Kiteboarding / Stand Up Paddleboarding

Again the North Dealer trip 2008 turned up a few suprises for the avid SUPer like myself. Fanatic the long running Windsurfing brand are to release a small range of SUPs in 2009. Ive heard march, april maybe a release date and if the prototype is anything to go by they will be hot on the heels of the not so popular Mistral SUP lineup which did not offer much in performance.The Fanatic range will bring a smaile to your face- The SUP empire continues…!
I was testing the 10’6 which had a really nice template , pintail and thruster setup.

A new movie by Patrice and the Gong boys

Gongsup movie

Im yet to test these boards – last year’s was not a very good board ! – But keep checking back , they look like they have improved their lineup of boards

A progressive shape with batwing tail yet still very stable due to the 30″ width. This shorter board has great manoeuverability and its speed easily handles any big drops into the waves.

10′ 2″ Custom Stand Up Paddleboard
Length 10ft 2in
Width 30″
Depth 4″
Tail Shape Winged Bat Tail
Bottom Contour Single concave to slight V in Tail
Construction Hand Shaped EPS foam blank with genuine wood stringer. Innovative sandwich construction Epoxy resin and fibreglass with multiple layers of nero-cross link honeycomb material.
Fin Setup DFS two side fins and 10″ centre fin
Shaper Jeff Townsley
RRP £715

A super responsive board, quick to turn and very stable. Will handle all types of wave height and great at handling speed. This is the ideal performance board for a wide range of conditions and for taking your SUP riding to the next level.

11′ Custom Stand Up Paddleboard
Length 11ft
Width 29″
Depth 4″
Tail Shape Swallow Tail
Bottom Contour Single concave to slight V in Tail with Two Channels
Construction Hand Shaped EPS foam blank with genuine wood stringer. Innovative sandwich construction Epoxy resin and fibreglass with multiple layers of nero-cross link honeycomb material.
Fin Setup DFS four side fins and 10″ centre fin
Shaper Jeff Townsley
RRP £730

With Stand up paddleboarding ever so popular at the moment The media are hot on it too !- check this clip from the BBC south west team. Come try a board or a lesson at SUPGOWER.COM.

On a windless day the Gower can throw some awesome stand up paddlesurf conditions – There is so much choice from points to reefs, sandbars and wedges, the coastline is so beautiful to paddle around – Come on one of our flat water stand up paddlesurf sessions and learn the basics before signing up for a wave riding session.

Imagine a sport that can be a relaxing cruise along the coastline taking in the wild-life, a thorough cardiovascular work-out or a heart
pounding adrenaline ride in equal measure – and you’ll know what’s -SUP
Stand up paddleboarding, or paddlesurfing, is the latest adrenaline water sport to hit the U.K shores and there is no better place to try it out than at Stand up paddleboard Gower (SUP Gower) on the stunning Gower peninsula in South Wales.

The revived sport, was started by the ancient Hawaiians where it gained some attention in the 1960′s when the Hawaiian Beachboys used to paddle out into the surf to
take pictures of the tourists when they were surfing.Its emergence into the mainstream however did not surface until recently, when surfers like Laird Hamilton increased its visibility.

The board the paddlers use is usually made of a epoxy sandwich construction similar to that of surfboards , but it is about 3 feet
longer than a longboard and on average 11ft in length and twice as wide and thick. It can have a rubber pad on the surface to decrease slipping
and the paddler uses a tall carbon fiber oar to paddle with and steer the board.
SUP Gower was launched this year by Matt Barker Smith as part of Gower Kite Riders, a water sports school specializing in kite surfing
“Because of the size, you can stand on it and it is very stable, unlike a surfboard,” Matt a kitesurf instructor and keen surfer is bored of
sitting around waiting for good wind or waves and decided to bring the sport to the beautiful coastline of the Gower peninsula. A popular surf destination in Wales

You can go out at any time of day or night no matter what the conditions are, light wind, heavy wind, big waves or no waves, so it is a perfect cross
training /wave riding activity. Rather than laying down on the board and paddling with your arms to catch a wave, The SUP rider uses the paddle to gain the same momentum
as the wave and is already in position for the ride thus no need to pop up on the board.

