William and Adam are both 10 and have been SUPing together for a year, mostly on the River Stour in Dorset, with their Dads.
It looks really hard to balance on those boards. Don’t you just fall off all the time?
William “No you don’t as long as you keep your weight in the middle of the board you will be OK. It only took me one or two goes before I was fine on flat water. I think it is a good idea to get a quick lesson when you start from someone who is experienced so you get the basics right and learn to paddle properly etc. You improve really quickly so don’t worry if you fall off a bit on your first go. My Dad fell in 14 times in an hour when we started but even he’s got it now.”
Adam “It is easier than it looks if you have good balance. If you are a bit wobbly you can always start off on your knees.
If you want to try I recommend wearing a wetsuit because you may fall in a few times at first, but it depends how hard you push yourself or how confident you are.
Little kids will also love it. When I was 4 my Dad used to sit me on the front while he paddled us around in the waves.”
The boards look really big and heavy. Are they?
William “The great thing about inflatables is that they are really light and easy to carry. You can take them with you on holiday and if you need to pick them up to get around a weir or something on the river, you can lift them very easily.”
Adam “No, I can easily carry my board. I also use an inflatable board because it doesn’t hurt when I fall on it. I have used my Dad’s surf SUP on the sea a few times but that’s more difficult.”
Are inflatable boards hard to pump up?
William “Not if you take your Dad with you!!”
Adam “One of the best bits is letting the air out at the end. It comes our really fast!”
Is it fun?
William “Yeah it’s great fun. I love paddle boarding down the rive. There’s lots to see and we always stop for cake or lunch. We also go out on the sea and it’s a really fun thing to try because when you get better you can ride the waves.”
Adam “Messing about on the water is the best bit. I love the river but can’t wait to do more in the sea on the waves this year. Give it a try because it’s epic!”