Stand up paddle surfing & Stand up paddle boarding
The Water Temperature is:14° C
Tides:
| 02:28 | 1 m | LW |
| 08:45 | 9 m | HW |
| 14:46 | 1 m | LW |
| 21:06 | 10 m | HW |
The Estimated Wave Height is:1-5ft
Stand up paddle surfing & Stand up paddle boarding
The Water Temperature is:14° C
Tides:
| 02:28 | 1 m | LW |
| 08:45 | 9 m | HW |
| 14:46 | 1 m | LW |
| 21:06 | 10 m | HW |
The Estimated Wave Height is:1-5ft
Check out the reviews of SUP boards we have ridden on the review page or call us for a chat to discuss your board requirements.
The 2nd round of the British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) 2008 series takes place over the weekend of June 14/15th at Gwithian Beach Cornwall. Come on down to check things out - Mingle with the UK’s finest SUP crew !
The most addictive sport to hit the U.K shores, Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is shown in the media as being enjoyed on the coast prodominantly however SUP’s are superb platforms for exploring any stretch of water coastal or inland. Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is a fun sport for all the family and a great way to keep actively fit , chuck waves into the equation and you’ve got a sport that will get anyone hooked.
With all this lovely sunshine and no wind we decided it was time we explored the ‘Worm’s head’ at the Westerly tip of Rhossilli bay. So with a light South east breeze we set off from Rhossilli beach at an hour before low with the intention of using the tide to push us back. The paddle was awesome with Seals basking in the midday sun and schools of bass passing under our boards, it took us at leisure 2 hours to paddleboard to the worm catch a few small waves just off the Worms head and then paddle back.
The ‘Prosport Sunscreen’ we all used was fantastic at keeping the sun from burning our faces while we sweated and messed around with the seals in the water.Prosport 8 hour waterproof sunscreen has been developed for people who lead an active lifestyle, yet do not want to constantly have to reapply sunscreen it comes in various SPF factors check it here Prosport sunscreen
We then enjoyed a great little paddlesurf session at Rhossilli with 1-2 ft waves and no one in the water, it really go’s to show how versatile SUP boards can be!!
On Monday I got the Call from Olly at BigBluekitesurfing ‘You Keen’?
I had heard of the spot but had not personally seen it, so after a excited ‘yes’, I got straight onto youtube to find some video footage so I could be mentally prepared.There are plenty of fishermen’s tales about ‘The Bitches’ and some which misrepresent what is out there - for better or worse. It is rare for a first time Bitcher to come back having experienced what they were expecting. For those dragged along ‘because it’s good for you’, eyes may still be out on stalks, whilst hardened big water paddlers maybe relieved at the lack of mermaids snatching at their decks. In short it is a standing wave caused by the fast flowing tides funelled between the mainland and Ramsey island in pembrokeshire.
Kayakers have been surfing it for years however we believe we were the first ever to Stand up paddlesurf it and it was a really exhilerating experience and so much fun. We actually cheated and got a ride out to the spot in a Zapcat but the Hardcore kayakers will paddle from the mainland and information on how to, when and where can be found at the The Bitches website.(the-bitches.co.uk)The Bitches website If a paddlesurfer was to attempt the paddle over to ‘the bitches’ they would want to make sure they had the stamina to make it back, Its definately no joke out there, and we were thoroughly knackered after all the paddling especially after a unsuccesful wave/wipeout which meant you could be swept 100m away from the wave unless you could recover the board quick enough.
The Bitches can work on all tides, big tides however ( 6.5m and above) are the most powerful and can produce standing waves 8ft tall , but we believed this to be a kayakers 8ft so SUP ‘ers 4ft which is still a fair size. It took us around an hour to get the place wired and figure out how best to ferry glide over to the peak or drop back onto the wave by paddling off a nearby rock, but by the 2nd hour the place was firing and the Pocket or ‘Hole’ as the kayakers call it was really starting to show. Our first attempts were laughable and we soon figured out the best method to get on the super clean 3ft face, however as most SUP boards are pretty big, getting the board over to the ‘Hole’ was great, trying to keep a 12ft board in there was even harder. Olly was all over it, the Naish 11′6 with its huge volume and rocker line was the perfect tool for the job, even the kayakers seemed interested in having a go and especially in my carbon paddle. We exchanged waves for 3 hours and left stoked vowing to return on the next big spring tide.
