Fitness Class Review - beginner SUP (stand-up paddleboard)

Class name - beginner SUP
Where they are located - Wilkeson Pointe at the Outer Harbor
What it cost - $40
Level of difficulty - Requires balance and some core strength in order to stay on the board

Review -

This is a skill that I never thought I would have. I saw trendy teenagers posting photos on instagram with beautiful tropical scenery, smiling serenely while standing on what looked like a surfboard, paddle in hand, and I was like "nope, nope... not a chance I could do that." I've surfed before while visiting friends at the gulf, and I knew from first hand experience - stand up on that thing while waves actively try to knock you over is hard.

Fortunately, I did give it a chance, grabbed my life jacket and my waterproof floating phone case, and headed out to Longboards Paddle Co.'s location at the Outer Harbor.

Photo of Wilkeson Pointe from The Sun News 

In short, I am so glad that I did.

Marcia Gray-Wilkerson of BelieveFit-AchieveFit, and Nancy Giglio-Maisano were there, and got me outfitted with a paddle of the correct length. Any belongings that shouldn't get wet was stowed in the shop. Marcia then gave a half-hour-ish lesson on what to do once you hit the water. Those preliminaries complete, we headed down to the beach. The class wasn't huge - about 8 people, which was the perfect size for getting everyone launched and into the water quickly.

Down at the beach, they had helping-hands there to assist with getting the boards in the water (while they may be foam, and may not be crazy-heavy, they are still quite awkward). You then walked into the water with the board, and once it was completely floating, you could carefully kneel on the board and paddle out a-ways. Marcia then instructed everyone to try and stand, which you can do by placing your paddle perpendicular to the board, bracing yourself with your hands (picture "table pose" from yoga), and stepping your feet up to the center of the board (where the carry handle is), about shoulder-width apart. You then press yourself up to a standing position and start to paddle.

Shockingly, I did not fall off! (I honestly expected to go in on my first try). The board is extremely stable and not too difficult to balance on.

I'm totally doing it! Photo taken by Marcia during the class

Staying in the harbor does make it easier - you don't get any boat or jetski traffic in there (if you go beyond the rocks, you are considered the smallest watercraft, and have to yield to larger vehicles - who may, or may not see you). However, I would be lying to you if I said there were no waves. Even on a calm day, you will see waves called "wake" from passing speedboats and other watercraft. These keep things interesting while you paddle around - it's definitely best to face these head-on if you don't want your board rocking from side-to-side and trying to throw you off. That said, the waves were manageable and added an aspect of challenge to this leisurely paddle.

When I say "leisurely", don't make the mistake that this is not a workout - it definitely is. As soon as I stood up on the board, I could feel my quad muscles (in particular) firing up from keeping my balance on the moving board. The paddling itself is also a workout, although not in the way that I expected - I anticipated having sore shoulders and arms (since I have no arm strength), but the strength in your paddle comes from your core. This is something that was specified several times by Marcia (the instructor) - that when you paddle with proper technique, you should feel your core and your glutes activating, and that it does not just come from the arms.

The rest of the class paddling along

All told, you will be out there probably about an hour, and you have some free reign to kind of go where you want during that hour (note: I recommend sticking with at least a buddy, and probably staying within eye-sight of the instructor in case anything goes wrong. Also, keep in mind that note from earlier about yielding to larger boats if you leave the harbor). You'll then come ashore, leaving your board on the beach (those helpers from earlier bring them all back to the shop - which was somewhat of a relief after paddling. Again - not super heavy, but definitely awkward to carry, and it's a bit of a walk). And finally, once you've turned in your lifejacket and paddle, it's time for a beer!

Verdict:

I loved the class and would highly recommend it. This class is the prerequisite for doing any of Longboard's other classes, including endurance paddles, early-morning workouts, and yoga on the board (with good reason - I couldn't see myself out there doing mountain climbers or a downward facing dog on the board if I didn't have the basics under my belt!). 

Longboards has classes through out the week, and you can book your board here. Some of there upcoming classes include Paddlefit challenge tomorrow (Wednesday 6/13) at 4:30 and 5:30, and a Surf and Turf class on Monday (6/18) at 6PM (this is a half-on-water, half-on-land fitness class). Keep an eye on the calendar here on the blog (on the right) for more SUP classes!

Thanks for reading! Now get out there and paddle!