I was introduced to paddleboarding about 8 years ago when my husband and I went on a trip to Sugar Lake, Minnesota. We had stayed at the Lodge and had a fantastic time cycling the surrounding smooth roads smelling the nearby pine forests, eating delicious pickerel and trying the stand up paddleboards that guests could sign out.
As soon as I tried stand up paddleboarding (SUP), I was hooked.I came home and bought two hard plastic SUP's from Canadian Tire. I proceeded to use them for 4 years on my own and with my kids before I invested in an inflatable SUP. The following year, I added more boards to my fleet. As a gear junkie, the paddleboards came with us on every camping trip. Friends started looking forward to trying our SUP's and before I knew it, they were hooked too.
One camping trip that was particularly special was when we had a friend join us and she had just gone through knee replacement surgery. She was able to get on and sit on the paddleboard and manoeuver it around with a kayak paddle. She joined myself, and my kids who were on their boards, for over an hour. It was a great afternoon.
This was a light bulb moment for me. Fortunately, my mobility has never been limited (minus a stint with a torn Achilles tendon).Seeing my friend out on the water with us made me realize that you are NEVER too old to paddleboard and that you CAN participate in activities that you may have thought you couldn't - you just need to make some adjustments. If you are not able to stand up on a SUP, you can still enjoy the paddle experience. And if you feel up to it, you can kneel and paddle, and then eventually stand.
There is no wrong way to paddleboard - there are some more efficient techniques than others - but sitting, kneeling or standing on a SUP is just good ol' fun! Being on the water, gives you a different perspective.
Nature's Edge Tourism has Paddle Canada Certified instructors and is here to teach young and older paddlers how to paddleboard, in whatever manner best suits them. We provide all the gear and PFD's are required so your safety is number one. If you are someone that is fearful of the water, we can work with you to pick a paddle location that suits you. We have multiple locations selected to offer a variety of SUP experiences.
A cool article showcasing that SUP's are great for everyone - including seniors - can be found at http://www.standuppaddleboardingguide.com/sup-senior-fitness.html. You are not too old (or young) to paddleboard (young kids may go tandem with parents). SUP'ing gets you away from the crowds on the beach and with a lesson or two can provide you with a lifetime of memories. We look forward to helping you and seeing you on the water!