SUP Surfing

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Messy and small waves can frustrate any surfer. For a decent surfer, a small wave is like riding the bunny hill. It gets old fast! In comes stand up paddle surfing. A larger board with a paddle is like an unexpected two-for-one at happy hour. 

What is Stand Up Paddle Surfing?

Descending from its Polynesian roots, SUP surfing is a variant of surfing where the surfer uses a paddle to move through the water while standing on a surfboard. The Hawaiian translation is Ku Hoe He’e Nalu meaning to stand, to paddle or to surf a wave.

SUP surfing can be enjoyed without mastering the hardest part of surfing — propping up from a prone position and actually catching the wave. SUP surfing offers instant appeal and accessibility to all kinds of surfers. It allows them to paddle to far away and little known breaks that are uncrowded, and it increases the number of waves a surfer can have in a session and the range of conditions that can be surfed. 

History of SUP Surfing

Stand up paddle boarding and stand up paddle surfing go hand in hand. Catching and surfing a wave on a paddle board is, of course, much more challenging than going out for a sunset paddle on a glassy lake. The modern popularity of stand up paddle boarding, or SUP, originates from the Hawaiian Islands. Beginning in the 1940s, surf instructors in Waikiki like Duke Kahanamoku and Leroy and Bobby AhChoy would take paddles and stand on their boards to get a better view of the surfers in the water and incoming swells. From time to time they would surf the waves in themselves using the paddle to steer the board. Later, in the early 1960’s, the Beach Boys of Waikiki would stand on their long boards and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of the tourists learning to surf. This is where the term “Beach Boy Surfing” originates, another name for Stand Up Paddle Surfing.

It wasn’t until the last decade that the term “SUP surfing” was coined. Well known surfers like Dave Kalama, Brian Keaulana, Rick Thomas, Archie Kalepa, Laird Hamilton and Fletcher Burton were stand up paddle boarding and surfing in some form for years without any attention. Things changed in 2003.  ‘’Beach Boy Surfing’’ was added to the world-recognized ‘’Buffalo Big Board Contest’’ at at Makaha beach. With an overwhelming response of 49 participants, a photo of Laird Hamilton was snatched up by the surfing media. In a matter of months the first stand up boom had begun.[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOhOPcgAKko&w=780]

Golden Rules of SUP Surfing For Beginners

1. When Learning avoid busy areas.
2. Always wear a leash.
3. Hone your skill befor entering the surf.
4. Learn from experienced Stand Up Paddle Boarders.
5. HAVE FUN!

 

How to Launch Into The Surf

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