the person doing it!), standing on a floating board that is not too disimilar to a surfboard.
You may also see riders sitting or kneeling as they propel themselves along on their board.
Rather than relying on the motion of the water to move, the rider uses a long oar to paddle themselves along the water.
The Stand Up Paddle Boarding oar has just one paddle on one end. The rider moves by pushing the oar in the water on alternate sides of their board.
Due to the movement coming from the rider, Stand Up Paddle Boarding can happen on almost any type of water!
Oar-some Idea For A Present - Try Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Great minds definitely thought alike. My friend and I completely unknowingly had bought each other a session to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding for a birthday present. We found a date that worked for both of us and got booked in to give it a go!
Our session was due to start after the open water swimmers had finished their laps of the lake. There was no one else booked in during our time slot. This was ideal! It meant we wouldn’t have to worry about bumping into any other boarders, had more room for maneouvering and could concentrate on the paddling.
All A-Board - Brief Instructions
I’m not sure what I had expected in the form of instructions, but it was a lot less than I had imagined. Kitted out in life jackets, we received a brief explanation of what to do as we put the boards into the water and knelt on them. So far, so dry! Reassuringly the lifeguard reminded us he was just at the edge of the water if we needed him.
We started off on our knees as recommended. This was a good way to get a feel for how the board balanced and moved on the lake, and how much effort was needed to move. Without any padding, it didn’t take long for us to try standing up as it was quite painful on our knees.
Core Blimey - From Kneeling To Standing Up On The Board
I didn’t really relish the idea of moving from kneeling to standing on a floating board whilst out on the water -it seemed like a guaranteed way to fall in, but my friend had successfully transitioned so I needed to crack on.
All I had to do was put my feet exactly where my knees were. Oh, and not lose the paddle!
Getting the first foot in place was easy. Positioning the second foot and pushing myself up to standing took a bit more concentration. With very shaky knees and a lot of wobbling, I was up! Some tentative strokes of the paddle and I was off – although it took a while for my legs to stop shaking and trust that I was balanced. My yoga practices put me in good stead, and I was able to apply some of the little tips and techniques to help me settle in to my upright stance.
Relaxing On The Lake
It was surprisingly really relaxing; paddling one way and then another around the lake. My turning circle was a bit on the large side but I managed to reduce it the more I practiced. I was grateful for having the lake to ourselves and not having the added concern of colliding with anyone.
It turned out to be a great opportunity to have a really good catch up with my friend too. I’d never have thought it would be a chance for a good chat! It wasn’t overly strenuous – until we did the last lap as fast as we could – and regardless of how fast you’re going it’s still a really good activity for the body.
Feeling comfortable and more confident as time went on, we felt we needed to add some potential peril to the proceedings. We wanted to make sure our first transition between kneeling and standing wasn’t just a fluke so tried it again.
It wasn’t the smoothest motion, but we did it!
'Paddle' Do Nicely - Try Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Paddling back to land to dismount, I was still dry! It had been a lovely morning spending time with my friend and learning a new skill, all with the added benefit of getting some exercise.
As I stepped onto the shore I spotted some huge fish swimming beneath the surface. I’m glad I hadn’t seen them until that point, and I was especially glad I hadn’t fallen off to brush fins with them.
It’s definitely something I’ll do again. Some people practice yoga poses and head stands on their paddle board. Other people go fishing when they’re on their paddle board, and some people go litter picking when they’re out balancing on their board. For now, I’m really happy to have had a go and been able to do it without falling in, but who knows what I might get up to on a buoyant balancing board in the future?!
Want To Try It Yourself?
There are lots of places offering opportunities to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding.
I went to Allerthorpe Lakeland Park which is near Pocklington, about 14 miles outside of York.
If you like gentle exercise on the water, how about canoeing over the world’s tallest aqueduct in Wales?
- Check out Jo Moseley, she is an incredible lady who I’ve been following for a while. She’s written a book about Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Great Britain.and some of the amazing places to go out on the water.
Cost Of Experience
- At Allerthorpe Lakeland Park it cost £14 for a one hour paddle board session in 2022. This includes the board and paddle, and the life jacket.
- Entry to the park costs extra.
Recommendations
- Even though it was fairly warm for September, I’m glad I wore my wetsuit. If you don’t have a wetsuit, you may be able to hire one wherever you go paddle boarding.
- If you visit Allerthorpe they’ve got a coffee shop, so you can make a morning of your trip!
- Be patient and find your balance.
- Don’t forget to breathe! It’s tempting to hold your breath so you don’t rock the board, but when you eventually realise you’ve run out of air and need to take a big inhale you’ll wobble more than if you’d just been breathing regularly.
- Take a towel and a change of clothes – just in case!
- Don’t forget to take your camera!