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Stand Up Paddle Board

MissySki

Angel Diva
I finally jumped on the SUP bandwagon!

A friend recommended https://www.islesurfandsup.com/ , and I went with the Pioneer - the inflatable model they recommend for beginners. Then I went on the hunt for a PFD. To my amazement, this was the hard part - the local stores had been totally picked through. No dice unless you happened to be a women's XS or a men's XXL. I finally ordered a PFD through REI, and it actually fit! I also got a season pass to the local reservoir; that also means going through the "fast lane" on busy days.

I originally bought the board without an electric pump. After pumping it up manually, and then trying every possible way to get a more generic type of electric pump to inflate the dang thing (including a fancy DeWalt pump that uses the same rechargeable batteries as our power tools), I gave up and bought the pump from Isle as well. There's a discount if you buy it all at the same time ... or, apparently, if you contact customer service right after you get the board and tell them you want that discount ;-)

You guys. It was amazing. I went with a fellow newbie after our last meetings on Friday. This board is so stable and wide. I felt at home right away. Armed with one lesson several years ago and a couple of youtube tutorials I watched that morning, it was easy to stand up. I even felt comfortable sitting on it sideways, with my feet dangling in the water. (It's too wide for me to comfortably straddle it, though.) It was hot, so I had been kind of hoping I'd just fall in, but that never happened. A no-wake reservoir is certainly easy mode, but I was surprised at how comfortable I was moving around on the board.

Some people in this thread have talked about inflatables being piggish, slow, all that stuff. That may be true, but ... I don't actually want to go anywhere with my board. I want my own private floating dock out on the water where I can splash about, test my balance, and occasionally chat with my friend when we're in range. This board was perfect for that.

No pictures, because I'm not *that* confident on the SUP yet.

Question: For those of you with inflatables, have you ever traveled on a plane with them as checked baggage? My parents live on the outer banks, and arranging a rental seemed a bit tricky and time-consuming for a family visit, especially when I was the only one interested. If I find that I do this a lot, I may just buy a used solid board the next time I go - I could launch right from their back yard into brackish water.

Wanted to echo that I’m happy to see you around here again too! It’s been awhile.

Isle is supposed to be great, a friend of mine recommended the same board and it was a top contender for me even though I ended up going with the Gili. Sounds like you had a great time which is the biggest test of your new board. Wish I lived near you, I need someone to go out paddling with.. if it ever stops being dreary and rainy here that is lol.

Since I just got my inflatable, and haven’t gotten to take it out yet, I obviously haven’t traveled with it. I’ve seen a lot of people mention doing so in some paddle groups I’ve joined on Facebook though so I don’t think that would be a problem for you at all.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@bounceswoosh congrats! Have not yet flown, but would only consider doing so with an inflatable. We dream of going to a couple atolls we know in the south Pacific, with tents and some food.

I have a 12.6 inflatable race SUP that tends to move super fast co.pared to solid wider boards. Oh, and I am super upper body weak.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Does anyone here go out on a paddle board solo? Is that a big no no safety wise, or not a big deal? I’ve been seeing varying opinions in some groups I’m following and curious what the consensus here is.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@MissySki for me it totally depends. We have a couple of lakes where about a mile or two are super busy. I seldom go more than a hundred feet from shore, on low wind sunny days and always have my PFD if going solo. I feel safe doing so. There is a trail along shore back to the parking lot. I still carry my bear spray, as we have grizzlies in the area, and everything I would need to fix the board, first aid kit, etc.... Bigger adventures with no people around or big motorboat definitely not solo. People say not to hike solo, yet I walk my dog on my dirt road near a national forest solo. Bigger risk? Absolutely. Can it be done at the right time and place with very limited risk, I believe it can. Of course tell someone where you are going and by what time they should hear back from you. Not sure where you paddle so hard to give a good answer. Definitely have a tow rope and good shoes if winds pick up, and become proficient at paddling laying on your board with your arms for the same reason.
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Does anyone here go out on a paddle board solo? Is that a big no no safety wise, or not a big deal? I’ve been seeing varying opinions in some groups I’m following and curious what the consensus here is.

Most always solo, ocean no pfd.
Best full moon night paddle.
Do not go when windy (day) or too big of surf (night).

I guess it depends on your proficiency and comfort level. I also surf alone and surf at dusk to dark a lot during the shorter daylight winter months.
 
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bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thanks all for the welcome! I'm not much of a participant / consumer of social media and forums these days, but someone told me about this thread, and I needed an outlet to talk about my new toy!

Pita? Like the imagery, ha. It is a true mess for the entire county.

