Author Topic: When did you learn SUP?  (Read 12209 times)

novaboy

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2017, 01:30:47 PM »
10 years ago, saw it on the inter web, ordered 2 boards from Jimmy Lewis, the rest is history.
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Board Stiff

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2017, 02:13:52 PM »
Rented a SUP (in hindsight, it was more like a standup kayak!) on Newfound Lake in the summer of 2010. Loved it, and bought an 11'6 Cruiser as soon as I moved to the NH seacoast and found a job the next spring. I originally thought I'd just paddle it on the lakes but quickly discovered surfing and racing in the ocean too.  ;D

mrbig

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2017, 02:16:12 PM »
Bought a huge Dolsey in 07 for flat water. Had the paddle backwards and could NOT surf tiny waves at all.

Paddled a Nash inflatable, bought a Focus 9' Smoothie, and a Hobie. Traded the Hobie,  which was not working for Tipp Wan Ken Obi, for a HUGE Hobie which was awesome.

Then went through a great many boards. In retrospect my years of short board experience messed me up initially. I knew how to surf, but my balance was not good, and then there was the darn paddle.

Four years later mo bettah fer shur dood. Figured out sub 8' boards, big boards, even race boards.

Had a near death experience  which was interesting to say the least. Still chase waves all over NE in the winter.

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supthecreek

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2017, 02:31:44 PM »
Great and timely post Miss Adventure, thank you!!!

Life dedicated to surfing since August 1964.
Never had any interest in SUP, although some good surfers I knew, ripped on them.
I couldn't understand why they would SUP when they could ride a surfboard.
I never had any attitude about SUP in the line-up.... just baffled me why anyone would do it.

In 2011, bad rotator cuffs made me decide to get a SUP.... JUST for the small days......Never been on a surfboard since!
I wish I started 20 years ago.
It added a dimension to my surfing that I could never have predicted or even understood.

What a great ride its been, meeting so many great SUPsters from around the world on SUP forums.... including well over 100, in person, during my travels.





surf4food

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #19 on: February 28, 2017, 03:18:42 PM »
The first time I tried it was about 7 years ago and loved it from the very first stroke of the paddle.  The first time I saw it was Laird on TV in some commercial around the early 00s.  When I saw that I was thinking WTF but figured it was Laird simply coming up with a new concoction as he is known for doing.  Also I was just shocked to see Laird in a mainstream commercial (now that I think of it, might have been American Express).  For the longest time I really didn’t give a lot of thought to actually doing this but finally did.  Truth is, I still am not really interested in surfing a SUP (just don’t want to deal with the extra board volume and having  a paddle in my possession in shore break.)  I definitely admire and love watching people like the Vaz brothers, Candice Appleby, Kai, etc do their thing but for me I just like to explore flat water bays or coves.  Perhaps I will someday graduate to downwinders (not much opportunity in San Diego). I come from a surfing background but due to back issues my thing these days are flatwater SUP and cycling.

       

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #20 on: February 28, 2017, 04:12:05 PM »
Ahhh...the good old days...I reckon SUP is like sex...everyone remembers their first time...;-)

The 1st time that I stood up on a board and paddled was in 2003 after seeing King Laird do it at Malibu...it was a 9’10” x 36″ Exocet Commando...RTM hybrid windsurf/sit-on-top with a cutoff aluminum kayak paddle...the standup fire really got lit in 2005 when I purchased www.standupaddleports.com and started working with Sean Ordonez to bring production epoxy SUPs and windSUPs to the world market...

Mahalos...{:~)

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #21 on: February 28, 2017, 04:24:18 PM »
Oops...looks like I misspelled above URL www.standuppaddlesports.com which is probably why I also bought www.supsports.com ...;-)
Mahalos...{:~)

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southwesterly

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #22 on: February 28, 2017, 04:37:36 PM »
I started in 2008. Thought I would get a stand up to strengthen my “core”. I told myself if I was going to surf… I would just surf. That is until the first day I paddled into the lineup and caught 40 waves and had my peanut butter in the chocolate moment.

18,000 waves later still haven’t found my core, but here I am.

TallDude

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #23 on: February 28, 2017, 04:47:44 PM »
2007-2008. But I still haven't learned.
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

Dusk Patrol

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #24 on: February 28, 2017, 05:09:13 PM »
In 2010 I stepped out of the door of the Seattle REI store, and sat down on a bench to enjoy some unusually intense spring Seattle sun. There, in front of me, leaning against a faux tree stump, was a used demo 11'6 Surftech Universal. I took it as a sign, or close enough, and bought it.

Now, whenever think a board is tippy, I remember back to how unstable I felt those first few days on that 247 liter aircraft carrier... and get on with it. 

