Paddle Boarding - Had a go yet ?

[MoodySabre]

I've seen families out together with young kids sitting on the boards paddled by parents - in the calm waters of Holland.

My daughter has a beach hut and they have two. They went for a training session which they said was very helpful. They sold their inflatable kayak because it needed washing down with fresh water after use which meant they had to take it home every time. The inflatable boards don't. They and their kids like it so that's what matters.

 

[Elessar]

A friend of mine who’s a keen kayaker describes my paddleboard as “an aquatic penny-farthing”. Seems fair, they’re not a particularly practical means of transport, but in the right conditions it’s a pleasant activity. The way I see it, inefficient propulsion just means better exercise.

Sitting in a kayak means a wet arse ?. All being well, on a paddleboard nothing gets wet above my ankles. Of course, you have to be prepared for the possibility of a wet everything, but with practice that’s now a minority of outings for me.

And yes, with such a low-powered craft you have to be very conscious of wind and tide. Just like with sailing, that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned - in touch with nature rather than powering over it. Collapsing the paddle and kneeling to get upwind with less resistance is an important technique, but one I try to hold in reserve.

One thing to be aware of if considering buying a board is that a lot of the cheaper ones people might choose “just to try it out” are narrower and less buoyant, and especially for the larger person will make balance more difficult than it should be. After falling in seventeen times they then conclude “this is no fun” and give up. Get (or borrow or hire) a decent board in the first place and the experience will be more satisfying.

Pete

The cross one in force 4 that’s £400 is big and stable. Pump (a hard work one) and paddle included
Decathalon do 3 different sizes and are marked for body weight . Cheaper but pump and paddle extra.
Lots of other makes but I only own the 2 above so can’t comment.

 

[Elessar]

I’ve got two on the boat, great fun in the evening when the wind has dropped off and the water is flat.

It’s not difficult, started off kneeling down for about 2 minutes, then stood up and was off.

I only fall in when I’m practiced advanced turns, standing on the back of it and spinning it around in a circle with half the board sticking out the water at about 45 degrees.

Blowing them up isn’t as easy as they have you believe, it’s hard work. I went a few miles down river from my mooring in the Medway and stopped for a snack, suddenly I had a wave of paranoia it would go down and I’d be swimming home.

I’d get a solid one if you’re in the market!

Get an electric pump! Solid ones are a PITA to store on a boat or to transport in an Uber.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

We did consider SUP boards for Ammersee, but got a solid canadian canoe instead. The ability to carry a large cool box with a picnic and cold beer swung it, as well as the comfort and ease of use.

SUP boards are fine IMO if you like that kind of thing, but in crowded anchorages with crowded beaches you end up with so many that strangers are effectively "walking past your front door and staring into your cockpit" - much like on a camp site. I much preferred it when they were confined to dinghies or canoes ? ... the expanse of water round my boat is supposed to aid privacy.

Does this make me a grumpy old git

 

[Iliade]

We have a high volume pump for the first bit, then a smaller one to get them up to pressure. Keep the pumps well maintained or they are really hard work.

The only time I have got wet this year was when chap in a 15hp flubber forgot which way to twist the throttle and ran into me.

There is a lot of difference between beginner boards and those aimed at more advanced paddlers. Get a wide & thick but long one for ease of learning combined with good hull speed.

 

[xyachtdave]

Get an electric pump! Solid ones are a PITA to store on a boat or to transport in an Uber.

yes, makes life difficult getting to the kettle, cupboards etc!

 

[prv]

They fold into a rucksack quickly and easily making them very versatile.

I think that's a big part of why they're so popular. Quite a few of the people I paddle with live in flats without gardens, and most drive small cars which wouldn't take a roof rack. There's not many water craft you can tuck in a corner at the end of the sofa.

Blowing them up isn’t as easy as they have you believe, it’s hard work.

It's very easy when you have a good-quality electric pump ?. Saves time too, as you can get everything else ready while the pump is blowing your board up for you. Mine has its own battery so that I can use it away from the car - though this is less useful than I anticipated since in most situations I'd need to take the pump back to the car anyway to put it away. Instead I'm better off blowing the board up at the car and carrying it to the water inflated.

They sold their inflatable kayak because it needed washing down with fresh water after use which meant they had to take it home every time. The inflatable boards don't.

I'm not sure why one inflatable thing would need washing but not the other. Just a case of having different things written in the instructions, perhaps?

I do wash my board after use on general principles, but I doubt it really needs it. The tender on the boat is made of the same stuff and I don't ever wash that.

Lots of other makes but I only own the 2 above so can’t comment.

I splashed out on a 12'6" Fanatic Ray Air. It's the model I was given at a hire place the first time I tried paddleboarding, and since it worked for me there I decided to simply get the same one for myself - I could see a "buy cheap, buy twice" situation occurring otherwise. It's a "touring" type made to go efficiently in a straight line on smooth water.

Pete

 

[ryanroberts]

The self powered foiling boards look fun, though they are still at rental prices.

efoil – Foil Surfing UK

 

[Elessar]

The cross one in force 4 that’s £400 is big and stable. Pump (a hard work one) and paddle included
Decathalon do 3 different sizes and are marked for body weight . Cheaper but pump and paddle extra.
Lots of other makes but I only own the 2 above so can’t comment.

Just been into force 4 they have a new type for £300 with pump and paddle. Medium sized and looks excellent. They said they are flying out of the door. I’d have bought it without hesitation if they’d had it when I bought my smaller board.

