[Brucester]

I've never tried it but I have a good idea that I'll really like it. The options of standing, taking a knee, kneeling, sitting or laying on the board are really appealing to me. Not to mention a core and upper body workout! I've had canoes most of my life, skied and snowboarded. Not the same I know but it's a good base of experiences. Have you paddled one, locally? Your experiences or advice? Wetsuit for off season, thickness, shop you bought it at?

[Schenk]

A bunch of my friends really like SUP-ing, mainly because of the view down into the water. You can see a lot more than from the low angle sitting in a boat/kayak/canoe. I can see the attraction. However, when it comes to practicality of SUPs I think they are useless. No real cargo capacity, not particularly fast, less stable, etc, etc. In my opinion they are as useful to a wilderness traveler as a NASCAR racing pickup is to a farmer. And then there is that silly "Stand up Paddle Board Yoga thing...don't even get me started; that is the perfect platform for narcissists.

[Malachai Constant]

First place I saw them was on the Ottawa River where folks would paddle out to the standing waves downstream of small islands. They could surf for an extended amount of time. Looked like fun but ultimately kind of boring. In the past couple years we have friends who have got them and tried them a bit on small local lakes in the summer. Saw one inflatable carried up to Snow Lake. As mentioned above no real cargo capacity even compared to a small cheap kayak or Pack raft. Dogs seem to enjoy them.

[Randito]

SUPs developed from surfers figuring out that they could catch more waves using a paddle than paddling with hands. Their hull speed at cruising speeds is considerably less than a canoe or kayak. However the view is better and more interesting and the standing position is more comfortable for some people. SUP Enthusiasts can do some amazing things https://www.adn.com/opinions/2017/06/29/standing-room-only-750-miles-on-a-paddleboard-to-alaska/

[texasbb]

I've never done it, but always considered them a workout tool, nothing more. Hadn't thought about the view to the depths.

[MtnGoat]

Rent one. It will give you the chance to check it out at minimal investment.

[Brucester]

I didn't even think about seeing cool stuff while paddling! P-51 Mustangs in Lake Washington??? Sunday on a fat bike ride from home to Golden Gardens I chatted with kiteboarders about wetsuits. Ask questions and you will receive your answers! One not only kite boarded, he paddle boarded and fat biked too! I picked up a wetsuit today at Urban Surf by Gasworks. Very helpful staff. Looking forward to foul weather boarding in the near future!

[Randito]

[Brushwork]

I tried it for the first time this summer. It was much easier than I thought it would be( to get up and stay standing). In fact a lot of fun. But if you want to move much, kayaking is much better. While it was a blast standing and seeing into the water, it wasn’t so easy to paddle while standing. I didn’t fall in, so it can’t be that hard for anyone else.

[treeswarper]

Ideally, I'd want a board that would convert to a sailboard. I'd want a mast that you could fling up and get a sail on and take off in the wind. Paddle, schmaddle, once the wind came up. That would require carrying some gear and then you might as well just have a slow sailboard, or a sit on top kayak. I used to carry a small paddle on my sailboard for those times when the wind stopped. At a dog friendly beach, I could leave my golden retriever behind but call her out for a tow if becalmed on the board.

[Brucester]

My first adventure on Lake Washington.... Ok, so, the purpose was to get out on the water, get some exercise and try something new.... It inflated quickly, was easy to carry to the lake, I paddled kneeling for about 2 1/2 hours, while I'd prefer a rigid board it worked as intended even with an old canoe paddle. I think with practice and fitness I could cover a good amount of miles with it. I have a general purpose board and it's not built for speed... Adventure, I'm all about it! I met a local shore diver in the very start of the voyage. He was quite a character. Supposedly lots more in that lake than milfoil. lol The 1.5 mil farmer John with a 1.5 jacket and hood worked fine. I also had on a long sleeve O'Brien shirt, 5 mil dive booties, neoprene hat and wool gloves. I brought my GoPro but didn't use it. I did use Nikon Coolpix AW100 camera.

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049 (2)

It was fun and when it was over, it went back in my gear closet...

[Brucester]

Bummer for this boater. A tough recovery for someone!

The Minnow?

A goodish day on Lake Washington last weekend. Got in some practice with strong winds. Saw lots of ducks, geese, a turtle and watched an otter sunning.... And this beached boat.

[xrp]

My wife has one. I’ve taken it out once in awhile. It’s an enjoyable time. Relaxing and quiet, yet a good workout. She has a wetsuit but hasn’t used the SUP with her wet suit.