Why all whitewater kayakers should try inflatable SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) on whitewater:
- Improves your balance
- Improves your paddle strokes
- Easier to travel with than a kayak
- Fits in your car boot
- Different point of view of the rapids
- Easier to see where you are going and pick the correct lines
- Makes your local grade 2 / 3 river run fun again
- Easy to hike with
- Closer to surfing
- Easy to get on and off
- Quick to get on a rock for when you are doing safety with a throw bag
- Quick to get back on from a rock
- No spraydeck to fumble with
- No sore feet and back
- Great exercise
- It looks cool
- You already have a lot of the kit needed
- You already know river safety
- You can already read rapids
- It is a related, but new skill set you will develop
- It pushes your skill level even on easy whitewater
- You can take your dog along
- It is a fast growing sport
Ok, so if you counted there is 23 reasons, but 20 sounded better for the heading. Enjoy.
I still love kayaking and will continue to kayak. Kayak festivals are great and running hard whitewater I still prefer my creek boat, but for almost anything else I now use a SUP. The two sports are great together. When the waterlevels are up and the river gets hectic I get in to my kayak, the rest of the year I keep the smile going with my SUP.
Just go out and try whitewater SUP today. You won’t be sorry.
