Even though stand-up paddle boards are as ancient as the sport of surfing itself, the activity has caught on in a big way in just the past few years.
When the boards first began making a noticeable presence a few years ago at the Outdoor Industry Association’s annual OutdoorRetail Show in Salt Lake City, they were considered a novelty. Last year, several buyers and kayaking experts called them a fad.
It was impossible to miss the stand-up paddle boards at this year’s show, which concluded at The Salt Palace on Sunday, and they partly accounted for one of the show’s largest outdoor “demo” sessions ever last Wednesday at Jordanelle Reservoir.
Steve Cassill attended the show with the Standup Paddle Company and said the growth is easy to explain: more people have tried them.
“It’s so easy,” he said. “You see someone doing it enough times, and you think, ‘I’ve got to try that.'”
Because it’s a smooth ride, it works for people who wouldn’t normally be able to participate in a water sport, he added. As many grandmothers sign up for lessons at his headquarters on Laguna Beach as kids.
And half the people who try it through a lesson end up buying a board, Cassill said.
“I predict it will be two times as big next year,” he said.
Baby boomers, especially, appreciate the fitness aspects, said Mary Heilingoetter with the same company. It’s low-impact, full-body exercise that allows one to enjoy nature.
“It feels so good,” she said.
Not every community is near a body of water suitable for boating, water skiing, kayaking, snorkeling or some other form of water sport. But the paddle boards work in any kind of water. Everyone lives near somewhere that will work, she said.
Josh Sleigh with Rogue Stand Up Paddleboards said the sport was first introduced as an easier way to surf, but it’s growing because of the workout it provides.
Some of the boards are expensive, but people will spend $7,000 on a motorcycle that is hard on the body. Paddling is low impact and works core muscles, Sleigh said.
“It’s fun and gives cardio exercise, builds strength and endurance all vital to good living,” he said.
Mark Farinas with KM Board Company said he loves that it’s a family sport. Kids love it because it’s an introduction to surfing. The boards come in a variety of prices from several hundred to several thousand dollars and beginner boards are reasonably priced, he said.
“I’m from Colorado, and the in the market there I’m seeing a tripling of sales,” he said.
Brandon Rambo with Riviera Paddle Surf said he’s seeing explosive growth in areas where kayaking is popular.
Once someone in a town it doesn’t matter how small gets a paddle board, he’ll see more orders from that town.
“It’s more fun than kayaking; it’s more comfortable and you can see the fish beneath you,” he said. “A lot of the shops that were core surfing or core kayaking turned us down at first, but they’ve turned around and are jumping in with both feet.”