Stand Up Paddleboarding

I've Kayaked. I've Surfed.

Never in my wildest dreams would I do both on the same watercraft. I have kayak surfed and it is awesome....its such an amazing adventure to use something you are so familiar with in a new method. Paddling out in a kayak is so different than a surfboard. That transition was such a fun experience. What a rush it was to feel that kind of power in a new way. I was in heaven, I could not think of anything the next morning except getting out there again.

New things fuel my soul.

Then I saw my first paddleboard. At first sight, I thought it was a windsurf rig. Closer inspection made me realize it was a freakishly big surfboard. All I knew was that I had to try it. All the surfers were crazy about how well it caught waves. You could catch waves so much further out than ever before possible and you could ride waves too small for any standard surfboard. The applications for this mutant board in the surf were amazing. The concept of standing on a board and the ability to paddle around in that position was enlightening. My brain lit up like vegas thinking of all the places I wanted to take it. I have been in Oceans, Rivers, Lakes and ponds. I have surfed on it. I have fished from it. I have even used it as a Dive boat. There are so many things I have done...and so many I intend on doing.

I have always held great affection for non motorized forms of motion. There's something about the quietness of it all, just the sounds of nature all around you as you make your journey. To use nothing but your muscles to power yourself through an adventure is as real as it gets. A true test of yourself that reveals to you answers you didnt even know you were searching for. If you haven't tried it....give it a go. You will be in Heaven.

If you have tried it, give me a shout. Tell me how it changed your life. Share your adventures with me. Here's one of mine....

May 5th .... somewhere on the river.....


Sitting on the lakeshore looking across the water I can see the break in the trees that must be the mouth of the river that feeds this lake. I realize that I am so fortunate to be here...in this moment. I close my eyes and take in all the smells and sounds of this place. Flowers blooming on the lakeside.... honeysuckle blowing across the water from the far shore. Birds singing the songs of summer against the backdrop of leaves blowing in the wind. The smell of wet grass and wood from the giant Oak that sits halfway in the water. Upon opening my eyes, I see a perfect summer day. Clouds so fluffy and thick it looks as if you could walk on them. The waters surface so calm that there is a perfect reflection of the clouds as they drift slowly across an incredibly blue sky. Cottonwood trees are setting their seeds adrift on the wind and for a moment you would almost be convinced it is snowing. A duck quacks in the distance. Somewhere a dog barks. And the sounds of people laughing while children play fills the air. People are not the same out here as they are in town...they're quick to smile, eager to laugh. Life is good outside.

I pull the paddleboard off the JEEP and lay it in the grass. It always gets some strange looks out here...people just dont know what to think of it. Its a surfboard allright. Ten feet six inches of four inch thick happiness. I put on my leash, grab my paddle, and head toward the water. Its usually about this time that someone comes to ask me what I am doing, where I got the board, and can I really stand up on it. Sure enough, a man walks over to me and asks me these questions. I tell him I am from the coast and that I am up here checking out the lakes and rivers. He is quick to tell me everything about this lake and the river beyond, he offers to draw me a map of the things I must see here. I take him up on the offer and I hand the board to his grandchildren. They take turns paddling around and jumping off of it, then try and see if all four of them can stand on it at the same time. I look around at this mans family and see that he is blessed. His beautiful family is gathered around him laughing and telling stories. Barbeque is cooking on the grill and it smells so good. There's a table draped in the iconic red and white checker pattern that has graced so many picnics in the past. There's beer and watermellon, dogs chasing eachother, laughter, smiles.......just pure Joy.

There are moments in our lives that leave an impression. A thousand work weeks fade into time....but this day. This Moment, is everlasting. No one here will ever forget this day. I feel Blessed to have shared it with them.

I Thank them for their hospitality and tell them I must get moving. They protest and insist that I have some BBQ when I return. I tell them that I would be happy to and then paddle out into the lake. There is something about Stand Up Paddleboarding that is magical. Its like you're breaking some rules here.....standing atop a board, paddling across the water. The elevated prospective gives you a front row seat to all that is around you. It's as if you're walking across the water, not down in it, not on its surface, but standing up and gliding forward. Amazing. I set the paddle and take off.

Reaching forward, I set the paddle and draw it back. A few more strokes and I am moving quickly across the water. It's amazing how fast these boards are, how effortlessly they glide. Small waves gently pop the underside of the turned up nose of the board. They are occassionally joined by larger waves that have been caused by passing boats and jet skis. After paddling this board out in surf, through the breakers, These wake waves make me smile and think of things back on the coast. Fisherman watch with strange looks as I paddle past them and I know deep down inside they want to give it a try.

This lake is beautiful. Texas has so many lakes and each one has its own specific type of beauty. Trees of all kinds line the shore which can change from mud to rock in just a few feet. In some places there are huge rocks and I can see fish swimming around them. its time for a dive.

I grab my mask from my deck bag and dive in. The water here is cold and murky. The kind of water that makes you think of Lake Placid and if you stare into its depths too long...you just might convince yourself you saw a giant crocodile. Swimming in the rocks reveals more fish than I thought I would see. Minnow. Perch. Crappie. Bass. Catfish....and Turtles are everywhere. I follow a turtle into the rocks and watch him swim in front of me. Its funny the difference between sea turtles and freshies.

swimming back up to the Board is a cool sight. Looking at an SUP from below, it looks every bit like a surfboard. it would be interesting to watch someone paddle while I swam underneath. Back on deck I look to the horizon and realize that a storm is blowing in from the east. Here in central texas a storm can bloom up in a moments notice. A sunny day can turn dark quickly. I decide to head back to basecamp and leave exploring the river for tomorrow. Besides, there's BBQ waiting.