So Anything is possible on a SUP- Move over the revolution is coming !
In terms of equipment needed to SUP a standing wave a leash is definately needed aswell as an impact vest and decent warm wetsuit, You may also want to take a larger board out as some standing waves break so fast that unless you have a board with good flat water paddling speed it becomes very hard to mimic the waves pace.I found this out while using my Gongsup 10′2 greedy which did’nt quite have the paddle speed to successfully get onto the waves.The 12ft No friend attitude or the 11ft Jimmy lewis allrounder would have been perfect out there. If you attempt to paddle over; a VHF radio and a onshore friend to watch your treacherous paddle back would not go a miss either.
(Bring on the summer !)
Initially planned for the Saturday the event had to be moved to the sunday because of high winds and rain. However on sunday morining the demo went ahead with around 15 participants from all sorts of watersport backgrounds to try out this exciting new boardsport on Swansea bay, South wales.The conditions were not ideal with a 15mph South west Breeze challenging the paddlers on their maiden voyages, but with the sun high in the sky after the start of British Summer Time everyone seemed to love the whole SUP experience.’Its not as easy as its looks’ were the comments from the small crowd however everyone did very well under the windy conditions and the sunshine certainly helped put a smile on everyones face! The Quiver kaddy put in an appearance and really helped us to carry the boards back and forth up the beach all day.
There were a range of Jimmy Lewis stand up paddleboards and Gong (Galaxy of new Generations) paddleboards on offer to demo and all participants were met with a BBQ burger and Hot dog after their windy sessions.We will be holding futher stand up paddleboard demos so stay tuned and Register with us by sending an email to events@supgower.com to stay in the loop.
When there is wind we kite but when the wind stops blowing we stand up!Imagine a sport that can be a relaxing cruise along the coastline taking in the wild-life, a thorough cardiovascular work-out or a heart pounding adrenaline ride in equal measure - and you’ll know what’s SUP. Stand up paddleboarding, or paddlesurfing, is the latest adrenaline water sport to hit the U.K shores and there is no better place to try it out than at SUP Gower on the stunning Gower peninsula in South Wales.The revived sport was started by the ancient Hawaiians and gained recognition in the 1960’s when the Hawaiian Beachboys used to paddle out into the surf to take pictures of the tourists when they were surfing. It involves standing up on a large long board and propelling yourself along with what is essentially a canoe paddle. Today it has been adopted by surfers world-wide as an alternative offshoot of the real thing, as well as a core fitness activity. Even Hollywood A-listers such as Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson have been spotted with a paddle.SUP Gower was launched this year by Matt Barker Smith as part of Gower Kite Riders, a water sports school specializing in kite surfing. Its prime location, in the seaside village of Mumbles gives it access to unlimited stretches of beautiful coastline, from mile upon mile of golden sands to limestone cliffs and marine nature reserves. Says Matt, “As well as being lots of fun, stand-up paddling is a very good aerobic and strength training exercise. Depending on how vigorously you attack it, SUP can be anything from a comfortable cruise down the coast to a heart-pounding, calorie-burning workout for your core muscles.”Stand-up paddle surfing gives your whole body a work-out, and any weaknesses - whether it is your abs, legs, shoulders, back, arms or even your wrists - will be targeted and made right. As with any new sport, you will be sore at first, but those sore weaknesses will soon be turned to core strengths.”Because of the size, you can stand on a paddle board and feel very stable, unlike a surfboard. A lot of people give up on learning to surf, but this is a happy medium. The people I have shown how to do it picked it up the first time they tried it and were even catching waves.”Take these boards into waves of consequence and your eyes will open to the possibilities of surfing untouched uncrowded waves and getting the best buzz!So…what’s SUP Gower? Why not come and see for yourself. SUP is a great all round sport and the Gower peninsula provides a stunning backdrop for it. Just stand up, add water - and the possibilities for fun are endless.Stand up paddleboarding Reviews
