Have I told you I love California?? A month or so ago I found a Groupon (www.groupon.com) for stand-up paddleboarding in Santa Cruz through this little shop called Tri Shop. On Friday I got my first lesson! Our lesson started at 10:15 at Santa Cruz harbor and when we got there it was still a bit chilly. The mornings are usually cloudier than the afternoons but it eventually cleared up by the time we got on the water.
We met up with our instructor Trudie and joining us was a couple from UCSC. Trudie gave us a very nice introduction into how the boards and paddles were to be used and showed us how to get into the water from the dock. We were just going to be in the harbor, which was a great way to get started and get used to standing and the strokes with the paddle. Everyone got up on their first try and we began getting familiar with the boards.
We eventually made our way away from the dock and paddled towards the end of the marina. The water was flat and there wasn't a lot of boat traffic so this made it pretty easy to get around. We learned the basic strokes, how to brake, and a few racing strokes as well. We learned how to use just our core to get a good workout and take the stress off our shoulders. Almost an hour or so later we were all pro-SUPers! Ok so maybe we aren't pros but we still had a blast. This seems like an activity I can get used to; it's very calming but also a great workout. I can't wait to do it again, next time in the ocean!
I never realized there was so much technique to paddleboarding....I thought it was a just stand up and paddle. But then again, I guess I don't really know how to brake and I'm not that good at turning... Sounds like an awesome Groupon.
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