 

[Elessar]

The self powered foiling boards look fun, though they are still at rental prices.

efoil – Foil Surfing UK

Will ship April 2019 for a £500 deposit.
hmmm.....

 

[MoodySabre]

I think that's a big part of why they're so popular. Quite a few of the people I paddle with live in flats without gardens, and most drive small cars which wouldn't take a roof rack. There's not many water craft you can tuck in a corner at the end of the sofa.



It's very easy when you have a good-quality electric pump ?. Saves time too, as you can get everything else ready while the pump is blowing your board up for you. Mine has its own battery so that I can use it away from the car - though this is less useful than I anticipated since in most situations I'd need to take the pump back to the car anyway to put it away. Instead I'm better off blowing the board up at the car and carrying it to the water inflated.



I'm not sure why one inflatable thing would need washing but not the other. Just a case of having different things written in the instructions, perhaps?

I do wash my board after use on general principles, but I doubt it really needs it. The tender on the boat is made of the same stuff and I don't ever wash that.



I splashed out on a 12'6" Fanatic Ray Air. It's the model I was given at a hire place the first time I tried paddleboarding, and since it worked for me there I decided to simply get the same one for myself - I could see a "buy cheap, buy twice" situation occurring otherwise. It's a "touring" type made to go efficiently in a straight line on smooth water.

Pete

They are made of different material. The kayak (Decathlon) is fabric covered but the boards are not.

 

[Yngmar]

The self powered foiling boards look fun, though they are still at rental prices.

efoil – Foil Surfing UK

Stealth swimmer decapitation machines you mean. Keep that well away from me or you might see me strapping the rescue knife to the boat hook ??

At least SUPers are no hazard.

 

[Corribee Boy]

The kids and I used to paddle board a lot, perhaps fifteen years ago. Purpose-built boards weren't a thing but a large windsurfer and a canoe paddle were quite workable solutions, giving us something to do on a a windless day.

Thing is, it gave me backache then from the inefficient paddling angle, and I've don't have the urge to try one now.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

...
g/f hit an underwater obstruction with the fin last week causing a spectacular forward dive, but before that she’d never fallen off either.
...

Photos... ?

 

[mjcoon]

Photos... ?

You'd need video to get the real flavour, but would that be worth the ructions, should such exist?

 

[stranded]

We asked the neighbours if we could try theirs while holed up in a Cala two years ago. Wasn't hard to figure out, but I wouldn't call it a very practical way of getting around on the water. It seems more of a fashion accessory.

You do have a lot of windage when standing up and we've seen some hilarious rescues when people SUPing around an anchorage were being blown off and couldn't figure out how to get back upwind to their boats. Top tip: Reduce your windage. Either kneel or just jump in and swim, dragging the board behind.

I'm with Baggywrinkle and would rather have a kayak for getting around. Faster, more comfortable and more practical. But I do appreciate a nice bikini SUPing past while I sit in the cockpit?

Taken from the foot of my bed for house sale listing - the supper appeared between framing and pressing the shutter - serendipitous but couldn’t use it of course - subject might have been identifiable by someone with better eyesight than me!

 

[FairweatherDave]

To me the key thing about inflatable SUPs is their portability and ease of storage.. Although I would not have bought one as we have solid two sit on kayaks I always secretly fancied at least having a go, and for father's day my daughter bought me a second hand one, a Mega for the larger paddler. I'm not in that category really (90kg). In any kind of lumpy conditions or wind I'd rather be in a kayak (better still a windsurfer) but on flat water the experience of SUP is very pleasant, and the extra height viewpoint is good too. It is a fashion thing right now but we have had a really good summer for it,although it does concern me they will all end up as plastic waste..... But the clincher is we took ours on holiday on the ferry when I could not have taken the kayaks. It was good fun and even got one of our sons active on the water, brilliant. Okay mine is a mega but they still take up space rolled up, think large quite heavy rucksack. I have cycled to the beach with mine but it is a significant weight (and would take up quite a bit of space in a small car boot). Would like a go on a standard size solid SUP for contrast but I don't think I'd buy, enough toys already.

 

[Greenheart]

I always thought they were a solution looking for a problem

Total mystery to me.

One day last August, SWMBO and I joined a sailing friend near the club and spent a damp hour taking turns on kayaks and a rigid board that he'd brought, which is meant for use with foils and sail. He hadn't brought the foils or sail with him.

The kayaks, I could live without. Cramped, damp and lots of work. The board was funny for a little while, and very exhausting to stay upright on, mainly because it was never meant to be used without some pressure on the sail to maintain stability.

Would I pay £400 for a huge board, deliberately made wider in order not to challenge one's stability, yet without a proper seat or any means of propulsion except a paddle?

I spent less than £400 on a Redcrest with oars, and a Tohatsu two-stroke. When I've made some floorboards, I can stand in the bow of the Redcrest and paddle it along with an oar, if I don't mind looking as silly as I would, standing on a paddleboard.

Meanwhile, I have seats, I can row all day for exercise, I can take passengers and a coolbox of lunch, drop anchor and doze off, then motor home when I've had enough...and I'd have to go out in a storm to risk falling in.

I'm not tempted.

 

[elton]

I believe there's a paddleboard here, from 1:20, and it looks good.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Top totty here doing it across the chanel.

Wholesome gal

Lizzie Carr has successfully paddled the English Channel! | Red Paddle Co | United Kingdom