August 15, 2018

Your Guide to Relaxing on a Paddle Board (SUP)

Even though paddle boarding can provide a great fitness activity, many people just want to relax on the water. Sometimes that can be easier said than done. When paddle boarding on vacation, you may have kids or others with you. While it can be fun to be with family or friends sometimes it can take away from the whole relaxing on a paddle board experience.

The key to having a relaxing experience on your SUP is planning ahead to accommodate the needs of everyone involved or knowing the best individual experience for something that helps you relax the most. Let’s take a look at how we can accomplish that.

Renting a Paddle Board on Vacation

A lot of times, our first encounter with a SUP is while vacationing near water. Many lakes, oceanfront, or beach resorts will have spots to rent recreational water activity equipment.

So, we may decide to try a paddle board through a one hour or daily rental option. It could be that a friend recommended trying it, you’ve seen something about it, or it just looked cool.

Regardless, if you are encountering a paddle board for the first time through this means, let’s take a look at how it can be more of a relaxing experience.

Getting that Relaxation as a Paddle Board Newbie

If you’re planning on renting a paddle board for the first time while on vacation, it may help to watch some videos on how to paddle board or do a little research on beginner’s tips before your trip.

This will help you to be more prepared when you try SUP, so you can get more enjoyment out of it.

Paddle Boarding really isn’t rocket science, but just having some knowledge of how to get up on your board or properly use your paddle will help you to feel more comfortable that first time.

Sometimes it can be difficult to fully enjoy something on the first experience, especially if you are wanting to relax.

If you go on vacation and decide to try paddle boarding for an hour, you may not get the full effects of a relaxing time.

Not to say that you won’t have fun, but when you are learning how to stand up on your board, properly use a paddle, and just figuring out how to get around, it’s going to make for a different kind of experience.

Relaxing on a Paddle Board with Kids

I have four wonderful kids, all under the age of 9. Travelling can be an adventure, to say the least.

Sometimes when travelling with kids, it doesn’t feel like a vacation. Kids have a lot of energy and demands for parent’s time whether it is at home or on vacation.

If you can find things that will help occupy kid’s minds and activities to keep them busy, it’ll go a long way. When you are out at the lake, ocean, or water spot, leave the electronic devices behind.

Give them a break from mind-numbing devices, so your kids can experience nature, and its surroundings.

Do your best to stake out an area and let the kids know this is where we will be spending our time. Letting them know the expectations, like giving them a reminder to stay in eye sight, can help.

My older kids love being in the water and trying new adventures. Where as my younger kids, not so much.

So, this makes it challenging for everybody to get out on a paddle board at the same time. It’ll help to work out a system with the other parent or adult’s supervising to create an experience that can be as enjoyable for everyone as possible.

The last thing you want for a relaxing experience is to have the kids yelling and arguing about who gets to ride when.

The parent or adult left behind can help occupy the other kids with some beach activities, exploring, or swimming. Lastly, allow time for the adults to get a chance to go out on their own time.

Relaxing with other Guests

It’s great getting together with a group of friends or family to getaway together, but sometimes getting everyone’s personal agenda to align with the group can be difficult.

It could be that you had the expectation of wanting to go paddle boarding, but some of the other members of the group didn’t.

Your message may be best received if you invite everyone to go paddle boarding, versus just expecting others to do what you want.

I would recommend that everyone have their own SUP when deciding to rent with a group on vacation. Say you have a pair of couples and you decide to just get one paddle board per couple, it can create riffs if people don’t want to ride when the other wants too.

Getting an individual board can still allow you to have that togetherness of the experience or an individual experience depending on what is more relaxing for you.

You can always choose to ride with someone if you have the extra paddle boards.

Activities to promote Relaxation on SUP

We’ve discussed some ways to make SUP while on vacation with others or for the first time a little bit more relaxing, so let’s look at some activities for SUP riders that have the ability to ride more consistently, and what they can do for relaxation.

Of course there are the fitness based activities that are great like Yoga and things like fishing that are awesome SUP activities for improving relaxation, but I wanted to look at a few things out of the ordinary for relaxation on a paddle board.

Hammock for Paddle Board

Is there anything more relaxing then laying in a hammock? How about laying in a hammock on the water.

There isn’t much that is more relaxing then feeling the breeze against your face, hearing the water ripples, and feeling the sun on warming your skin.

Laying on your paddle board is an option, but probably not the most comfortable option.

As crazy as it sounds, you can actually purchase a hammock frame for paddle boards that even works for inflatable paddle boards.

It does require putting two SUPs together to put the frame up. Hammocraft creates the product using a simple to put together aluminum frame to hold up to five hammocks.

The hammocks hang along parallel to the outside edges of the paddle boards. The hammock frame can also be used on land, so you could paddle board with it during the day, and use it for camping at night.

It does come with a hefty price tag, but could be a cool toy.

Read a Book

One of the best beach activities is just laying around getting lost in a book.

There is actually research that suggests that reading is the best way to relax. Reading in a short amount of time, like only a few minutes, can have a big impact on reducing stress levels.

Reading has shown to reduce stress quicker than many other forms of relaxation like listening to music or walking.

You may be wondering how am I going to read while standing up on a paddle board, well good question.

Assuming you can’t afford the wonderful hammock option previously discussed, a SUP chair is a more affordable purchase. Here are a couple good options to look it.

THURSO SURF Paddle Board Seat SUP Seat $89.99

Blue Water Toys BWAC-021SS SUP Seat $49.99

Saturn Aluminum Lightweight Folding Beach Chair, Fishing Seat, SUP Paddle Board Seat, $69.00

Padillak SUP Touring Seat $99.00

Watch the Sunset and Stargaze

Taking time to observe and appreciate the beauty of our surroundings is relaxing for the soul. Watching the sunset on the water or stargazing are two of the best ways to experience nature at its finest.

I haven’t attempted it yet, but I am dying to try laying out on my board and just observing the night time starry skies. Star gazing can help put those daily stressors that can feel so huge, into perspective.

Living in the city makes it hard to appreciate the night time sky. This is probably an activity suited better for a private lake or something close to the shoreline, since you have the safety issues of boats and such.