Stand Up Paddleboarding or SUPing to the pros is a relatively new adaption of the water+board family.

Heading down on the DART south of Dublin, I soon arrived at Dun Loaghaire and from the station I was at Aboveboard within a couple minutes. I was greeted by Richard, the Venezuelan who would be guiding around the board, and the harbour that morning. The sun was shining, but the breeze was up a little, so we decided the harbour would be the best bet for a fun and interesting paddle.

Getting changed and heading down didn’t take long and soon we were getting our instructions on how to work these boards. It’s pretty simple, it involves a big board, a long paddle and a great workout;  but Richard was very good at improving our technique so we could get the most from the board. Standing straight (rather than sideways like a surfboard) you paddle with arms straight, similar to Kayaking, but this uses a lot more of you core strength. As we paddled around I could feel my core tightening and knew this would be a great workout

Working our way around the harbour we dodged kids in sailing dinghies, and paddled past million dollar gin palaces. At one point Richard decided to test the water and show us how to get back on in case we fell off, and how to pull another person on to the board if there was an emergency. Feeling a bit like the guys on Baywatch we practiced our skills, which of course meant pushing each other in so they needed rescuing!

The experience was excellent, and I left feeling happy and well worked without being exhausted. The weather held out nicely, but this would still be fun in the cold and wet, the wetsuits are so thick there’s no need to worry about freezing!

Benjamin Duff –