SUP

New and exciting for 2012. Weekly clinics and demos for those interested in getting started. The sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding has really taken off and we have the equipment and expertise to help you learn and enjoy this activity.

Gary Wilson our surfboard shaper built our first SUP’s about 5 years ago and since that time we have refined the boards to be more user friendly than the first ones we built. Now in what I call the 2nd generation of paddleboards, the shapes and dimensions have changed. Most of the first boards were 11-12 feet long weighing 25-30 lbs. Not what I would call user friendly. The 2nd generation boards are mostly shorter, wider, thicker, and lighter than they were in the past. This is way better then what we have had in the past especially for women.

I see the SUP market moving in 3 basic directions. The surfer market. Probably the smallest in numbers only because this sport is not just a coastal activity anymore. It can be done on lakes, rivers or any body of water. The surfer market will start out on a large board (10-11 ft) until they can master something under 9 feet. Once they get a taste of riding a small SUP in the surf, chances are they will be retiring their longboard and finding a comfortable size SUP for the surf

The open ocean/flat water racer market is the next one. This one can be a very technical customer because the price of these boards can be upwards of 2K.

These boards have 2 classes of sizes and are either 12’6 or 14′ and over. I bought my first race board from the guys at MHL in Puerto Rico. They make custom hand laminated carbon fiber missiles that fly across the water. All the major brands do race/flat water boards. The 3rd and largest segment of the market is the recreational paddler. They may like the ocean but not necessarily be a surfer. They may live around a river lake or waterway.This group of paddlers will be looking  more for the exercise aspect of the sport. The board for this particular customer is not so technical but all around flotation, stability and handling will be a deciding factor when choosing a board. We are here to help anyone interested in giving this new activity a try.