Paddle Boarding, Surfing’s Old New Wave

Oct. 5, 2010 - PRLog -- It’s the new trend, but it’s also antiquated. Surfing’s older brother if you will, much older. That is paddle boarding.

Stand up paddle boarding is an  ancient relative of surfing with roots in Polynesia, when the method was used as a quick way of getting from island to island. It’s a simple principle you just stand on the board an paddle along as if it were a one man gondola, then you catch on to the waves to reach your final destination.

With surf decreasing in practicality and becoming more of a recreational activity, paddle boarding as been scantly seen over the past centuries, except for the occasional instructor paddling out for a better view of their students.

But recently it has really caught off the world over, thanks to celebrities partaking in tropical locations. A series of photographs of Jennifer Aniston floating on a Hawaiian sea with a paddle in her hand.

Yet many may second guess how glamorous the activity is as they wriggle in to wet suits on a cold August day in Cornwall, with a 12 foot board under one arm and a paddle in the other. Imminently destined for that cold Cornish sea.

The board itself is closer to a kayak than surf board, much wider and longer in size, thankfully designed for floating more than gliding on a wave before possibly dropping in to the blue.

Though when you struggle at first it may be hard to believe that it is easier for novice surfers. The practice is entirely different and many experienced surfers struggle with the footing on the boards, whereas the newbie can adjust to the sports nuances much easier.

Then it is a matter of becoming comfortable with the idea of standing on the board, finding the spot where you are balancing ion the board properly, controlling the board, rather than struggling to stand up straight.

Taking up the sport is probably quite slow and involves much pottering around in bay areas, taking in what an instructor may have to say, whilst also bearing in mind surfers and making sure they are given enough room.

But then comes the moment, when you stand on two feet paddling away. The first part is the trickiest, paddling out to say, against the current and don’t be too shocked to have a few mishaps here. Yet once you get in the groove with a rhythm with the paddling, then it isn’t so tough.

But here comes the really fun part coming back in and catching a wave like a kite latching on to a zephyr, and cruising inward, back to the sand.

It’s amazing how quickly you can pick this one up, while you’re not going to leave a pro after an hour, you will almost certainly leave able to stand on your own two feet.

Now there are sites all over the UK where you can pick up this new hobby, but you can just as easily pick pneumonia. Instead you could follow the glitterati and hop a plane to Pacific and stay in one of the Hawaii rentals, paddling away on crystalline waters.

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