SUP what is the attraction

floattuber_lee

just wondered what the attraction to SUPing is seems to be taking off quite big rercently

Sidewayslarry

Personally I don't see the attraction, not enough action in it for me. But I can see why some people do enjoy it. Its something to do on the flat days when there is no surf around. I love getting out on the water whether there is waves or not. I always have my canoe in the back of the van with me along with my surf board and if there is not decent surf out, I just bring out the canoe. I would reckon a lot of the guys out SUP'ing are surfers on a flat day.

Other than that I suppose it would be a lot easier to pick up than surfing. Surfing can get frustrating as a beginner until everything clicks into place for you. Sup'ing is quite easy and can be pretty much mastered first time out.

I actually did some SUP'ing on a river in Kilkenny, it was a great way to see the town from a different perspective, and it was a very relaxing way of doing it, but it just lacked a bit of excitement for me

c-note

I bought a 2nd hand sup over a year ago.

I've managed to catch mini waves on the east coast which was a bit of fun,

On trips out west on small days its great, very quick to paddle out past whatever waves are there, (I hate paddling on a surfboard:D), because you're upright its easier to spot sets coming in + easier to paddle onto waves. I feel a lot more mobile in the water when on a sup. I wouldn't call it thrilling, but its certainly good fun.

I mainly windsurf and you can also attach a windsurfing sail (to mine anyway) which I've found brilliant for very light wind days (you don't even have to paddle to get out back ), makes a great big board for cruising around on in flat water and light winds too!

So for me its not something I'd be running to the shed for saying "its a great day for a sup" but once you've decided to head for the water and the conditions arn't there, its a brilliant thing to have.

tbayers

Good exercise on the flat days I imagine. Thats what I use it for anyway!

promethius

Why it's on the rise?

A few different reasons, the main one in ireland i feel is the possibility to do it on the east coast. With fuel costs on the rise and less money in people's pockets it's more difficult to get to sligo or whatever for a surf regularly at the weekends, so a sport that can be exercised in a canal, lake, river or flat beach has its attractions. surf schools have seen the dollar signs and gone after this, fair play to them, it's a good way of thinking and they are good at promoting the sport.

another reason is the popularity with celebs who often do it for the undoubted core workout it delivers.

some people like to take on something a bit different than the norm, which normal board surfing has arguably become in ireland in the last ten or so years.

last reason i can think of is some older surfers with back or other injuries that can't paddle a board comfortably and find this a great alternative and gets them back out in it.

i've tried it and it's not for me i have a few other things i resort to when it's flat.

don't ever think it's not full on either, i've seen the irish stand up champ paddle into triple over head reefs up in sligo when not a single surfer dared go out. he made the drop i couldn't believe what i was seeing. respect.

John_Rambo

promethius wrote: »

i've seen the irish stand up champ paddle into triple over head reefs up in sligo when not a single surfer dared go out. he made the drop i couldn't believe what i was seeing. respect.

I've seen an Irish schoolboy shred waves on a SUP board that most surfers won't dare paddle out on. Lots of windsurfers and kitesurfers have taken up SUP boarding for the light wind days, mushy waves and the ferry waves on the East coast. There's a few East coast windsurfers that do marathon paddles every weekend for core workouts and can carve very well on boards that are smaller than most surfboards, better than most surfers. As promethius says, lot's of surfers taking it up for the smaller days, to get out on the water and to enjoy.

jarv

Dont knock it till you really try it on proper waves , I surfed for 10 years now I only SUP, just ask laird why its so good. Or watch first glide.

Geomy

I seen a guy out on **** Creek today having fun on an SUP
It was good there this evening :-D

VNP

SUPs are fanny magnets, Most of those lads have only one thing on their minds :P

spaceHopper

VNP wrote: »

Most lads have only one thing on their minds :P

Fixed that for you

alwayssideways

I went for a trip around the southwest over the summer and on the flat days I took out the paddle board and paddled out around some headlands and found some of the most amazing caves and clearest water. One of the best days I've ever had on the water.







