SUP is the abbreviated form of the water sport called standup paddle boarding, which is gaining popularity by the day. For a long time, it has been believed that the popularity of kayaking as a water sport steadily increased from the 1990s and beginning of 2000s. It will be equally good to say that paddling kayaks has come down to the most favorite from the fastest growing. Well, it seems this sport will soon have to get rid of either of these titles.
Standup paddle boarding may not yet be the most favorite water sport, but it is gaining popularity very fast.
Understanding Standup Paddle boarding
The origin of standup paddle boarding is the same as that of other board sports, and that is Hawaii. SUP, also known as “Hoe he’e nalu”, has very old roots. However, it has become popular now with many photographers and surf instructors.
SUP basically employs a type of surf board along with a lengthy paddle. In this regard, it’s a mix of surfing and canoeing. The credit for making it popular goes to Laird Hamilton, who made use of the paddle grabbing towing waves originating in Hawaii. But now, SUP isn’t just for surfing. SUP may be enjoyed in many other forms. like flat water lakes to facilitate beach paddling, to open water paddling and right up to surfing waves.
Getting Started with SUP
Though you can visit a store and procure the very first or the most economical board, it may not be the best option for getting initiated into this sport.
The design, and hence the value of SUP paddles and SUP boards, varies a lot. It’s not difficult to guess that better quality boards will be more expensive. At the same time, better boards are more appropriate for use by intermediate and experienced paddlers.
Here are some tips that beginners will find helpful. Having decided to get skilled at standup paddle board, you should call upon one of the SUP stores in your area and get one board on rent for the initial few lessons. It may be a good idea to rent boards made by different manufacturers to find which one suits you the most. It is not unusual for many stores to adjust the expense of rental in the final price of the new board that you would buy. So, do check on this. There is absolutely no harm in getting started with used equipment. You can locate many sellers of used equipment through the classified ads of local papers. Some shops also offer boards that were used for demos or used boards at considerably lower prices.