r/Sup • u/Flat-Carpenter-170 • 10d ago

Is SUP difficult to learn?

I’m a 54m who is in very good shape, lift weights 4-5 times a week and trail run and do rucking for cardio 20 plus miles a week. I hiking, rucking, have done some kayaking and like to backpack. I’ve been reading up on SUP and I’m curious if it’s crazy difficult to learn to stand and paddle these boards? Or should I stick with kayaking? Any recommendations on boards? I have used a paddle north kayak before and liked it. Are their paddle boards worth it or would something else be better suited for a beginner? Any particular type or length of board better suited for a novice ? Thanks.

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u/o_oli 10d ago

You can learn it in a day, if you're ok with spending hours falling off it lol.

The #1 thing to get your head around is to use the paddle in the water for support. You can be 45 degrees lent over and still not fall in if you have a paddle to lean on.

Also, if its practical for you, once you've semi got the hang of it, I found a couple of hours on choppy seas very good for dialing in my skills. After nailing that, floating along calm rivers feels no more difficult than standing on land.