Assignment 20 - Elizabeth Moore - How to SUP!

11. I guess SUP is kind of an obscure sport, so I will explain. SUP stands for Stand-Up Paddleboard. It’s like a surfboard that you can use on any body of water. SUPs are stabilized by 1-3 fins, allowing anyone with moderate balance skills (so not my father, who has fallen off of my SUP several times) to stand up while paddling and in time, do tricks and even yoga on the water (I’ve tried this and it’s VERY fun. I can actually do a headstand on my paddleboard). SUPing isn’t for everyone, so if you’re interested, I would definitely recommend taking a class. My mom got us tickets several years ago to take a group SUP trip on Boone creek with an instructor. The instructors provided paddleboards, paddles, and taught us to navigate the boards with ease. For more advanced paddleboarders there are even SUP classes that explore rivers in caves.

22. If you’ve decided that you want to start paddle boarding, you will need to purchase a paddleboard. My parents and I researched for weeks to determine the best make and model for me (there are hundreds) and ultimately settled on an inexpensive, but good-quality inflatable paddleboard. Hard plastic paddleboards are EXTREMELY heavy and are difficult to transport as they are much larger than the interior of a vehicle. Inflatable paddle boards, on the other hand, are lightweight, feel rock solid when inflated to between 13 and 15 psi, take only 15 minutes to inflate manually, and deflate to fit into a backpack for easy transportation.

33. Put your paddleboard in the water fin-side down, and mount the board in the middle, facing the front of the board, under which there are no fins. I recommend mounting on your knees if you’re new to SUPing.

44. Pack water, Chacos or some other water-capable sandal, and an extra double-bladed paddle in case you get too exhausted to use the board as it is intended. You can always sit down and use it as you would a kayak. I stash all of these things in bungees that are attached to the front of my board.

55. The paddle technique is a bit counterintuitive. We feel the urge to use the paddle - which is slightly bent but not curved – as a scoop, but for maximum speed, you should actually flip the paddle around so that the flat back hits the water. The paddle is single-bladed, so you will place one of your hands on the grip at the very top and the other as far down the paddle as is comfortable. To make a stroke, squat down slightly, stick the paddle in the water at the front of your board, and pull the paddle towards you and parallel to the side of the paddleboard. Keep pulling the paddle until the bent section is perpendicular to the water, then slide the paddle to the right and up out of the water so that there is minimal water resistance. Since you have only a single paddle, if you’re not careful, a stroke will turn you off your course and you will have to switch hands to course-correct. As you practice, your technique will improve and you will be able to paddle longer without switching hands.

66. Take your skills, and do your thing! If you travel to a national park (and you took my advice and got an inflatable paddle board) there are streams, lakes, and definitely somewhere scenic to take your board, a picnic, and have a good ol’ time. On a recent family trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, I spent several hours paddling around Echo Lake. And because paddleboards have such a large surface area, there was room for my little cousins to pile on with me. That’s definitely one of my favorite memories. There are also plenty of local lakes, streams, creeks, coves, tributaries, even the Kentucky river, all of which are beautiful and PERFECT for your next paddleboarding adventure. My personal favorite is the Dix River, which feeds into the Kentucky. I’ve heard of people paddleboarding to Cumberland Falls to see the moonbow, and that’s DEFINITELY on my bucket list. You can also take a paddleboard on rapids. I’ve done a short section of rapids on my paddleboard on my knees, but I want to learn to ride the rapids while standing.