OK, there’s really not an art to paddleboarding. It takes a little balance, some fineness and a love of being on the water. Give it a try and you’ll pick it up pretty quick.
What the sport does have is a legion of die-hard fans that are in love with Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, as it’s called.
The attraction is obvious, even if you haven’t tried it. Come on, you know you stare at paddleboarders when you see them. You yell questions to them from the beach and piers, from kayaks, boats and personal watercraft. Everyone is fascinated by the sport. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try.
Here are the basics: You stand up on a paddleboard – a modified surf board at its roots – and you paddle across the water. Flat water or rolling, ocean, stream or lake, you can paddleboard.
On a busy weekend at any of the hot spots for beach-lovers, you’ll see every age, every physique and every ability level on a paddleboard.
Age isn’t a factor, either. If you can stand, you can paddleboard. Having trouble getting up? Try again. The trick is to balance on the board.
And, it doesn’t even have to be warm to paddleboard. You can paddleboard year-round, as many locals do. You also can have someone kneel on the front of your board, including your dog, if he/she listens better than my dogs.
Paddleboarding has its roots in the Hawaiian Islands and was born from surf instructors standing on their boards and using paddles while teaching large groups to surf. It eventually evolved into its own sport and started to become popular on the mainland about a decade ago. Now, there are competitions around the world, including many popular ones in Tahoe, with an industry of hybrid boards, gear and magazines devoted to the sport.
Getting started
Head to the beach – nearly any beach around – and rent a paddleboard. I recently made a stop at Tahoe Paddle & Oar in Kings Beach to rent two standup paddleboards for me and my pal Emily Sullivan. We signed up and headed to the beach across the street, where we were handed our paddles and personal flotation devices, PFDs. The length of the paddle is based on your height.
We walked down to the water where are paddleboards were waiting for us. A paddleboard looks much like a surfboard with a fin, and many rentals are outfitted with a bungee cord on one end to stash your PFD and shoes.
Here’s something I learned: The U.S. Coast Guard classifies a paddleboard as a vessel, and you are therefore required to carry a PFD. It also means that all paddleboarders 12 and under must wear a PFD (under 13 in Nevada).
The trickiest part is standing up on the board. The goal once you stand up is to have your feet shoulder’s width apart and centered on the board near the handle or slightly in front of it.
If the water is shallow enough, and with a little practice, you can just step onto the board. I have not mastered this technique yet. So, you want to kneel on your board with your knees over the handle and shoulder’s width apart. Hold the paddle in one hand, put one foot flat on the board while using your hands to balance. Then, put the other foot flat on the board and stand up. Don’t step forward, back or to the side. You’ll end up in the water.
Also, don’t plant your paddle in the sand and use it to push your body up to stand. It’s harder, you’ll probably fall and you really look silly doing it. Just plant your feet right where you’re kneeling, and, voila, you’re up.
It will feel a little strange at first as the movement of the water under your feet has you wobbling. But, you’re more steady than it feels your first time out.
If the water is too shallow for your fin to clear the sand, you’ll have to paddle out with your arms or the paddle. Get in the kneeling position and paddle until you’re clear.
You also can kneel or lie on your stomach to paddleboard – known as prone paddleboarding. Tahoe Paddle & Oar also rents prone boards and they’re made to lay or kneel on. There are even prone categories for competitors.
Now, that you’re up, it’s time to paddle. Wrap your hand over the grip of the paddle with your other hand on the shaft, no more than shoulder’s wide apart. Also, for stand-up paddleboarding, the curve of the blade is pointing toward the nose of the board. Then, you want a gentle vertical sweep of the paddle. If you reach out, you’ll fall. Use gentle strokes while you get the feel of the board.
You want to stay loose and go with the waves; don’t be stiff. You’ll want a slight bend in your knees and don’t bend over to paddle; you’ll get a sore back.
Switch your paddle from side to side to keep the board heading straight. You can turn by paddling at an angle, just like kayaking, or you can back paddle, a new trick Emily taught me.
Hold your paddle in the water to stop it from moving forward, then gently back paddle to pivot the front of the board in the direction you want. Then, resume paddling. Nice trick, Emily.
You can move pretty fast on the board, or go as slow as you want. We ventured from Kings Beach heading west passing the beaches and private homes, past North Tahoe Marina, Wild Goose Restaurant and the Holliday House before turning back. We answered questions from curious onlookers on piers and in kayaks, and enjoyed the beautiful sunny morning.
Mornings are the best time when the water is at its calmest on Lake Tahoe, but with a little practice, wind and waves won’t stop your paddle adventure.
Tahoe Paddle & Oar is located in Kings Beach at 8299 N. Lake Blvd. They offer daily rentals for stand-up and prone paddleboards, kayaks, surfboards and canoes. Stand Up Tahoe offers guided paddleboard tours through Tahoe Paddle & Oar, as well.
For rental information, call (530) 581-3029 or visit http://www.tahoepaddle.com./ Tahoe Paddle & Oar also offers a Women’s Stand-Up Paddleboarding clinic on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For paddleboard tours with Stand Up Tahoe, call (530) 318-0885.
