Official Waterman Group A tribe for surfers,divers,kiteboarders,windsurfers,wakeboarders,& watersportsmen

Article from Paddle World

Stand Up Paddling
Fun & Fitness
By Dan GavereWhether you want to cruise the shoreline watching for whales and sea turtles, get outside for a full body workout, or mess around on the lake with the whole family, Stand Up paddling is the way to go. Easy, simple, and convenient, SUP is fun for everyone and is taking the world of watersports by storm. Join experienced kayaker and waterman Dan Gavere to find out what you need to know about this dynamic and exciting new sport…

Lakes, oceans, and rivers around the globe are seeing the rapid spread of a new phenomenon-Stand Up Paddling. Originated from surfing by the Waikiki Beach boys, SUP has taken center stage as the new rage in watersports. Thanks to people like Laird Hamilton, Brian Keaulana, Dave Parmenter, and others, the sport is now accessible to virtually anyone; as long as you have water you can paddle. Requiring just a paddle and a board, and offering fun on flat water, waves, and rivers, it is simple and convenient for a broad population of enthusiasts. Some think SUP will eventually be more popular than surfing, due to its wide usage and its appeal on both ocean and inland waters. Dedicated users quickly notice the physical fitness benefits and like I always say “it’s the only sport that comes with a six pack at no extra charge.” Whether you’re interested in paddling for exercise, catching waves, riding the meandering river near your house, or just getting the family out on the lake, stand up paddling is now the most versatile recreational paddlesport in the World. So don’t just sit there! Get up, Stand Up, and get yourself out there to see what all this buzz is about.

Stand up paddling is a very easy activity and everyone gets the hang of it quickly. Using a long canoe style paddle to provide the power and some steering, the board creates a platform to stand upright and move with ease. Paddling a stand up board forward is similar to paddling a canoe forward, except far easier and more comfortable! You’re standing facing forward in a skiing style stance and paddling on one side or the other to keep the board moving in a straight line. You can start out slow and easy, cruising short distances to get the hang of it. Once you’re ‘dialed in’, it becomes fun and easy to take longer trips, spending more time outside with friends enjoying the scenery.

Twenty years ago Hawaiian surf instructors created Stand Up paddling; using a paddle to propel a huge surfboard it was easier to get good photos of their surfing pupils and spot waves. Athletes like Laird Hamilton and Brian Keaulana then started using stand up paddling as cross training to increase their stamina, balance, and strength while sticking to their “waterman” ways. It was just a matter of time before images started appearing of Laird and others attempting to stand up paddle into bigger and bigger waves. As these images began to circulate in the surfing world, surfers started trying the sport at their local breaks. Breaking into the real mainstream, the sport began gracing the pages of People and US magazine, featuring high profile movie stars like Jennifer Anniston and Pierce Brosnan talking about how they use the sport to stay in shape while having fun in the sun.

Now the sport of stand up paddling has exploded onto our saltwater and freshwater coastlines as the ultimate recreational vehicle for surfing, cruising, fitness, and simplicity. Stand up surfboard companies are doing clinics and hitting the paddling community with new designs for rivers, lakes, racing, and fitness – boards that have nothing to do with surfing and everything to do with paddling. The sport has officially morphed from Stand Up Surfing to Stand Up Paddling. Where will it go in the future? Many believe it will become bigger than surfing. Some even say Stand Up will be the most popular water sport in the history of the world! Olympics’ 2020?Proper technique and the right equipment is important to getting the most out of paddling a stand up board so making sure to speak with a specialty retailer and instructor who knows stand up paddling is a good idea to get going. Many surf and paddling shops are beginning to see the benefits of sup in their areas and starting to carry equipment and offer lessons. Otherwise you can become what I call a “Laird of the internet” and find some online blogs, forums and videos to watch and learn from.

“It’s the only sport that comes with a six pack at no extra charge.”

Stand up is a whole body workout that is focused from the core out; so your abs, legs, and back get to feel the benefits, as do all the smaller balance muscles in your knees, ankles and even toes. Naturally your arms and shoulders are getting a great workout from the paddling side, but it’s the core muscles that seem to really show the earliest benefits, trimming inches from the waistline or even creating those coveted ‘six pack’ abs. It’s the new cool way to get in shape and look like a surfer. In addition to the more obvious coastal areas, Stand Up is also gaining a strong inland following in U.S. “hotbeds” for the sport like Durango, Colorado, Chicago, and even Las Vegas NV. These are areas with easy access to water where paddling can be a quick 1 or 2 hour “workout” or just a way to get out and unwind from a stressful day in the office. Fitness trainer, Nikki Gregg owner of NRG Lifestyle Fitness Training (www.nikkigregg.com) says ”I have been entrenched in the health and fitness industry my whole life and, even after years of training in the gym, I have personally never seen such an improvement with my own physique as I have with stand up paddling. Most of my training sessions are done outdoors and I am delighted to add stand up as a tool for my clients to have fun, add variety, and get a unique workout”.

