SUP

San Diego is a stand-up paddle boarding mecca. Noted for its warm weather year-round and diverse coastline, this sunny Southern California city is a must-paddle for your paddle board bucket list. What is stand-up paddle boarding you might ask, well let me tell you. Stand-up paddling boarding also known as SUP is an offshoot of surfing. Unlike traditional surfing where the rider sits until a wave comes, stand up paddle boarders stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water.

It can be a bit intimidating if it’s your first time but as long as you have the right paddle board and proper instruction on how to get on it your all set. The proper form for paddle surfing requires a paddle of the correct length and size. A common rule of thumb is a "shaka" length, or 5 to 7 inches, above the rider's height for surfing and about 10 inches above rider's head for racing. Paddles are held with two hands, using a wide grip instead of keeping the hands close together. The proper way to hold the paddle is with the blade tilted away from the body. This propels the paddler through the water quicker. The push-pull method is the most effective way of paddling when stand up paddle boarding. This method requires inserting the paddle gently into the water ahead of the feet, and then pulling it backwards and lifting it back out of the water.

Like mentioned before you can SUP just about anywhere but San Diego is probably one of the most popular place where this sport is taking off. There are different variations of SUP, which include flat water paddling for outdoor recreation, fitness, or sightseeing, racing on lakes, large rivers and canals, surfing on ocean waves, paddling in river rapids (whitewater SUP), Paddle board yoga and even fishing. There is something out there for everyone.

#paddleboarding #sandiego #beach #waves