Stand Up Paddles are part of a revival of an ancient aspect of surfing. Not exactly a kayaking paddlers idea of what a paddle is for, standing on a surf board and paddling past the breakers.
Although in ancient Polynesia surfers used a paddle out to fish, surf paddling never really caught on in modern times. However in the 1940s at Waikiki, the instructors and lifeguards would paddle out, standing up as it gave them a greater view of their pupils and the sea conditions. Now with lightweight boards and paddles, the technique is once again gaining in popularity. Many experienced surfers are adding stand-up paddling to their repetoire. With the paddle you can catch a wave even earlier than a long-boarder and paddling out over the waves is a totally different experience to ducking under.
Paddle surfing is not only a great way of catching waves, but it also is a 'Core Fitness' form of exercise. It uses all of your core stomach muscles as well as improving all round muscle tone. On top of this it is superb for your general fitness.
A S Watersports offer some of the best stand up paddles on the market today. Extensive research into paddle technology for kayaking has led to SUPs (Stand Up Paddles) being able to take advantage of these new techniques and designs. Foam cores, carbon or fibre-glass shafts allow great strength in addition to being lightweight. Please bear in mind that you will need a (very) long board to get the best out of stand up paddling. Many paddles come 'un-cut' allowing you to cut them to the perfect length for you.