In case you still need a translation, though: Pain In The @$$

Isle is supposed to be great, a friend of mine recommended the same board and it was a top contender for me even though I ended up going with the Gili. Sounds like you had a great time which is the biggest test of your new board. Wish I lived near you, I need someone to go out paddling with.. if it ever stops being dreary and rainy here that is lol.

No cup holder on mine (That is a killer feature!), but the Isle seems to have a lot of thoughtful touches.

Yeah, finding partners whose schedules match yours is tricky! I know a few people with boards, but if I only go out with a friend, I probably won't go out very often. I really enjoy the chat/play/chat dynamic, so it may be hard to motivate to go out alone. The local reservoirs are full of people, and I plan to wear a PFD at all times, so I'm not as concerned as I might be. Not that people will notice me necessarily, and of course I've seen the warnings that people drowning don't always LOOK like they're in trouble.

Somewhere upthread, I think someone mentioned that if you think you need a PFD, you shouldn't be out there. That may be exaggerating the original comment. Anyway, I see multiple reasons to wear one. I think a few people mentioned the risk of hitting your head or otherwise becoming incapacitated. Then there's panic ... Riptides are a well-publicized risk where my parents live, but experienced swimmers die every year, even though the instructions are seemingly simple - just swim sideways until you're out of the stream. And that's in bouyant salt water. Me, I can swim (not great, but I can swim), but I know panic is real. Years ago, my mom and I were treading water and chatting near the boat in a protected side channel. All of a sudden we hear dad yelling, and we realize that we've been pulled out into the main channel, where sizeable boats would never notice us. We swam back, and even though the pull was gentle, the effort combined with the fear was a potent mix. No PFDs.

But my big reason for wanting a PFD is for getting back on the board. At my strength/weight, I want the assist. Granted, I haven't tried to climb back on after I started lifting weights a few years ago - but I don't want to waste unnecessary energy climbing back on board. I haven't tested my PFD's bouyancy yet. I'm suspicious when they're all rated at less than half my weight, and this one's a women's PFD. I hope I can work my way up to trying downward dog the next time I go out - and then maybe I'll know ;-)
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
@MissySki for me it totally depends. We have a couple of lakes where about a mile or two are super busy. I seldom go more than a hundred feet from shore, on low wind sunny days and always have my PFD if going solo. I feel safe doing so. There is a trail along shore back to the parking lot. I still carry my bear spray, as we have grizzlies in the area, and everything I would need to fix the board, first aid kit, etc.... Bigger adventures with no people around or big motorboat definitely not solo. People say not to hike solo, yet I walk my dog on my dirt road near a national forest solo. Bigger risk? Absolutely. Can it be done at the right time and place with very limited risk, I believe it can. Of course tell someone where you are going and by what time they should hear back from you. Not sure where you paddle so hard to give a good answer. Definitely have a tow rope and good shoes if winds pick up, and become proficient at paddling laying on your board with your arms for the same reason.

This makes sense, and was what I was thinking as well. If in a populated area without large boat traffic and wearing a pfd it seems reasonable to me, but some feel very strongly opposed that you should ever go alone so I wondered if I was missing something. I feel like if I always have to wait until I have someone to go with I won't be able to go very much.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I was able to find a suction cup holder, well really a water bottle holder. There is also a suction cup Go-Pro holder too.

In Canada you must wear a pfd on a SUP. Also a whistle and 50' of throwing rope. All of this fits nicely into a fanny pack. I also wear a whistle on my jacket.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Most always solo, ocean no pfd.
Best full moon night paddle.
Do not go when windy (day) or too big of surf (night).

I guess it depends on your proficiency and comfort level. I also surf alone and surf at dusk to dark a lot during the shorter daylight winter months.

Honestly you blow my mind when describing what you do in the ocean, in so many different ways. It's surely the difference between someone who isn't very comfortable there and someone who spends so much time there. I'll go in the ocean at the beach to cool off, but I don't like big waves etc. I can't imagine going into the ocean at night whether alone or not though, even dusk would freak me out given when sharks feed etc. (or at least what they say a lot on Shark Week lol.

It's fun hearing about such fearless adventures from a Diva!
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@MissySki for some SUP solo or backcountry solo becomes a matter of not having to rescue a weak partner. That has happened to me, so sometimes a solo well planned mission can actually be safer.

