Introduction to Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)

With the perfect combination of lakes and rivers, Cumbria has some of the finest paddling in the country. We can introduce you to the joys of SUP paddling in a variety of venues. Our two or three day introductory course would include all you need to get you started along with the opportunity to paddle in some of the most beautiful places in the country.

The Lake District is our favourite place to paddle. However the best paddling is often when it rains the most. Many more interesting journeys become available as the river levels rise. There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.

With this in mind we will provide you with a drysuit for the duration of the course. This means that you will stay fairly dry, even if you feel like having a bit of a swim. Feel free to try stuff without that cold wet consequence. Of course, if shorts and tee shirts are the way forward, that is ok too.

Course content

The first day will be spent on a sheltered part of Ullswater to work on personal skill such as:

• Board set up and use of leashes.
• Balance and managing the wobbly times with good paddling techniques.
• Manoeuvring the board with tight or gentle turns.
• Maintaining direction when wind or current is pushing the board around.
• Simple rescue techniques for yourself and others.
• Trip planning and carrying equipment.

At the end of the first day we will plan a journey together which could be:

• A journey on Ullswater or Derwent Water.
• A trip on the river Eden.

Please note precise plans are rare in the outdoors. All plans are subject to change with different weather and water levels.

During this day we would encourage you to use the skills developed from the previous day in a more challenging environment.

Equipment

We will provide you with all the technical equipment you need from our extensive range of high quality kit. This will include:

• Use of our range of paddleboards.
• A drysuit.
• SUP paddle appropriate for you.
• Top quality white water buoyancy aid.
• Helmet.
• A small dry bag to put your valuables in.
• Spare clothing can be carried on the trip in one of our larger dry bags.

We will bring a range of other equipment options so that you can start to gather information about equipment you might purchase at a later date.

If you already have the above equipment please bring it along.

We would like you to bring:

• Your lunch, ideally packed in such a way that it will fit in a small drybag.
• Clothing to wear under a drysuit, including a couple of thermal layers and some warm socks.
• Sturdy footwear, such as trainers or substantial wet boots, but not walking boots. Note that thick socks and drysuit feet take up more room so make sure the footwear allows for this.

On summer days a dry suit is often too warm for general paddling. Long john or steamer wetsuits are often more appropriate. If you have these available please bring them to increase the number of options available to you.

If you don't have any of the above equipment please contact us as we can probably provide it, if given appropriate notice.

Venues

There are a range of river and lake options that could be used to tailor this course to meet your individual needs. It can be based on Ullswater, Derwent Water, Windermere or Coniston.

It is worth noting that outdoor adventure trips are very weather dependant. We work hard to pick exactly the right venue for your learning. This means that exact venues may not be chosen until a few days before the before the start of the course. The most likely journey time is around 30 minutes it would rarely be more than an hour.