I flat water paddle mostly, because that's what's available to me. I've been surfing for a few years, when I can... and have only gotten more and more into it. I feel lucky to have found this.     
RS 14x26; JL Destroyers 9'8 & 8'10; BluePlanet 9'4; JL Super Frank 8'6

laszlo

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #25 on: February 28, 2017, 05:41:53 PM »
Being a watersports person, I have been swimming, snorkeling, body surfing, surfing and windsurfing my whole life. Windsurfing in SoCal means surfsailing in generally lighter winds, so I was always looking for light wind windsurf tools. Back in 2006 Wardog told me about the new boards Sean Ordonez was building for him, a longboard style sailboard, and I ordered one. I intended to use it for light air windsurfing, now known as "Windsup". Paddling was only an afterthought! About the same time I heard about a new Mistral board called the Pacifico so I called Big Winds (who had never heard of  SUPs at that point) and ordered one of those from them. Now at 68 I have had a decade of SUP, many varied boards for various SUP disciplines, and I'm looking forward to being able to keep charging as long as I can.

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #26 on: February 28, 2017, 08:07:57 PM »
 

Watched a lone long boarder surfing a river mouth in New Zealand in 1995 and promised myself that I would learn to surf. Surf kayaking since 1997, first with plastic river boats, then surfing 17' ocean kayaks followed by carbon Kevlar international class surf kayak. In 2009 a friend gave me his prized longboard and I tried unsuccessfully to standup paddle it. Made some headway prone surfing it in small waves. In 2014 bought a 10' Laird, followed by a 9' Fanatic Fly and then Starboard Whopper and 9'5" Widepoint. One year ago got a Sunova Skate and this was the first time that I felt that I was truly surfing. Today out for the first surf on a Sunova Speeed. I am 61 years and much of my waking time is occupied with daydreams of surfing.......what a wonderful addiction ! We are so fortunate to be able to experience the freedom, power and wisdom of the ever changing ocean.

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #27 on: February 28, 2017, 09:36:54 PM »
Started late 2007 when I was home visiting my parents for Christmas. They had gotten rid of most of their old surfboards and got a 11'6 Naish Nalu. Cutting edge at the time, had a lot of fun just paddling around. In 2008 they got a 11'4 nalu, which had way more refined rails and I tried surfing it for the first time that Christmas. in 2009 I moved back to Hawaii picked up a C4 SubVector as soon as I could. Its been all downhill from there.

Man, now that I think about it, I can't believe I've been at this for almost a decade. You'd think I'd be better by now.

OUTSIDEWAVE

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #28 on: March 01, 2017, 11:16:46 AM »
I saw these guys out at at terramar in 2010   I talked to them and thought wow pretty interesting!   About the  same time  I began to slow down on may take offs I could catch waves but popping up to my feet was an issue to the point I had started thinking surf ski.

 Once up  I was just fine, usually getting  pretty good rides.  It was just the process of getting up   then I thought :"If I could just take off standing up? " 

and  so in 2011 I rented a couple of old laird boards  11x28 and 10 x 28  I think and my she and I went to the lagoon in carlsbad  and tried it. I emphasize  try  as there were a lot of jet skis going  in circles  so the  area where we were in  was like a washing machine  and I fell and fell  and fell some more, but finally  I paddle about a 150 feet without falling until the end and that was it.   a few time at baby beach on rented hobbie atr   then I bought a paddle surf hawaii 10'4  in about october  of 2011 
SEA BIRDS THEY DO TOUCH AND GO AS THE WORLD JUST TANGOES BY.... SO I SADDLE UP MY SEAHORSE WITH MY FLYROD IN MY HAND.... 10'3 King custom  10'6"  c4 da beachboy

surfafrica

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Re: When did you learn SUP?
« Reply #29 on: March 01, 2017, 11:43:16 AM »
Me and a couple friends bought SUPs in 2008 to give us something to do between trips to the break (nearest surf is 6+ hours away).  We mostly played around on them in lakes and rivers.  We weren't interested in distance paddling, but it felt good just doing something on a surf-like board to help feed the stoke.  We took them into the waves a few times back then, but never really caught the bug.  For me, the boards were too big and unruly (our boards were way too big for us in the waves).

In 2011, a virus took out my left vestibular system (ie balance).  I couldn't walk for a month or drive for 6 months.  I got back on a longboard a year later, but shortly after broke my back.  No more surfing.  After some more time out of the water, in 2014, I tried stand up again and it seemed to work out OK (but again, on a bigger board).  I immediately started researching new SUPs (and joined the Zone) and discovered that a bit of a renaissance was happening when it came to board shapes and sizes.  I quickly zeroed in on an L41 SIMS.  That board changed everything.  I was completely hooked. 

Do I wish I could have the option to surf? Yes.  But honestly, I think I come in to the beach happier on my SUPs these days than I used to on my surfboards. And the community of people on SUPs is a refreshing change from what we often experienced when surfing. I do appreciate that as well (this forum included).

Here's a pic of how my group's quiver has evolved over the years.  I jumped from the Liard (2008) to the SIMS (2015).
50 years old, 5'7", 150 lbs, intermediate
Infinity RNB: 7'6 x 28, 95 L https://goo.gl/SqlWR4
Kronos LB: 8'10 x 26.5, 84 L https://goo.gl/4iQdps
Kronos Nano: 7'4 x 26, 81 L https://goo.gl/kAM8W6

 


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