Lessons Learned from my 1st 100K week...

[LoudounSUP]

With the pandemic cancelling my planned 3-week trip to Italy, I decided to spend a week paddling Virginia's waterways to include the Potomac, Occoquan, James, Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean in Va. Beach. In total, 105 km of paddling over 7-days...here's what I learned.

(1) The ocean takes what it wants - no exceptions! (i.e., I was 'loosely' holding my fin trying to wash sand off and a wave swept it away, gone forever.)
(2) A sandy beach is not a good place to deflate your iSUP...especially when wet 
(3) When paddling in a 'high fall zone', wear cheap sunglasses. Another casualty from my first ocean paddle...lol.
(4) Know your river/ocean currents and think thru any out and back scenarios where you may be paddling back against the current and against a headwind! 
(5) Overuse injuries in SUP are a real thing. My shoulders feel like I a pitched a triple-header and I never knew I could injury ribcage muscles. 

[TallDude]

Been there..done all that, but you just did it in record time. 

[supthecreek]

Good week Lou!
That is a LOT of miles in one week on an inflatable!!!
Yewwwwww!

All classic lessons you will probably remember now 
Pay special attention to the wind/tide/current in trip planning, that little mistake has cost more than a few newbies their lives....that, and not wearing a leash.

[surfcowboy]

I started as a raw ocean newbie. It's fun, but yes, be careful and patient. It pays off. The ocean takes more than fins and sunglasses.

But a little study yields great rewards for sure. And I agree with tall dude, you packed a summer of mistakes into a week lol. Well done. I can't imagine paddling that far in a week. Well done.

[PonoBill]

That's some serious miles--like doing 2.5 Cape Cod Bay Challenge paddles in a week. I think I've done that much in a week training for the CCBC, but I'm not sure. If you keep it up you'll be able to do it regularly. But on an inflatable? No thanks.

I've learned and somehow unlearned that sunglasses lesson far too many times. The bottom at Kanaha is paved with my Maui Jims.

[LoudounSUP]

Bonus Pro Tip: If the water shoes you are wearing (prior to paddleboarding) stinks, your deck pad is also going to stink. 

(boy have I spent a bunch of time deodorizing the deck pad...lol)