Stand-Up Paddleboarding for the First Time

When I returned to Hawaii to visit some of my relatives at the beginning of 2012, I was able to try a new sport for the first time: stand-up paddleboarding (also known as SUP, or stand-up paddle surfing).

This old traditional style of surf rowing was never previously considered a sport on its own.

Still, it has become popular in the last few years, and now there are even paddleboard championships held throughout the world.

Luckily one of my relatives in Hawaii had already been paddleboarding for a few years, so I had a board to get started.

It proved to be a lot more fun than I had imagined, and great exercise too.

What is Stand Up Paddleboarding?

Being the first to discover surfing on waves, Hawaiians are also credited with being the first to practice stand-up paddleboarding.

Initially, it was just a convenient and more effective way to get from the shore to the sea where the waves were breaking.

There are three necessary objects to stand up paddleboard: a long thick surfboard specifically designed for the sport, a long-handled paddle, and a body of water.

Someone stands upright on the board and rows through water using the paddle to keep the explanation as simple as possible.

Apart from technique and lots of practice, that's just about all there is to it.

Beginners paddle in calmer water, while experts can even take on giant waves in the middle of paddling.

After catching a wave while surfing the usual way, you must lay on the board and painfully paddle back out to find another wave.

With stand-up paddleboarding after catching a wave, you paddle back out while still standing.

It's possible to catch a lot more waves in a shorter amount of time.

Is It Hard?

Have you ever tried skateboarding?

At first, it's very hard. But unlike skateboarding or even normal wave surfing, stand-up paddleboarding gets easier much faster.

When I first jumped on the board, I couldn't keep my legs from remaining steady, so I'd shake and then lose my balance and topple off the board.

But after practicing for just thirty minutes or so, I was able to gingerly stand on the board and even get some very slow paddles in.

Then a micro 5-inch wave would roll in, and I'd be back in the water.

A few hours later, I could stand up comfortably and paddle harder and go faster, but still, the choppy water would sometimes throw me off.

After three days of paddleboarding all around, I felt pretty comfortable on the board, and I could paddle with all my strength to propel myself forward.

I even took a 3-kilometer paddleboard journey across the Hale'iwa coastline while paralleling the shore about 100 meters out.

The learning curve is much faster than learning to surf on waves or skateboard. Progress comes quickly.

When surfing waves, you get a thrilling burst of a ride, and then it's over until you slowly paddle with your hands back out and wait for another wave.

Paddling a kayak is fun, but it can get a bit boring hour after hour unless the scenery is stunning.

Stand-up paddleboarding is the ultimate sport that fits right in between.

Gracefully gliding through the ocean while still having the freedom to stand up, ride waves, and jump in the water at any moment, was what I loved so much about my experience paddleboarding.

I'm nowhere near ready to start paddling and riding large waves at the same time, but after a bit of practice, I felt pretty comfortable sailing through the calmer water.

If you ever get a chance to try stand-up paddleboarding, give it a shot!