SUP Surfing

[wavemoore]

so many newbies and pro poo men now what the hell! i might get one, could possibly get some waves then......or a kayak might be sweet!

[wannabesurfer2003]

Had my first pop at SUP on the waves last Sunday, I gotta say it was a challenge!! People on the beach must've thought I was wasted or just on day release.............

Long story short I struggled to even stay on the board for the first half hour, having finally paddled out past the breaking waves (on my Knee's) I managed to stay on long enough to get a little slide action and promptly fell off again and again. Felt really awkward on the board, really corky and twitchy, was way harder than I expected having had a few days practise all be it on flatwater.

After just over 2 hours I was paddling around and even caught a couple of waves (ripples really) but I know it is gonna take a good few sessions to get comfy, a decent but do-able challenge I reckon..............

[Philshoz]

Stay with it Wannabee, It's weird isn't it starting the ride already standing?
Watch out, SUP's hate wind, in my very limited experience. Once off though, they fly don't they?

[skimmer2]

Had my first pop at SUP on the waves last Sunday, I gotta say it was a challenge!! People on the beach must've thought I was wasted or just on day release.............

Long story short I struggled to even stay on the board for the first half hour, having finally paddled out past the breaking waves (on my Knee's) I managed to stay on long enough to get a little slide action and promptly fell off again and again. Felt really awkward on the board, really corky and twitchy, was way harder than I expected having had a few days practise all be it on flatwater.

After just over 2 hours I was paddling around and even caught a couple of waves (ripples really) but I know it is gonna take a good few sessions to get comfy, a decent but do-able challenge I reckon..............

like starting all over again eh! If you get a few days in a row out on the sea it makes a huge difference. Wouldn't bother if the waves are a good size...stick to surfboards...wait for the smaller days. I've just been going out when I can, even when there's no surf..just to get out on choppyish water and paddling the darn thing across the bay. I had three days in a row where I had small surf on my doorstep...briliant for the SUP. I've started trying the pivot turns to get the board round quick.....80 per cent of the time I fall in but hey so does everyone.

The most annoying thing is when I turn up at the beach and it is flat I still get some folk saying "you going in surfing...no waves here" and some arse in a kayak saying..."You are better going somewhere else for waves....there's none here today" Do they think I canny see ffs!

[wannabesurfer2003]

Definitely going to stick with it Phil, felt strange as you like but quite addictive and I don't like getting beat by anything (except the wife.....)

As for startin again Skimmer I reckon it was maybe even harder, bad habits and all that! It was a little windy and choppy when I went in and some of the sets coming in were probably a little too large for my first attempt to be honest. That said it was a good learning day and opened my eyes to how hard I am going to have to get at it, still going to surf every day I can but when it small and glassy I'll break out the SUP and conquer the big bast@rd.......

I do enjoy the funny looks I get walking to the beach with my "massive surfboard" though.......

[dixie]

advice.........consider how youre gonna break the news to ya parents

the things you see when you aint got ya gun

[philo]

[dixie]

awesome

im only havin a josh....

but youre more than welcome at my local break these too many many waves for us anyway...we need to pass all the best set waves to those who can get in 100yds or so further out than us

.....nowt personal , but it does get frustrating.....that you must understand.

it has boomed so quickly to that alot o peep;le in the water without the skills /understanding of wave ettiquate,,,causing alot of loose cannons if you follow my drift.

but i guess each to his own,n ill stop moaning

[kayu]

SUPs can cause havok in a crowded line up....shouldn't be allowed IMO , under double overhead waves.....that said , they are the best fitness regime I know of....excellent craft for flat water paddling and longer distance open ocean.....the best thing to keep you surf fit during long flat spells and bad surf.......just keep 'em away from the average surf breaks !!.....they are the equivalent of guys doing "tow-in" onto 3ft waves....it's a wank

[surfrat]

i saw my mate on his inflatable SUP yesterday afternoon at Combesgate and i grabbed it off him and caught two waves....it was a novel feeling and i was stoked just to get some trim on that thing cos they're so thick and big. but after the novelty factor wore off i thought how much i'd have made of those waves on a longboard or shortboard.
but flat water paddling on them is really fun

[waxer00]

^^^you don`t have to ride an sup exclusively.
yes i partially agree with kayu.its galling for surfers to see suppers who have mastered everything but surf ettiquette and surf awareness,take over breaks.
it happened to me the other week. i was the only one out at my local break and it was barely 1` to 2` which prompted me to use my sup.an hour into the session another sup guy paddles out (it seems in a real rush to catch everything) and its only the two of us.i don`t know him from adam and he looks really proficient at paddling and turning to get waves.until he actually caught one ,and then it went pairshaped. he caught loads of waves but struggled to `surf `on any of them.
this situation is the one that most surfers have experienced at other breaks but with the added pressure that more people in the lineup will bring.
the bottom line is ;if you are on an sup you just have to be more gentlemanly in the lineup and wait your turn and miss a few sets just to nullify any paddling advantage gained by their usage. or do as i do and catch the little inside waves that pass under the pack,so impinging less on other peoples wave counts.

[skimmer2]

^^^you don`t have to ride an sup exclusively.
yes i partially agree with kayu.its galling for surfers to see suppers who have mastered everything but surf ettiquette and surf awareness,take over breaks.
it happened to me the other week. i was the only one out at my local break and it was barely 1` to 2` which prompted me to use my sup.an hour into the session another sup guy paddles out (it seems in a real rush to catch everything) and its only the two of us.i don`t know him from adam and he looks really proficient at paddling and turning to get waves.until he actually caught one ,and then it went pairshaped. he caught loads of waves but struggled to `surf `on any of them.
this situation is the one that most surfers have experienced at other breaks but with the added pressure that more people in the lineup will bring.
the bottom line is ;if you are on an sup you just have to be more gentlemanly in the lineup and wait your turn and miss a few sets just to nullify any paddling advantage gained by their usage. or do as i do and catch the little inside waves that pass under the pack,so impinging less on other peoples wave counts.

I raised a wee smile turning up at my local beach (which doesn't get surfable surf that much) to see a surfer getting out and telling me "surf is crap, you won't get much...not worth getting wet, too weak and I'm off home etc etc" and then me saying "I have my SUP so I will be okay thanks." I had a superb time that night - got loads and had a ball. I've been where that surfer has been too many times so decided to do something about it and got a SUP.

But agree that you have to pick your spots for SUPing and newbies with no surf experience on them are a disaster...some places SUPs are not welcome for good reason....unles the SUPer is well skilled.

Personally, I'm looking forward to a wee coastal trip or two on the flat days ...check out the seals/coastline and then land in a nice quiet cove and have a choccy bar and take some pics....cool!

I've enjoyed getting out simply paddling for the exercise...so much so the next SUP is going to be more of a cruisy/surf shape and longer than the current board.

[Wilson987]

Seen this in the locel news and thought it might amuse some. Taken during recent flooding in Belfast.

[wavemoore]

Seen this in the locel news and thought it might amuse some. Taken during recent flooding in Belfast.

thats funny, the chavs still waiting for the bus is hilarious though!!