Stand Up Paddle Boarding

With A Low Learning Curve And A High Fun Factor, Stand-up Paddle Boarding Is Quickly Becoming One Of The Most Popular Water Sports - Especially Here in Chatham. It’s called stand-up paddle boarding, a hybrid of surfing and kayaking.

Here’s how it works: instead of lying face down and paddling out to catch a wave, a stand-up paddle boarder stands upright on an oversized surfboard and moves with the use of a single, long, oar-like paddle. This means it can be done in marinas, harbors, inland lakes and rivers in addition to bigger bodies of water like the ocean.

Last Thursday, Adventure Chatham brought its boards and paddles to Oyster Pond to offer a free demonstration, and within minutes, a wide cross section of about 20 beachgoers gathered around the gear. Some were young, some were old, some were male and some were female, but they all shared a common curiosity and seemed to be irresistibly drawn to the sport like the way a magnet attracts metal.

After a quick tutorial session that lasted no longer than 10 minutes, the group hopped on the boards and were sweeping through open water. They may not have looked like old pros, but they weren’t falling down and flopping around either,