Floating on the water standing up
Stand up paddle boarders stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water.
STAND up paddle boarding (SUP) is an off-shoot of surfing and is slowly becoming a craze on the South Coast.
Justin Maisch of Pumula gave a number of paddlers a chance to try out the sport at Umtentweni last Sunday. Judging from the screams of excitement and the number of times they paddled up and down in the water, the paddlers thoroughly enjoyed the new activity.
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Justin said that unlike traditional surfing where the rider sits until a wave comes, stand up paddle boarders stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. “The sport was documented in a 2013 report that identified it as the outdoor sporting activity with the most first-time participants in the United States that year,” he explained.
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“Stand up paddlers wear a variety of wet suits and other clothing, depending on water and air temperature since most of their time is spent standing on the board. SUP boards are larger boards and the desire to travel with them has led to the development of an inflatable system where the board and pump can be carried in a backpack,” he added.
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