So finally you have got round to booking your holiday, its at the beach and you are keen to have a go at Stand-up-paddle boarding… it’s all over Instagram and Facebook this summer, it looks easy enough, just the thing to help you relax. Well, it is all of those things, but as we are all learning, it’s never quite as easy as social media will have you believe. I defy anyone to jump on a SUP for the first time, stand up and take a selfie without falling in – honestly, leave your phone on the beach, it’s safer for it.

Now some friendly advice. Something we have seen a lot over this summer has been people turning up at the beach with a supermarket brought SUP board… it seems you can buy anything with your groceries these days… but please be very careful when buying kit you are going to rely on to keep you afloat alongside your daily shop. They are stack-em high, sell-em cheap pieces of kit that fall very short of the standard required by most adults, potentially making your first foray into the world of SUP very wet!

Here at the Ocean Sports Centre our ethos is to get as many people out and enjoying the ocean as possible – However, the ocean can be a dangerous place, you are playing with nature; the best playground in the world if you know what you are doing, and that’s why a lesson is the best way to start your SUP’ing life.

Every time we head out on the ocean with a group of people, beginners or experienced alike, we start off by having a look around at the elements to make sure we know what we are getting ourselves into. Things like, is the tide coming in or going out? Which direction is the wind blowing in? What’s the sea state like? Basically, what is the weather like and how is it going to affect us on the ocean. This then allows us to plan our trip maximizing our safety and allows us to use the elements rather than fight them.

Our ASI approved SUPwise starter lessons are perfect to get you safely up and paddling within a couple of hours. You can join in with one of our daily group lessons or have your very own private instructor. The starter lesson focuses on the basics of getting on your board, both from on land and when you are in the sea (easy when you know how!). Where you should be standing on your board, setting your paddle up and using it correctly, and then actually paddling your board, forwards, backwards and turning (a very useful skill).

As well as getting you up and paddling with a decent idea of safety, other advantages of coming to us is we are a font of useful SUP’ing knowledge – from what kit to buy to where to buy it and whether you would be better off buying or hiring.

We would like to leave you with a little thought about buying cheap throw away kit – a cheap SUP from a supermarket with set you back around £200 – we rent SUP’s for £10 an hour, £200 will buy you an hour every day for nearly 3 weeks! By which time you will have realized you need a better SUP if you are going to get on with this sport. Plus you won’t have to carry it to and from the beach everyday, you won’t have to clean it, nor will you have to take it home and store it for a year! And next year we will have another shiny new one for you to use!