@bounceswoosh I missed the PFD comments earlier, and fully agree with your take. By law we have to have them on the board in the national park, though they need not be worn. A massive thunder, high wind event caught my husband off guard two weeks ago. He went in the water, and the winds and swells (it went from glass to storm in under five minutes) made it so his board kept flipping over when he was trying to get back on. He is an experienced cold water surfer, and not prone to panic. He kept trying to grab his pfd but the bear spray was catching. His friend finally got it off, threw it to him and he eventually got on the board and they faught the wind and swells for 30 minutes as they limped back to the island we were camping at soaking wet.

He definitely had his eyes opened, and has a few changes he will be making. There is no shame in having, and often wearing a PFD. It won't help for hypothermia which was his biggest concern, but he knew that he would loose fine motor skills fast in the glacial melt water and needed the flotation on him quickly, as one can recover from cold water immersion, but not from drowning.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
No cup holder on mine (That is a killer feature!), but the Isle seems to have a lot of thoughtful touches.

I'm probably way more excited than I should be about that lol. I love the idea of the easy access when paddling and when just floating though.

Yeah, finding partners whose schedules match yours is tricky! I know a few people with boards, but if I only go out with a friend, I probably won't go out very often. I really enjoy the chat/play/chat dynamic, so it may be hard to motivate to go out alone. The local reservoirs are full of people, and I plan to wear a PFD at all times, so I'm not as concerned as I might be. Not that people will notice me necessarily, and of course I've seen the warnings that people drowning don't always LOOK like they're in trouble.

Somewhere upthread, I think someone mentioned that if you think you need a PFD, you shouldn't be out there. That may be exaggerating the original comment. Anyway, I see multiple reasons to wear one. I think a few people mentioned the risk of hitting your head or otherwise becoming incapacitated. Then there's panic ... Riptides are a well-publicized risk where my parents live, but experienced swimmers die every year, even though the instructions are seemingly simple - just swim sideways until you're out of the stream. And that's in bouyant salt water. Me, I can swim (not great, but I can swim), but I know panic is real. Years ago, my mom and I were treading water and chatting near the boat in a protected side channel. All of a sudden we hear dad yelling, and we realize that we've been pulled out into the main channel, where sizeable boats would never notice us. We swam back, and even though the pull was gentle, the effort combined with the fear was a potent mix. No PFDs.

Exactly, it's hard to wait for others to be available when you have limited time to be out yourself. I do also enjoy the shared experiences and chit chat though so I do agree there. Haven't ever gone out alone yet so I'm not sure if it would feel very lonely or just peaceful.

In the past I have not always worn a pfd, but I guess now I'm thinking back on that and wondering why not?? I can definitely see myself taking it off to relax/float and for yoga with a group etc. When actively paddling around though it seems sensible to wear it. I can swim fine, but I wouldn't call myself a "strong" swimmer because my stamina has never been good with it for long distances. And I agree that this mixed with panic in an emergency are NOT where I want to be. So better safe than sorry for sure.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
@MissySki for some SUP solo or backcountry solo becomes a matter of not having to rescue a weak partner. That has happened to me, so sometimes a solo well planned mission can actually be safer.

@bounceswoosh I missed the PFD comments earlier, and fully agree with your take. By law we have to have them on the board in the national park, though they need not be worn. A massive thunder, high wind event caught my husband off guard two weeks ago. He went in the water, and the winds and swells (it went from glass to storm in under five minutes) made it so his board kept flipping over when he was trying to get back on. He is an experienced cold water surfer, and not prone to panic. He kept trying to grab his pfd but the bear spray was catching. His friend finally got it off, threw it to him and he eventually got on the board and they faught the wind and swells for 30 minutes as they limped back to the island we were camping at soaking wet.

He definitely had his eyes opened, and has a few changes he will be making. There is no shame in having, and often wearing a PFD. It won't help for hypothermia which was his biggest concern, but he knew that he would loose fine motor skills fast in the glacial melt water and needed the flotation on him quickly, as one can recover from cold water immersion, but not from drowning.

That's a scary story, glad he's okay! We've had so many drownings in our area this year and they've seemingly blamed it on water temperature each time.
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Question - if you are cold water 60 or below would you not be wearing some kind of rubber ? Even a spring suit or neopreen top? I know they have specific sup wear now that protects from wind and perhaps the unintended overboard dunk .....

Neopreen also adds extra float....
 
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MissySki

Angel Diva
Question - if you are cold water 60 or below would you not be wearing some kind of rubber ? Even a spring suit or neopreen top? I know they have specific sup wear now that protects from wind and perhaps the unintended overboard dunk .....

Neopreen also adds extra float....

