Tuesday, 19 April 2016

A Guide To Picking SUP Gear For Any Occasion

By James Harris


For anyone who is interested in watersports, the range of gear can be diverse and overwhelming. Whether you want to participate in SUP or another form of paddling, choosing the right equipment can help to ensure you are comfortable and safe when you are out on the water. Here is what you need to know about choosing the right gear if stand up paddleboarding is something you want to try.

This sport can be fun and challenging. It can help you develop strength, balance and endurance. Basically, an individual rides on a large board that can be made from various materials. Riders propel their board through the use of a long, single bladed paddle and steer their board in much the same way as they would paddle a canoe.

When you start looking at gear, you will quickly notice that there is a wide range of board sizes and styles. Some are meant for racing and may be more sharply pointed at the front. They tend to be quite easy to tip over. If you plan to travel longer distances or want a more stable model you may want to look at boards that are designed for touring instead of racing.

The right paddle is also important. You need to consider how tall you are in order to pick a model that is the right height. If it is too short, you will find yourself bending forward in order to get full force strokes and that can throw you off balance or make it much more tiring to paddle your board. Other things to consider are the weight of the paddle and the diameter of the shaft. All of these things can make a particular paddle more or less comfortable to use.

As with other sports that take place on the water, a life jacket is a very important piece of gear for a paddler to have. There are many different models on the market. A good choice will be one that has larger holes for your arms. Make sure that it will not rub or catch on your arms when you are performing different strokes.

Tether straps come with some boards but if yours does not come with one, you will need to purchase one. This is a cord that attaches to a loop that is worn around your ankle or wrist. The other end is attached to the board. The purpose of the tether is to prevent a board from being lost if the rider is thrown off of it.

If all you are doing is taking a brief paddle on smooth water you may not need much in the way of other gear. Some individuals will use their board to get from one place to another and may choose to camp or perform other activities using their board for transport. If you fall into this second category, consider clothing that will make being on the water more comfortable and bags that will keep any gear dry and securely strapped down.

Don't feel that you need to get everything at once. You can get a few basic pieces of gear and then start branching out as your paddling experience progresses. There are many places that you can buy gear including sports equipment stores, paddling specialty shops and websites that specialize in water sports gear.




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