SUP – Stand Up Paddle

 

The stand up paddle is a water sport that originates in Hawaii and have been conquering always more athletes. People say it has antique origins as it is said that Captain Cook, during the XVIII century, had seen natives in Polynesian waters that were fishing with lances standing on boards, using paddles  to move from one point to another.

 

But it was only around 2004 that SUP became officially a sport. And since then it began to spread its fame worldwide, and Sardinia is a favorite destination for SUP athletes due to its climate conditions and shore characteristics.

 

 

What is Stand Up Paddle?

 

The Stand Up Paddle is simply a surf and windsurf variation, that is practiced using a board (much more stable and bigger than the ones used for the other surf styles) and moving yourself using paddles. Usually the athlete stands up on the board, but it is possible to row also being sat or on your knees.

 

It could be defined as a fusion of surf and kayak.

 

This sport was born based on the need of the surfers to move themselves for long distances when there are no waves, and it satisfies the wish to practice water sport to kite and windsurfers when there is no wind to practice their sports.

 

It is possible to increase and decrease the intensity of the sport choosing more or less slight seas. If the sea is calm it is pretty simple to move with no special physical capacities; it becomes a more intensive sport when practiced where there are waves.

 

 

The advantages of SUP

 

The first advantage could be the possibility to explore shores only reachable by sea.

 

A second advantage is that it doesn’t require special physical conditions, as, when practiced in calm waters, it requires a little bit of equilibrium other than the mandatory rule to practice water sports: know how to swim.

 

The stand-up paddle is a water sport that can be practiced on any smooth sea, lake, river or pool.

 

According to its characteristic of being easy to practice, many industries in the business of water sport boards have already built a stand up paddle board very light and that can be disassembled  in three parts, to facilitate transportation and bolster the idea of a water sport that is easy to practice.

 

 

Why practice SUP?

 

The SUP champion Ekolu Kalama resumes in one paragraph what a person feels when practices this sport:

 

“SUP is not a sport, it is a life style. I wake up every morning and choose to be on a paddling board with a paddle in hand, rather than being on any other boat. To ride the waves is the top for me, but the more important is to be in the middle of the ocean and benefit from this God’s creation. The possibilities are endless with a stand up paddle. Add your mate, your children or even the home puppies and you will have a navigation experience that all the family can benefit from.”

 

The practice of stand up paddle brings also healthy improvements because the combination of balance and paddling is great to improve trunk tonus and strengthen arms and legs.

 

SUP is a sport for the whole family and doesn’t require any special condition, nor physical not meteorological. It combines physical activity with the pleasure of a walk on the water discovering new places that are not reachable otherwise.

 

 

SUP in Sardinia

 

In Sardinia it is possible to practice SUP quite anywhere. Its east shores allow SUP in calm or rough sea, depending on weather/wind conditions.

 

Along the west coast it is easier to find the waves to practice that kind of SUP closer to surf itself, where the surfer ride the waves with the paddle help.

 

The two most known places for water sports are Porto Pollo, in north Sardinia, and Chia at the south part of the island.

 

Porto Pollo is connected with Gabbiani island and offer ideal conditions for water sports, considering the local surf school opens in Easter and closes at the beginning of November.

 

Inside the bay the sea is usually calm, and who wants a rough sea just have to go outside the bay.

 

To be free to practice this sport as much as you want, we suggest you some special accommodations nearby these surfers paradises:

 

The hotel Luci di La Muntagna is a great option. It is in Porto Cervo, the center of the most known Emerald Coast.

 

The Abi D’Oru hotel is close to Olbia, located on a beautiful beach. Great for the location being able to go shopping and eating in Olbia.

 

If you prefer to go south, Chia beach is the main reference not only for stand up paddle, but for all other water sports. In Chia you can stay at Aquadulci hotel, close to Su Giuddeu beach, known for its dunes.

 

Contact us for more information calling 0789 23 948 or through reservations@wonderfulsardinia.com

 

 

 

Giulio Sacripanti

 

Photo credits:

1a foto: By A.belloc (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

2a foto: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons license.

3a: By Johnmartindavies (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

4a: By Bill Ebbesen (Transferred from en.wikipedia) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

 

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