Author Topic: Has the COVID crisis sparked a renaissance of Stand Up Paddleboarding?  (Read 7875 times)

blueplanetsurf

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I realize Hawaii is not always representative of the international market but it seems that trends in the Hawaii SUP market are leading indicators for the rest of the world and I have some good news.
After several years of slowing down and many SUP shops on Oahu shutting down we have recently seen big surge in interest from beginner Stand Up Paddlers.
As a safe and fun way to get exercise outdoors, SUP is an ideal way to get outside and here on Oahu we are seeing record numbers of new paddlers hitting the water.  May was a record retail month for our shop despite being closed for part of the month and operating out of a smaller location with less staff.  This may be a short term effect of the crisis and social distancing measures but I'm sure at least some of these new paddlers will keep doing it and will want to upgrade their gear later on so I'm optimisitic and think we will see a long term increase in interest in Stand Up Paddling.

Views of beginner SUP videos on our YouTube channel are also off the charts, see statistics of our "Top 10 beginner mistakes video" and views of all our videos.
I'm wondering if you have seen the same thing happen in your local area.



Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

blueplanetsurf

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This is the video that has seen a huge increase in views recently:
https://youtu.be/yD5AUo7S7Cg
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

supsean

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Well there was one other paddle boarded out where I surf Yesterday which was definitely an improvement. Haha. I hope it comes back as I missed the first rush and feel a little lonely here in Rockaway Beach Queens, NY. But I have a feeling that having a small apartment and taking public transport  has kept a lot of people from getting into the sport here.
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Dwight (DW)

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I realize Hawaii is not always representative of the international market but it seems that trends in the Hawaii SUP market are leading indicators for the rest of the world and I have some good news.
After several years of slowing down and many SUP shops on Oahu shutting down we have recently seen big surge in interest from beginner Stand Up Paddlers.
As a safe and fun way to get exercise outdoors, SUP is an ideal way to get outside and here on Oahu we are seeing record numbers of new paddlers hitting the water.  May was a record retail month for our shop despite being closed for part of the month and operating out of a smaller location with less staff.  This may be a short term effect of the crisis and social distancing measures but I'm sure at least some of these new paddlers will keep doing it and will want to upgrade their gear later on so I'm optimisitic and think we will see a long term increase in interest in Stand Up Paddling.

Views of beginner SUP videos on our YouTube channel are also off the charts, see statistics of our "Top 10 beginner mistakes video" and views of all our videos.
I'm wondering if you have seen the same thing happen in your local area.

So you’re telling me these out of control crowds at every single water access point in Florida (on the weekends) is a trend......SHIT...I HATE YOU RIGHT NOW  ;D ;D

TallDude

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Great news Robert! I'm stoked for you, your staff, and your shop. I am seeing new faces in the SUP surfing lineup. I'm seeing a few I haven't seen in years getting back into it. One gal got married and had a baby. Now that her kid is 6, she's finding time on the water again. She surfed the outer reef at Doheny with me this morning. She was stoked, and charging the big stuff.
It's not overhead to me!
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NorthJerzSurfer

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Right now in NJ you cant even find a used board- especially an allrounder.  This time 4 months ago there were 20-30 on the local craigslist or Letgo and none were selling.

I had a Jimmy Lewis Carbon Supertech i thought wasnt worth selling but i wasnt really riding- I decided to list because i was amazed how few boards were around.......it just sold it for hundreds more than i ever thought I would get to someone just looking for a flatwater Sup- despite me telling them its not for flatwater.

They told me they couldnt even find a new board at the shops (that were open)


Chan

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Bicycle shops are reporting that they are almost out of inventory.  How awesome is that?  It would be great if we could come out of this tragic experience healthier, happier, and with a greater appreciation for our environment.

surfcowboy

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Amen Chan. What if we slowed down a bit? Amazing.

blueplanetsurf

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Bicycle shops are reporting that they are almost out of inventory.  How awesome is that?  It would be great if we could come out of this tragic experience healthier, happier, and with a greater appreciation for our environment.
Yes, it seems to have had that effect on people and let's hope it stays that way.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

seadart

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I've seen your video posted on the front page of the website www.paddling.com.  It's mostly for kayakers but it has a lot of content for SUP and a subsection of the bulletin board for SUP ( doesn't get many posts though.)

The flip side of the bike boost is now garage thieves are roaming neighborhoods near me, looking for an open door, or unlocked side door.  A few bikes have been stolen while their owners were just a few feet away.

I have not seen a lot of SUP surfers out on the water.  I only get out about once a week now, because the local government  in San Diego county has kept all parking lots at beaches closed. There are a few spots where if you know the area you can park early in the morning and paddle/surf. I'm actually seeing a lot less people out on SUPs.  Getting out once or twice a week gives me something to look forward to, and clears the mind,  I feel a lot healthier since the lock down relaxed a bit.

Hail SUPn

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I wonder if some of the lack of inventory is due to delays in the supply chain. I’m waiting a two new boards that are in transit on a cargo ship. 6-8 weeks time frame on shipping.  Cargo ships are much slower than airplanes.  Maybe some of the board reps/dealers could shed some light on this if they are having any issues.

Green Water Sports

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I wonder if some of the lack of inventory is due to delays in the supply chain. I’m waiting a two new boards that are in transit on a cargo ship. 6-8 weeks time frame on shipping.  Cargo ships are much slower than airplanes.  Maybe some of the board reps/dealers could shed some light on this if they are having any issues.

Some things have been slow out of China. In the USA, parts of the country have been in lock down meaning fewer staff attending to shipments, if the warehouses are open at all. With drastically reduced passenger flights, airfreight is about triple what it normally is and while ships are slow, they are affordable. We are generally ok for inventory, but we are slowed down by the stateside warehousing and freight due to lockdowns and now protests. I did have to airfreight some items, those items won't ever go on sale!
Julian
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PonoBill

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Weird and unpredictable. It's very odd how many moving parts go into making up "normal".
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MLB

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YES - Here in the "years behind" midwest they are finally catching on.  The lake we visit has gone from mine and a couple of other boarders 3 years ago to regular paddle boards going by the dock now. 
In one of the more telling details, Costco was sold out of their spring allotment of Body Glove boards a couple of weeks after they arrived in our town. They have since restocked.
Also seeing a lot more small kayaks.
There's been a lot of info in the last year attesting to the benefits of paddle boarding for folks and I think that is starting to get attention as well.

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Has the COVID crisis sparked a renaissance of Stand Up Paddleboarding?
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2020, 11:08:19 AM »
This upbeat news story originally ran on KHON news, this is a longer edit of the story about the Blue Planet Surf Shop that was featured on Sports People Hawaii, a TV show on Oceanic Channel 16.  The Stand Up Paddleboard business has been thriving during the pandemic.  While there were less exercise options available, with gyms and team sports locked down, the ocean was wide open.  More people than ever before took to the water in 2020 to have fun, get exercise and have a bit of adventure while being safe and socially distanced.  Thank you for choosing Blue Planet and for supporting our business during these challenging times.

https://youtu.be/GRZrdB-fvGc
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

 


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