Another First..... the first time SUPing in the sea !! How did your first sea sup go?? We would love to hear how you got on , let us know on our facebook page.
Well what a summer, just blink and its finished and we are looking to dare I say it Christmas preparations?!? Kids going back to school, holidays over, weather is changing (depending on where you are) as usual a very short summer in the UK.
Im so lucky in that I live between the UK and Spain so when one becomes too hot or too wet and cold I dont have to tollerate for too long . More firsts this year, I managed to stand in the sea as well as on the lakes. I have to say the sea is a totally different ball game. I was quite secure on the lakes in the UK , rain wind ( not too much) and shine I felt I had mastered the balance, the confidence and the shakey knee syndrome and was able to blend in on a slightly higher than beginners level. In fact I was able to hold conversations with fellow Suppers whilst paddling !! Settled nicely in to my comfort zone.
I then went to the beach whilst in Spain and O.M.G it has waves, it has currents, it moves .......constantly LoL!
So the first attempt was ok ish, I stood and just stood , but its called paddle boarding so my next challenge was to get the paddle in the water , not just the tip touching the water, which from the shore line probably looked like I was paddling but infact the only movement was from the tidal direction moving me swiftly to the left making it appear to others that I was paddling ! so obviously I had to find a way to control the moves whilst maintaining the appearance that I know what Im doing.
Second attempt , (after a couple of days of very achy legs and feeling like I have taken a few steps backwards in my progress) The waves were bigger and there was more wind, but onwards and upwards and in I went. I am now finding that as long as I stand up fairly soon I am fine but if I stay kneeling for too long the age problems kick in and I cant stand up, I am going to have to find some leg and knee strengthening exercises, or find and age reversing tablet !!
Third attempt, very big waves so stayed kneeling . Although the weather was hot ( not in the UK ) the swell was big and a very strong current, I was quite pleased that I had gone out and paddled all be-it on my knees, when I looked around my daughter is doing head stands!! so maybe I was being a bit of a wimp that day??
I did feel in the following outings that I was making progress and building in confidence so then I went to Cornwall !! In Cornwall there are beautiful clear waters, or at least where I went there was. But through the clear waters …….rocks and seaweed!!! Once I had I had dealt with initial realisation of the rocks not going anywhere I had gone over my time limit of being able to stand and function so spent most of my time in the Cornish Atlantic waters on my knees. It was however a beautiful paddle all the same, and I will go back stronger!!
It goes without saying the sea, our rivers, canals, lakes, in fact any body of water we choose to paddle on all have to be respected and safety is paramount in any situation whether it be a day at the beach or spending time out on the paddle board. Never under estimate the powers of nature.
* Always make sure you have your life jacket and/or pfd
* Wherever possible take a mobile phone in a waterproof case, not only does this let you get some great pictures in but if there is an emergency and you are able you can call the coastguard or a friend to get help.
* Make sure some one onshore knows where you are and where you plan to go, giving them an estimated time for your return is also a good piece of advice .
* If you have a dry bag its always good to pack some bits and peices to help in an emergency.
In later posts we will cover the different aspects of safety, equipment and advice. We are also planning to get you involved with pictures, articles and experiences so please feel free to contact us and let us know what you would like to see/read
Take care until the post and dont forget to
STAND UP AND STAND OUT in THE S.U.P ZONE