Stand Up Paddle, er SUP

[Navman]

Any stand up paddlers out there? I've been wanting to add a board to my quiver since I work right on SF Bay. Actually, out new building that we're moving into soon is partially over SF Bay.

We just spent a week in Mammoth and I told my wife I wanted to rent a board one morning and try it out. Her first response was "fine, but the kids aren't getting on it" (she's a bit afraid of the water). I planned on going alone but they decided to come along.

We went to Horeshoe lake and it turns out my wife and the kids love it. For me it's not near as good as surfing but it's a great way to get on the water. Now my family is begging me to buy a board. I love it when it works out like that.

[kc0tma]

I've never done stand up paddling in the sense of a surf board and a long canoe paddle, but I kind of think that poling a canoe is pretty similar. I've never surfed so I don't know how stable a board is, but with proper foot placement in your canoe it is pretty good. Then we use a long ash pole with a brass fitting on the bottom to protect it from getting all eaten up on rocks and stuff.

[haven]

Here's a video by a stand up paddler who has an underwater companion.
Filmed by Chuck Patterson near San Onofre in Southern California.

http://vimeo.com/14054518

14054518

[rynosurf]

I love it, it is great exercise when the waves are small.

Colorado River near Yuma
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs323.ash1/28303_1311257828017_1427786166_30763261_8218946_n. jpg

Check out http://www.uliboards.com/ if you plan on doing lakes and rivers, my glassed board gets beat up when I travel with it. I have a 6' Uli and it is very durable. I know the inventor and it is a very good product. The boards are made like Zodiacs, they are rigid when inflated and very buoyant. My 6-0 paddles like a 9' long board. They are expensive but if you want a board that paddles well and rolls up into a duffel bag for travel this would be the way to go. You also don't have to worry about kids or friends trashing it when they try it out. If you want a glassed board check craigslist for deals. A lot of people buy big boards to learn on then decide they want something smaller for surfing and sell their tankers for cheap.

[slomatt]

I know the people who own Coverwater SUP in Santa Cruz, they are very helpful and seem to have a decent selection.

http://www.covewatersup.com/

- Matt

[Navman]

I know the people who own Coverwater SUP in Santa Cruz, they are very helpful and seem to have a decent selection.

http://www.covewatersup.com/

- Matt

Yeah, I was in Covewater a few weeks ago talking to ???? and he gave me some good advice.

I used to live in Jupiter, FL and that seems to be a SUP'n hotspot as well. There are so many good places down there to be on a board.

[grahamfitter]

I know nothing about SUP except that local pro kayaker Jimmy Blakeney has started http://nepaddlesurf.com/ on the Merrimack River here in Lowell, Mass. If you're local and this sounds like your thing, give him a call.

(Curiously, despite many attempts by both of us we've never managed to be in the same place at the same time to paddle together. I suspect he would make my best paddling look amateur!)

SUP does look like fun though -- I'd be tempted for ocean surfing but always wondered whether there is a board suitable for whitewater. :snorkel:

Cheers,
Graham

[Navman]

SUP does look like fun though -- I'd be tempted for ocean surfing but always wondered whether there is a board suitable for whitewater. :snorkel:

Cheers,
Graham

I was flipping through one of the SUP magazines recently and saw pics of guys running some whitewater.

[exploreFL]

I love SUPing! Mine pretty much only gets used for waist high glass or less! Oh yeah and flat water paddling! Great exercise! GET ONE!!!

[refried]

SUP does look like fun though -- I'd be tempted for ocean surfing but always wondered whether there is a board suitable for whitewater. :snorkel:

Cheers,
Graham

Jeff Snyder (AKA the Dark Strider) has been striding his IK for years

YouTube- Fowl Play 1

YouTube- Fowl Play 2

not really SUPing a little more hardcore

[rynosurf]

I'd be tempted for ocean surfing but always wondered whether there is a board suitable for whitewater. :snorkel:

Cheers,
GrahamHere is the link I posted again http://www.uliboards.com/index.php If you look through the site you can see photos of people using them in rivers. Uli boards are made out of the same thing heavy duty rafts are made of.

[HMR]

Sea Janitors.



:peepwall:

[Navman]

Sea Janitors.



:peepwall:



That's one of the nicest things I've heard them called in the lineup. It can get brutal on a good swell with 100 guys in the water with a SUP prowling the outside. The smart ones are beginning to thow the paddle way outside and catching a few lying down and then going back to standing up. I guess it's one way to show the tough crowd that you're not a complete kook.

:)

[grahamfitter]

Here is the link I posted again http://www.uliboards.com/index.php If you look through the site you can see photos of people using them in rivers. Uli boards are made out of the same thing heavy duty rafts are made of.

Not only is it a capable surfer and robust for whitewater but it also rolls up small enough to carry on a motorcycle. If that isn't a good thing I don't know what is!



Sea Janitors.

:peepwall:

If I didn't know better I would say that board surfers must be getting soft. The reality of course is they're saving the real abuse for kayak surfers. ;)

Cheers,
Graham

[Brian McVickers]

I love it, it is great exercise when the waves are small.

Colorado River near Yuma
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs323.ash1/28303_1311257828017_1427786166_30763261_8218946_n. jpg

Check out http://www.uliboards.com/ if you plan on doing lakes and rivers, my glassed board gets beat up when I travel with it. I have a 6' Uli and it is very durable. I know the inventor and it is a very good product. The boards are made like Zodiacs, they are rigid when inflated and very buoyant. My 6-0 paddles like a 9' long board. They are expensive but if you want a board that paddles well and rolls up into a duffel bag for travel this would be the way to go. You also don't have to worry about kids or friends trashing it when they try it out. If you want a glassed board check craigslist for deals. A lot of people buy big boards to learn on then decide they want something smaller for surfing and sell their tankers for cheap.

The inflatable SUP boards were a popular item at this year's summer Outdoor Retailer show.

[Pax2525]

Hey man,
I am a SUP Surfer. I actually surf where that video is filmed and have seen the shark multiple times. But all that is besides the point. What kind of stuff are you wanted to do? Are you looking more for surfing or touring on a board? Thats the first thing you have to recognize, next what type of board material you want. Let me know what you thinking and your size and I can point you in the right direction.

[weezerbot]

I thought I'd revive this thread! After months oogling the neighbors every time we went to California I finally got to try SUP over this past 4th of July. I totally fell in love with it...it was easy and I got a great workout without really knowing it.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Dbaj89sxFpk/TjIJdgGI-RI/AAAAAAAADuI/5n9E-XhPOUg/s912/IMG_5204.JPG

Now I'm in the market for one, but the reality is I live in Phoenix. We have lots of lakes here, but nothing right outside my door. Also, my other half isn't interested at all in water sports so I'd be either doing this solo or trying to tag along with others, so I'm not sure how much use it will actually get.

I'd really like one of the Ocean Kayak models which doubles as both a kayak and SUP, but at 10-12ft I worry about being able to carry it easily. I've also been looking into the inflatable SUP's, but none double as a kayak and most are VERY expensive. I'm really not willing to drop more than $500 on something I'm not sure I'll still be using in a year. Yes, I've been looking on craigslist. Not to mention the Inflatables don't seem to track in the water as well as the hybrid style. But I do like the portability.

I guess for now I'll bide my time and rent or figure out a way to carry one of the solid boards. Maybe by the time I'm ready for purchase the industry will have come up with some new innovations.

Any other new SUP'ers out there?