Getting to the Core of SUPing

Almost exactly a year ago I read an article in Natural Health magazine about a new(ish) paddle sport sweeping the active world called stand-up paddleboarding, or SUP for short. Sort of like kayaking standing up, SUPing is hyped as a great core workout and a fun new way to get out and enjoy the water. I talked about wanting to try it ever since I read about it, but this past week I finally got in gear and got out on the water.


To get onto a paddleboard from a dock, you very carefully slide onto it on your knees. If you're in an ocean or lake with a beach you can start out laying on the board and then bring yourself up onto your knees from there. Once you're out and on your knees, you slowly bring yourself to standing, making sure that you're in the middle of the board.

When getting on or off from a dock, make sure that you're on your knees so that you can balance more easily and reduce the risk of falling.

When I first stood up and took a couple of strokes with the paddle I felt a bit shaky in my legs and was nervous that I might feel that way the entire time. However, once I got used to it I was much more steady and comfortable. There were a couple of times I thought I might lose my balance, but I was able to catch myself and didn't fall in once! (Extra motivation not to fall in was provided by the fact that I was on the Charles River.)

It's a nice way to spend an hour or two on the water - relaxing but more of a workout than some other paddle sports. My friend Chris and I passed a number of kayakers who were curious what we were doing - when we told them it was our first time out they were surprised and said we looked like naturals! I was really curious what (if anything) would hurt the next day. Having read about how great this is for your core, I hoped that maybe my abs would feel it, but most of the soreness centered in my shoulders and lower legs (from balancing). Next time I'll try to use my core a bit more and hopefully explore some other bodies of water!

A successful first-time SUP expedition!

Lots of kayak/canoe companies rent SUPs for a low hourly rate (Charles River Canoe & Kayak which is where we rented from has them at all of their locations for $15/hr). They also offer lessons. However, Chris and I decided to go the more budget route of youtube lessons and we were just fine. This guy, John Denny, is a great teacher:

So, what are you waiting for? Get out and try it yourself today - and happy SUPing!