I've actually never seen anyone around here wearing any type of wetsuit on a paddleboard.. Though to be fair I usually would go out when it's warmer in general and not in the ocean either so I guess it's less likely to see elsewhere.. I've never fallen in accidentally and being on top of the board without a nice breeze can be HOT regardless of the water temperature so usually I would wear a short sleeved rash guard or tank and shorts with a bathing suit underneath for if I want to take a dip. That's the usual I see on others as well, but the water was always pretty pleasant too so I guess I haven't been in any really cold situations. I do have a really thin neoprene jacket that's super comfy, but haven't ever wanted to keep it on for long because it was too hot air temperature wise once you get paddling.

This year we were really hot for the area early on and I think that air temperature pushed everyone into the water earlier than usual while the water had not warmed up (though unsure of what the actual temperatures were for those incidents). Mind you it's mostly ponds and lakes where the drownings have occurred, so not even the ocean. We have some very very deep lakes though and water temperature can vary throughout them obviously depending where you are in it. When I was certified in scuba our first open water dive was in a lake and wow could you feel the temperature variations throughout the lake and at different depths. And for that we were fully covered in a wet suit, booties, gloves, hood, everything.
 

WaterGirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@MissySki totally understand if its hot and water is warm - neoprene makes you hotter for sure and is not necessary. I just think in those situations where you may be exposed to extremely cold water or anticipate falling in a lot having some type of rubber would be good. I know we usually do a "spring dip" / swim at the end of ski season in a lake near one of the ski mountains and I usually wear a spring suit for that ......

Also in reference to @snoWYmonkey re: wind and laying prone and paddling - this is excellent advice, you become a human sail on your board in the wind. Practicing prone paddling will get your core/ upper body working out. However, I will caution that those with a shorter wingspan on boards 34++ inch wide and 4+ inches thick may be straining to touch the water, and you will not be in proper paddle form. FWIW most prone paddle boards and surfboards average 20 inches wide for average male, which allows use of shoulder elbow and arm without being restricted.
Work on your "superman" stretch to build same muscles.....
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I have 2 suits that I can wear in spring. Full farmer jane and jacket or a shorty. I've had both from when we sea-doo'd lots in cooler weather. I might still have my full 3-2 suit somewhere too.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I can't imagine going into the ocean at night whether alone or not though, even dusk would freak me out given when sharks feed etc. (or at least what they say a lot on Shark Week lol.

Shark attacks are wayyy over hyped. A few years ago when they said it was the year of the shark? Fewer attacks that year than usual.

In searching for evidence of my claim (I didn't actually research it myself), I found this, which is interesting. Look how small the numbers are! And it's not like shark attacks are going to go unreported.


Riptides also don't claim a lot of lives, but they do kill more people than sharks do. Also I just learned that what I've been calling a riptide is actually a rip current! https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ripcurrent.html


In the past I have not always worn a pfd, but I guess now I'm thinking back on that and wondering why not?? I can definitely see myself taking it off to relax/float and for yoga with a group etc. When actively paddling around though it seems sensible to wear it. I can swim fine, but I wouldn't call myself a "strong" swimmer because my stamina has never been good with it for long distances. And I agree that this mixed with panic in an emergency are NOT where I want to be. So better safe than sorry for sure.

I've been thinking "why not?" About a lot of clothing choices lately, probably because I've spent over a year avoiding people. I've found running shorts a lot more comfortable and quick drying than bathing suit bottoms - so why not wear them instead? So that's what I'm doing. But I think a lot of it is aesthetics and tan lines. I don't know if it's getting older, wiser, or just letting myself go - but I just don't care anymore if I have a weird looking tan, or I'm pale as a ghost. Or maybe I've decided that running shorts are more flattering to my figure than other swim options these days.

At least, that's me. I instinctively think about tan lines, but my years of wearing spaghetti strap tops are long behind me thanks to my ample assets.
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Does anyone here go out on a paddle board solo?
I also think it depends on where you paddle. Also depends on how comfortable you are doing things like solo hiking, swimming etc. Everyone has different risk tolerances for activities based on lots of factors--skill, personality, etc. I have no issue paddle boarding by myself on the Charles River, but I have friends who won't do anything by themselves--( this is mostly a function of personality--I tend to be a lone wolf type person where others always want company) While of course it can usually be safer in general to do things with a partner, I think you just need to try calculate the risk and determine what you're comfortable with.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Shark attacks are wayyy over hyped. A few years ago when they said it was the year of the shark? Fewer attacks that year than usual.

In searching for evidence of my claim (I didn't actually research it myself), I found this, which is interesting. Look how small the numbers are! And it's not like shark attacks are going to go unreported.

I actually wrote a blog post about this in 2015 ("How much risk can you handle: on sharks and skiing.") You can check it out here.
 

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