There are a ton of activities you can do to explore the pristine waters or beaches nearby. One of the emerging activities that continues to become increasingly popular is paddleboarding. If you’ve heard about this fun little hobby, then you’re probably aware as to why people are so captivated by it.
Paddle boarding is a sport where you traverse along water or ride along the waves using a board. As compared to surf boards, paddle boards are a lot lighter and flighty. You can sit, stand, and paddle while on the board itself. It can be a leisurely sport or an extreme sport as well depending on how you want to enjoy it.
Learning how to paddle board is easy. What can be challenging is gearing up properly for the sport. If you’re a newbie to the sport, then here’s a quick guide on the kind of gear that you need for your first ride out in the waters.
Stand-Up Paddle Board
Of course, the most important gear you should invest in is the paddle board. Since you’re a beginner, you’d want to find a board that is thick and wide across all dimensions. These are perfect for beginners because it’s a lot easier to balance on this type of board as compared to others.
Another good option you can try out is a touring SUP or stand-up paddle board. This is another beginner-friendly paddle board that’s made for leisurely traveling. It’s light, easy to balance on, and most importantly, easy to control as well. It’s also good for advanced paddlers that want to go a bit faster.
Paddle boards can sell for over $200 up to $1000.
Since you are a beginner, we don’t really suggest buying your own board first. What you can do is head on over to a board rental shop and get a feel of what type of board fits you best. There’s always a means to rent a paddle board when there are paddlers nearby. Try holding off on buying your own board for the meantime.
Optional Accessories
The technology behind paddle boarding is rapidly evolving. This is great news for those who are newbies, veterans, and basically just about anyone who enjoys the sport. That being said, there’s a wealth of amazing accessories that you might want to invest on to make the ride easier.
A good accessory to get first is an electric pump. This is basically an air pump that does away with the time-consuming and tiring task of manually inflating your board. Aside from inflating your board for you, electric pumps can also do it a lot faster than you would using your hands and a manual pump.
Now for something that can help with your safety, you should buy a PFD or a personal floating device. This is one of the best paddle board accessories out there. Since you can never really tell what can happen out there in the waters, you’d want to have a means to keep yourself afloat just in case you fall.
Other accessories to consider include a paddle board deck bag, anchors, board racks, and kayak seats. All-in-all, these accessories are going to make the experience all the more enjoyable and comfortable on your end. You can find all of these accessories online.
If you have friends who are already paddlers too, you should consider borrowing some stuff from them first. Test out which gear you might really need. Not all accessories are necessary after all. Just make sure to take care of their gear if they do lend it to you.
The Right Attire
Since this is the open waters we are talking about, it’s very important that you wear something light and flexible. The last thing you’d want is having your clothes weigh you down when you fall in the water. You also don’t want to wear loose clothes as these can get caught in the paddle.
Ideally, you’d want to wear tight fit trunks and rash guards. These will give you the protection you need while providing the right amount of flexibility and comfort while you are paddling. Whatever you do, don’t ever wear clothes that can become heavy once they get steeped in water.
Paddle boarding is an amazing water sport that you’d definitely want to try out. Wearing and using the right gear can make things a lot easier for you as a beginner so make sure to consider getting the stuff stated here above. Once you’ve gotten a hang of the sport, you can invest in better gear.
