Stand up paddling is exhilarating on still water and on waves. This newly popular alternative to surfing offers a peaceful way to connect with nature.
By Sarah Gold
Rhythmically dipping a paddle into the swirling green of Kauai’s Hanalei River, I tuned in to the stillness surrounding me. A breeze whispered through low-lying mangroves, as small brown fish darted through their gnarled, underwater roots. The only sounds, apart from the gentle swishing of my board along the surface, were birds flying overhead and the occasional plop of a frog sliding into the water.
My first, peaceful attempt at stand up paddling (SUP) felt primal, elemental. Gliding silently through the jungle, I scanned the water to avoid rocks and logs and hopefully spot wildlife. Would I see the green sea turtles rumored to swim there? The route I was plying was the same one paddled by ancient Polynesians, who first brought SUP to Hawaii.
However, there’s nothing primitive about modern-day stand up paddling. Beneath my feet was an 11-foot foam-core board—wider than a traditional surfboard, coated with ding-resistant epoxy, and topped with traction-adding rubber grips—that had been engineered to provide buoyancy and track smoothly through the water. My super-light paddle had equally sophisticated structure: lightweight carbon fiber with a canted, slender blade. Thanks to SUP’s surging popularity in the past few years, comfortable, easy-to-balance, and high-tech equipment is now de rigueur. And the relative ease of mastering paddling technique makes the sport appealing for beginners like me.
Traditional surfing celebrities, namely Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, Brian Keaulana, and Rick Thomas, spurred
SUP’s recent rebirth. In training during low-wave season, they discovered that SUP engages the legs, core, back, and shoulders, and it’s wicked fun. With practice and improved technique, you can adapt the sport to any kind of water—from placid lakes to whitewater rapids to big ocean waves.
Today, tour outfitters and instructional camps offer SUP training all over the world. Resorts and surf shops rent gear, and SUP competitions take place in locales as varied as Australia, the Grand Canyon, and for the first time this summer, at the 2010 Teva Mountain Games. Someday I might try something as daring, but for now I’ll keep my money on the still-water beginner cruise. After all, there are lots of adrenaline sports out there—but few that amp you up by slowing you down.
Getting Started:
- Start out on your knees, near the middle of your board. Stay in this “safety position” until you feel comfortable trying to stand. Return to this position to regroup and stabilize if you feel wobbly or spot obstacles ahead (swells, logs, rocks).
- Get momentum going, and brace yourself with the paddle when you’re ready to try standing. Like a bicycle, a moving board is easier to balance on than a still one.
- Press up onto all fours and stand up in one fluid motion. Don’t forget to bring your paddle.
- Dig in with your paddle as soon as you’re upright.
- Make small foot adjustments, but stay more or less in the middle of the board, balancing to keep the board’s nose slightly higher than its tail.
- Bend your knees slightly to absorb surface turbulence. If you need to look behind you (say, for a paddling partner), do it by turning just your head rather than your torso.<
Consider an introductory lesson before hitting the surf—the basics of mounting your board and steering can be tricky. Veteran water-sport instructor Mike Rodger teaches SUP at Kauai Island Experience (www.kauaiexperience.com), where he shares these tips and techniques with first-time paddlers.