Now the sport of stand up paddling has exploded onto our saltwater and freshwater coastlines as the ultimate recreational vehicle for surfing, cruising, fitness, and simplicity.

In California and Hawaii there is now a racing scene that attracts this new breed of watermen and women. There are freshly sprouting events like the Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez “Battle of the Paddle,” which attracted over 300 competitors its first year and awarded over $10,000 in cash to the top racer in a 4.5 mile stand up paddle race. Although the course included a grueling 200-meter beach run on each 1.5-mile paddling lap, some 80 pro men and women entered looking for that chunk of cabbage in a wide open field of paddlers from around the globe. The real surprise came when everyone realized there were an additional 260 amateur competitors on top of the pros, making this event the biggest Stand Up race in the sport’s short history. The Molokai Crossing is a prestigious event that started many years ago but more recently added a Stand Up division; undoubtedly the most grueling race on water it entails a 32-mile paddle between the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu. This race began as the ultimate prone paddleboard race drawing athletes like Jamie Mitchell, who has won this event the last 7 years in a row. Similar to many other prone paddleboard and outrigger races the Molokai has added a division for stand up paddling. Since SUP is an extension of paddling and growing so quickly, the Molokai Crossing is not the only race to have added a Stand Up division. In some recent races, the stand up divisions are attracting more participants than any of the other divisions.

In Hawaii the sport of stand up paddling is everywhere. You can’t drive past a beach now without seeing someone out paddling one. The funny part is that when there are no waves you still see them, cruising the reefs, turtle spotting, and doing “runs” when it’s windy. “Runs” are down-winder’s, or miniature paddling trips letting the power of mother nature push you naturally downwind from one protected cove to another. The higher winds push up waves that can be easily spotted and caught in the open water on the longer stand up boards. Stand Up boards like the SIC F-16, with a sleek designs and long length, were designed to catch these waves and ride them. Riding from one bump to another bump is an addicting technique that allows you to increase your speed dramatically and travel further distances.
Experienced paddlers will easily paddle downwind 12-20 miles in winds as high as 45 mph trying to surf every bump possible.

In Hawaii, and particularly Maui, the downwinder rage has bitten the north community like a bug. From house wives to professional windsurfers paddlers of all ages and abilities are doing “Maliko Runs”. Maliko runs are 6 mile downwinders starting off in a small stream ocean inlet known as Maliko Gulch. Heading out into the reliable daily trade winds which blow directly parallel to shore happy go lucky paddlers paddle in groups traveling down the North Shore past famous breaks and landmarks like Ho’ Okipa, Paia, and finally arriving on the beautiful beach in Kahului. The 6-8 mile downwind runs offers amazing views of turtles, whales, waves, and reefs making time slip by faster than you think is possible. Some of the locals and serious fitness buffs will do this daily for exercise with GPS units to track their progress and speed. Some of the faster paddlers with custom boards can maintain over 10 mph throughout the run making it in under an hr, but the goal isn’t to go out there and paddle as hard as possible. The ultimate goal is to read the open water, wind, swells, and feel the ocean’s power surfing the runners and only paddling at the right times and then resting while riding the swells.
With a well-organized race series, the UK seems to be leading the charge on competitive Stand Up paddling. BSUPA the British Stand Up Paddling Association is the first nationally organized association in the world to host races, create rankings, and crown national champions. Other parts of Europe are starting to light up on the sport as well: Germany, France, Italy, and Spain have seen some serious growth in the last 12 months. Windsurfing is very popular in Europe, and many of the windsurfing brands like Naish and Starboard are now coming out with complete SUP lineups with everything from recreational cruising boards to short high-performance SUP surf designs to full carbon racing boards. Naturally it’s only a matter of time before all the European “boardheads” get a Stand Up board to add to their quiver. Some boards even have a mast track insert so that any sail can easily be attached, making these boards great for light wind cruising and wave riding.

For recreation, fitness, fishing, racing, tripping, or simply just paddling with kids, Stand Up paddle boards are truly bicycles for the water. The sport is in its infancy and the future is wide open to become as mainstream as snowboarding or fishing. With the broad appeal, current growth, and limitless possibilities offered by Stand Up paddling, anything is possible. It’s a sport for everyone, so get out there and check it this newest rage to hit the water!

Online Resources: Providing information, forums, event calendars, manufacturers lists, product reviews, and more…
www.bsupa.org – British Stand Up Paddling Association
www.standupzone.com – The website of Standup Journal
www.supsurfmag.com – The website of Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine
www.standuppaddlesurf.net – An all-inclusive Stand Up website

Dan Gavere can be found following the path of his paddle from Oregon to California and now even to Hawaii. He has fully immersed himself into the sport of Stand Up paddling but also switches it up with kayaking, mtn biking, snowboarding, and the occasional MX or snomo ride.
From head to toe and the river to the ocean Dan is a waterman through and through.