Never used the paddleboard in surf. As said above, don't knock it until you try it.

blackiebest1

Stand Up Paddling will be the single biggest water sport in the history of water sport. In five years from now the economy surrounding SUP will dwarf the combined economies of Surfing and Kayaking. It will because anyone can do it, anywhere. 70% of all SUP's made in the world today will never touch salt water (The First Glide). This stat will grow. Comparing SUP to Surfing is akin to comparing Golf to Cricket IMO. Sure, SUP Surfing is a discipline of SUP and an amazing one but less than 10% of all SUP will ever have any relation to breaking waves.

For excitement google SUP Downwinding or Whitewater. I also believe that in time SUP Surfing will dominate traditional prone surfing.

spaceHopper

blackiebest1 wrote: »

Stand Up Paddling will be the single biggest water sport in the history of water sport. In five years from now the economy surrounding SUP will dwarf the combined economies of Surfing and Kayaking. It will because anyone can do it, anywhere. 70% of all SUP's made in the world today will never touch salt water (The First Glide). This stat will grow. Comparing SUP to Surfing is akin to comparing Golf to Cricket IMO. Sure, SUP Surfing is a discipline of SUP and an amazing one but less than 10% of all SUP will ever have any relation to breaking waves.

For excitement google SUP Downwinding or Whitewater. I also believe that in time SUP Surfing will dominate traditional prone surfing.

No that would be swimming!

But I take your point about flat water SUPing, right now the problems is that bad surfer can't do to much harm, bad SUP'er in the surf can because it's easiter to get out the back on one and then come in like a wild thing.

Bit of slow growing and training is needed.

Then agian remember fishes, they are the cool board to have at one point then it was eggs.... surfing has so many fads that in time bad one's will get bored and do something else.

floattuber_lee

spaceHopper wrote: »

No that would be swimming!

But I take your point about flat water SUPing, right now the problems is that bad surfer can't do to much harm, bad SUP'er in the surf can because it's easiter to get out the back on one and then come in like a wild thing.

thats mt biggest gripe about SUP and kayaks for that matter they seem to bi ignorant or just choose not to follow the rules of surfing that make it a safe place where everyone knows what is happening. Add kayaks and sup's to a lineout tends to cause havoc (obviously not every SUP and kayak is like this).

But uneducated surfers can be just as bad. I was at carrownisky on sunday it was fairly big for up there, and the number of times surfers just ditched there boards instead of duck diving or turning turtle is crazy. Not even looking behind them first just abandoning ship its so dangerous!

blackiebest1

Take the point re swimming. I also concur about the dangers of a lineup and how a SUP can make breaks accessible to inexperienced surfers. What I was trying to drive home is that in a few years less than 5% of all SUP activity will be in waves. It will be on flat water, SUP is a mode of transport that is different to other forms. The growth in SUP will take place inland on rivers and lakes. Costal exploring will also be huge but the ocean presents other problems and the idea of inexperienced people heading off on costal runs is a very real liability.

I SUP for a living, I have introduced over 1500 people to it here in Sligo but all has been inland and in a very safe location. The youngest SUPer I have had paddle was 3 weeks shy of his fourth birthday, his mother looking on from a separate SUP. The eldest was 82! I introduce people to SUP in their regular clothes, they do not fall in! This is where SUP is going. SUPforall is our brand and we operate a very popular FB page if you are interested in looking it up. Some time you are Sligo way give us a shout and we would love to show you why SUP is so different, especially to surfing.

spaceHopper

blackiebest1 wrote: »

Take the point re swimming. I also concur about the dangers of a lineup and how a SUP can make breaks accessible to inexperienced surfers. What I was trying to drive home is that in a few years less than 5% of all SUP activity will be in waves. It will be on flat water, SUP is a mode of transport that is different to other forms. The growth in SUP will take place inland on rivers and lakes. Costal exploring will also be huge but the ocean presents other problems and the idea of inexperienced people heading off on costal runs is a very real liability.

I SUP for a living, I have introduced over 1500 people to it here in Sligo but all has been inland and in a very safe location. The youngest SUPer I have had paddle was 3 weeks shy of his fourth birthday, his mother looking on from a separate SUP. The eldest was 82! I introduce people to SUP in their regular clothes, they do not fall in! This is where SUP is going. SUPforall is our brand and we operate a very popular FB page if you are interested in looking it up. Some time you are Sligo way give us a shout and we would love to show you why SUP is so different, especially to surfing.

Is there a perfect wave?