Most of the time, however, people are content to just paddle around the coastline, where the appeal is for most people.
The other benefit to the sport is that it is a very good core,cardiovascular and whole body workout
You don’t realize you are getting a workout on it, but the next day you can tell the difference and any weaknesses – whether it is your
abs, legs, shoulders, back, arms or even your wrists – will be targeted and made stronger.
“A lot of people give up on learning to surf, but this is a happy medium. They can do this very easily. The people I have shown how to do
it picked it up the first time they tried it and were even catching waves,” Even Hollywood A-listers such as Cindy Crawford, Jennifer
Aniston and Kate Hudson have been spotted with a paddle.

Stand up paddleboarding or paddlesurfing really has universal appeal among watersports enthusiasts
Windsurfers, surfers, sailors, kayakers and even skiers and snowboarders could all find something they like about it. And, unlike
those things, paddleboarding can be done with a minimum amount of preparation and in any conditions-’Stand up and Just add water ‘
The Gower peninsula with its array of surfing beaches has all a stand up paddleboarder could want – flat water, small waves, big waves , beautiful coastline and friendly people.

SUP Gower…stand up, paddle, catch loads of waves or fall in !
SUP Gower can arrange private coaching for groups of up to (6). Prices
start at £45 for 2 hours including tuition and hire.

Stand up paddleboard hire is only for experienced surfers- 40 pounds for 3 hours with this fee being redeemable on a new board if bought.

121 coaching is £35 per hour
SUP Gower and Gower Kite Riders are recognized members/registered with
the British Kite Surfing Association and the British Stand Up Paddle
Association
SUP Gower uses Jimmy Lewis amd Galaxy of New Generations Paddleboards

Stand up paddleboarding lessons -

Stand up paddleboarding is a awesome form of cross training for those flat water days or when the surf is just too blown out to have any fun!

Yesterday with the whole country being battered by Gales we decided to explore Swansea’s ‘Tawe river’ and give ourselves a core, cardiovascular and whole body workout paddling up towards the new ‘Liberty stadium’

This stretch of river is actually really nice with gorse and conifer trees lining the banks up to the old Tin and metal works.

With the wind with us on the way up it was easy, the return journey however was an intense workout for our legs and Core as well as upper body, paddling against the strong Wind. You don’t realize you are getting a workout on it, but the next day you can really tell the difference and any weaknesses – whether it is your abs, legs, shoulders, back, arms or even your wrists – will be targeted and made stronger

“A lot of people give up on learning to surf, but this is a happy
medium. They can do this very easily. The people I have shown how to do
it picked it up the first time they tried it and were even catching
waves,”

Even Hollywood A-listers such as Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson have been spotted with a paddle because of its Core workout benefits
This trip Jason was stand up paddling the ‘Jimmy lewis 11ft‘ allround and I was on the Gongsup 12ft No Friend Attitude (highteck model) a awesome looking board!

Both boards perform equally well in flat water conditions, The gongsup being a slightly better board in waves of any consequence.

Stand up paddle surfing is here ! Stand Up Paddlesurfing is a sport which we can be learnt in 10 minutes and is a great Cross training watersport. On these monstrous boards you can : – pick up swell far outside breaking waves in the open sea. – ride every day of the year in all conditions. – Learn to surf with your Dog! – Catch and Share waves with the misses! – Strengthen your core surfing muscles leading to improved surfing performance – explore your local coastline – From a stand-up position, a surfer can see deeper into the water,discovering a whole new underwater world SUP is also getting a lot of praise as a great form of cardiovascular crossover training and considered a great way to exercise and keep in shape even without riding in waves, even cindy crawford’s doing it! The views you’ll get when standing up are quite something! S.U.P surfing offers all the sensations of normal surfing but has the advantages of catching waves you thought were ripples! once riding on the wave the basics are the same apart from the paddle in your hands which helps you to balance and also carve the wave. Anyone can do this …..Most people will figure out the balance point on the board within 10 minutes and be cruising around or starting to catch waves. If you are considering buying a kayak!… Don’t !! -(this is far more entertaining for you and for spectators watching)