Hard? Not really. Not when you learn the secret.
Stand Up Paddle boards (or S-U-P’s) just require a little contemplation prior to stepping onto them. Thing is, you don’t really just walk onto the lil beaties, not unless you’re X (name withheld to void our admiration).
And so we contemplate. S-U-Ps are a spin-off; a product from under-used windsurfers back in the day when somebody noticed the older, wider, fatter broads (still talking boards) were being happily
deployed by the other half of the weekend windsurf party. By folks who just wanted to stand and and paddle around while the hotshots gybed, carved and rotated their athletic goodselves no end. And so as the story
goes, the pastime became a sport.
Stand Up Paddling is hard to truly describe. In a sense its relaxing but it isn’t. Its the ultimate watersport where ‘chill’ meets exhilaration meets exercise. Thing is some people have a hard time
getting erect. Let’s contemplate what that entails. Earlier I said you don’t just step onto the board? Well here are the six step to SUP standing success.
Allowing you’ve found a board that displaces more than you do: In other words a floatier than you one. Place it in the water pointing away from shore. Get behind it. Slither on to it and at the same time pull
yourself toward the middle. When your head is well foward of the centerpoint, draw your knees up under you. At this point you should be kneeling on all fours with feet – toes really, just wide of centerpoint.
You will recognise the centerpoint or balance point by the niche/notch/whatever provided by the manufacturer to aid in shoreside carry of the board. And you ought not to doubt that it is the
centerpoint. Given it absolutely proves that function each time you tote the damn thing down to the waters edge.
And there you are. Crouched like an athlete. Or a very scared human, afraid to fall down and what? Get hurt? And there we’ve encountered the very first big problem; your fear of falling into the water. This though is an unfounded concern. You’ve just slithered/crawled/pulled yourself up on to the board and you can do it again. Nix that fear.
For simplicity I’ve provided the rudiments of success for the sport we call ‘stand up paddling’ in the following drawing.
Other concerns will come to mind. Let’s deal with them in no particular order.
As you begin the process of boarding, place the paddle across the SUP. Where your hands can find them from the ‘crouch’. The paddle can be used to attain extra balance if held across (athwart) the hips.
A critical step to getting erect on your SUP is transitioning from the crouch to the bent-knee (skier) position. You’d want to keep in mind that skiers, skateboarders and others of your ilk (cheers, you are in
the Community) try to achieve and keep the lowest possible center of gravity. Translated, this simply means keeping the undercarriage low.
At that point, things occur however, that seem to make falling inevitable. Let’s just deal with them before they awake. Keep your eyes locked on something in front. Could be the horizon, could be the
grinning pal with the camera sitting comfortable on the rescue boat.
Think of an imaginary line connecting your ear, hipbone and ankle – maintain that line and you simply need to begin paddling.
Style, navigation and safety while Stand Up Paddling will be your next concern.