PADDLING OUT

What it’s actually like to learn what looks like one of the easier watersports…

Words by Maggie Gannon

Paddleboarding is rapidly becoming one of the UK’s most popular water sports according to the UK’s Watersports Participation Survey. Perhaps there’s a bit of an assumption that paddleboarding remains one of the easier water sports to get involved in and therefore doesn’t require too much effort. I’m sure we’ve all seen the experts cruising down the river with not even an ounce of sweat on them, or our favourite influencer posing in swimwear while balanced on a board in Ibiza.

The reality? Paddleboarding can be pretty dangerous and requires you to have the right gear and idea before setting off. The RNLI stated that “lifeboat launches to paddleboard incidents went up 64% in 2021” to 144, compared to 88 incidents the year before.

before, on the day we were met with grey looming clouds and pretty strong winds. As we were kitting up, I started to feel was though maybe this wouldn’t be the glamourous experience I had seen online. Safety first, we had a briefing from our instructor about the more challenging aspects of the lake, before popping on our buoyancy aids. Having done some surfing before, underneath my aid I opted for a rash vest, (a tight-fitting shirt made of a spandex fabric), some comfy shorts that I didn’t mind getting too wet underneath, and a pair of water trainers (an old pair of trainers you don’t mind getting wet will do).

We were then taken down to the edge of the lake, where our instructor briefed us on the best place to position our knees on the board (this being just below a guideline in the middle) before briefing us on the right way to stand up.

10 Top Tips For Beginners

1) Get a lesson from a qualified professional

2) Wear a buoyancy aid (and a wetsuit if required)

3) Check the weather conditions

4) Avoid offshore winds

5) Avoid fast moving water areas

6) Don’t go alone

7) If taking your phone, make sure it’s in a sealed waterproof bag

8) Wear a safety leash

9) If you are in trouble stay with your board

10) Avoid objects ideally by positioning yourself two board lengths away

After convincing my dad to join me in giving paddleboarding a try, we headed down to Chichester Water Sports (CWS) to give it a go on their freshwater lake. About five minutes out of Chichester’s city centre, CWS is a great place to learn if you’re close to West Sussex. The centre provides an enclosed space for beginners to practice before heading out to sea and having to deal with potentially much harsher conditions. A private tuition session here will set you back £30 for an hour, but to just hire a board is £20.

Despite the forecast looking positive the night

I didn’t realise standing could be so complex. It involved keeping the knees parallel and slowly rolling up onto our feet, making sure our feet remained around a hip-width distance apart with a slight bend in our knees. Our instructor also suggested using the paddle as an aide, positioning it in the middle of the board, just in front of the knees to guide our hands up slowly when standing up.

After feeling fairly confident with the technique, I followed my dad out into the water. After gaining my balance on my knees it hit me that this was going to be harder than I had first envisioned. Paddling out into the lake it felt as though I was fighting a constant battle with the wind, and when I eventually reached the small cove to take a break I was panting and out of breath.

In contrast, on the way back the wind was almost pushing me forwards. I was able to enjoy the experience much more as I had nailed my paddling rhythm and started to settle into my surroundings. Having not felt comfortable enough to stand up before, a few metres away from the bank I gave it my best shot. To my surprise I didn’t fall in, but I had a close encounter when I lost control of my rhythm and went head-first into a moored-up boat. Stopping was also harder than I expected, wading my way through an abundance of seaweed I eventually just jumped off into the water.

Afterwards, although tired I felt revived. The combination of the fresh air and sense of calmness I had whilst being on the lake was really soothing.

So, would I try it again? Definitely. However, paddleboarding certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted and is much harder than it looks. Taking proper advice from a qualified instructor is crucial to not only enjoying the sport but also appreciating its calming nature.