Stand Up Paddleboarding

This weekend we had big plans to get together with our friends Matt & Alissa to use a Groupon we had purchased from Wave Hounds Surf Shop for renting stand up paddleboards. SUP-ing seems to be the latest and greatest outdoor sport, so we definitely wanted to give it a whirl.

We arrived at the surf shop and piled the four HUGE boards onto Alissa's car and headed to Gas Works Park to launch. The boards were extremely heavy and awkward to carry along with the paddles and life jackets, but we finally made it to the water. Even though it was the second day of fall the weather was gorgeous in the mid-70s with sunshine and some fluffy clouds.

At first, standing on the board felt kind of awkward and I felt like I might lose my balance and slip off at any moment, but it didn't take long to get the hang of it and we headed off around the lake. Everyone on shore at the park was fascinated by the paddleboards and many took pictures and asked about what we were doing so they could try it themselves. 

We paddled around looking at house boats and yachts along the west side of the lake for a while and our only regret was that we hadn't brought along some beverages. Tons of float planes were coming in to land and while watching one of them I ceased to pay attention, lost my balance, and fell into the lake. I was kind of sweaty by that point anyway though, so I didn't mind and Stew jumped off himself for a quick dip. 

We stayed out for a couple hours before we headed in for the most delicious lunch of my life... more on that later. Overall I'd say I am a huge fan of SUP-ing and I'd definitely do it again. However, the regularly priced rentals can be kind of pricey, so if you're interested and you see a deal pop up online, snag it!