Tips for stand up paddling beginners
- If you buy cheap, you buy twice
For stand up paddling beginners, the offers for stand up paddle boards in the hardware store are very tempting. For the inexperienced eye, the boards do not differ from the medium to high-priced brand boards and the cheap boards may be sufficient to splash around for in the bathing pond. After just a short time you will be unhappy with such a SUP board if you want to paddle a little sportier. For a start, choose a medium-priced branded SUP board or a used stand-up paddle board from an expensive brand manufacturer.
- Buy the right paddle
An aluminum paddle may be sufficient to start with, but after a short time you will notice as a SUP beginner that the weight of the aluminum paddle quickly ” gets into your hands” and your arms get tired. Aluminum paddles are available so the loss is not too big if you want to spend some money on a better paddle after a short time. It doesn’t have to be a carbon paddle, but a hybrid paddle with carbon content is much more fun than an aluminum paddle.
- Test different SUP boards before you buy one
Even if the offer may seem so tempting – do not buy the first SUP board that you can get for a good price. In the summer months there are many festivals where you can try out different SUP boards. Try out different models before deciding on a SUP.
- Care for your inflatable stand up paddle board
An inflatable SUP is very durable and durable if you take good care of it. UV radiation, seawater and bad rolling can affect your inflatable SUP.
Rinse it with fresh water after each use in seawater and store it slightly inflated in winter in a dry room at room temperature. You should also schedule cleaning with special SUP cleaning agents several times a year.
Let the SUP board dry completely before you pack it and be sure to clean the deck pad. Dirt that has dried on the deck pad is very difficult to remove. If the cover pad comes off at the edge, use the supplied adhesive to stick it on again.
- Safety comes first
Stand up paddling on the lake is not difficult to learn and also seems harmless, but safety always comes first, especially for SUP beginners. If you have no previous experience with water sports, it makes sense to take a short introductory course. Wearing a life jacket is never a mistake and choose your outfit according to the water temperatures. Everyone can fall into the water from time to time, so a wetsuit or even a drysuit is mandatory for cooler water temperatures. Please also inform yourself exactly which leash can be used with which board in which water.
In the beginning, you should paddle on windless or windless days, because even small winds can make small, choppy waves unsafe. Before the first paddle attempts, check wind and weather forecasts and if you feel uncomfortable, don’t paddle.