Inflatable paddleboard is one of the best additional activities if you are on holiday at sea, on a yacht. Water and fun are the common denominator. If you're already a bit dishevelled and broken from the cockpit of your charter vessel, a paddleboard is the perfect activity to get your blood flowing again and enhance your seaside experience.
What is a paddleboard?
There are an incredible number of types and subtypes of paddleboards today. The most convenient is to take an all-purpose inflatable SUP with you on the boat, the so-called iSUP (i = inflatable, inflatable), allround (= all-round, versatile).
The "board" itself consists of several layers connected to each other by lamination and drop-stitch technology, where the top and bottom inner side of the board is literally "stitched" together with reinforcing fibres ensuring torsional rigidity of the whole float.
The length of the universal board is somewhere in the middle between wave and rapids boards (which are the smallest) and cruising and racing boards (which are usually longer). It is also one of the rounder, more rounded boards (as opposed to the pointed cruisingand racing variants), so you can translate "all-round" as "all-round"
The paddleboard is also equipped with a fin (called. The paddleboard is also equipped with a flosna, which helps with maintaining direction and stability, a proper pump for inflation and of course a paddle, preferably foldable and adjustable in height. Leash (the cord connecting the board to the rider's leg) is sometimes not included in the standard delivery, as it is usedused mainly in wilder waters or in stronger winds, when there is a real risk of the board drifting away. But somewhere near the rear toe you should find a fixed eyelet in any case. This is just for attaching a leash, but it will also work well whenever you need to tie the paddleboard down.
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The right all-purpose paddleboard has a PVA non-slip surface on the top surface in addition to a rubber net to hold small equipment, such as drinks or a backpack, that you want to take ashore. Sometimes in the equipment of the board you will also find a set of patches to patch up possible disasters, e.g. at sharp coral reefs.
What is paddleboarding actually good for?
Stand-up paddleboarding has undeniable health benefits. Keeping your balance on a wobbly craft in the waves, or trying to move faster, will strengthen not only the muscles of the shoulders, arms and chestbut also the nowadays much-touted musculature located deeper in the body's core, which takes care of, among other things, stabilizing the spine (the so-called "spinal stabilization"). "Core"). The necessary coordination of movements and the maintenance of balance involve all the musculature of the human body.
Such a paddleboard also has an undeniable socialising function. If you take your board with you on a yacht, you will suddenly become a very popular member of the crew. Everyone will also want to try it out, borrow equipment from you - and most importantly, have fun with you. A board with sufficient displacement can serve as a base for several people. People of all ages with a positive relationship to liquid water will quickly take to the balance and stand-up paddling.
"For beginners, I would definitely recommend a universal board, which is stable enough thanks to its dimensions and has a versatileuse," recommends Michal Kopáček. "In Croatia we rode smaller waves in the sea with it, you can ride rivers with it and you can comfortably take a woman and her offspring out on a calm surface," he adds.
A few tips for getting started on SUP
- Stand in the middle of the float, in the centre of its centre of gravity. If you're not sure which of the two rounded ends should actually face forward, it's the one without the stabilising fin(s) underneath.
- The side on which you paddle is regularly alternated after 3–5 strokes. Keep the lower arm taut while paddling. We do not "boil the water" with the paddle, but rather try to "stick" it in the water and move forward with the body. The strokes are significantly shorter than in a kayak or canoe.
- The paddle length is set by the formula: rider size + 2 fist widths. In other words, the paddle must be long enough to plunge the entire blade into the water without any problems or sideways leaning of the rider.
- For beginners, boarding is easiest when done on all fours. Lay the paddle across the float, with one hand to hold the center loop, and add one knee. Then bring the other knee on board and align the body in the correct direction and over the center of the float. Raising the butt, the paddle hands break contact with the board and we slowly lift. During the actual ride, we stand with our feet turned in the direction of travel, about shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent.
What about a paddleboard at sea?
On a paddleboard you can discover hidden corners of the coastline, narrow or shallow bays that are no longer accessible by boat. At the same time, it's a quick and healthy alternative to a small dinghy, with which, for example, your crewmates may have just gone somewhere.
Not to mention that you can also use the paddleboard as an extension of the stern bathing platform (badenplato) in calmer seas and catch more bronze on its pleasant and non-slippery surface. Less responsible individuals do not hesitate to tie the float behind the boat and pull individual crew members on it behind the boat.
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From the description and photos alone, you can get an idea of how much fun paddleboarding must be. Believe me, it's actually much bigger than that. On our website, you're sure to find your dream boat for a holiday at sea – and we can even pack you a proper SUP to go with it. But see for yourself what else you can rent with your yacht.
What other activities can you combine with sailing?
Do you want to rent a boat with a paddleboard? I am here for you!
