It was the moment the back of my head hit the board that it dawned on me: Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) may be a better vehicle for my spirit than it is for my body.
Never heard of SUP? It’s an ancient form of surfing that’s catching on fast outside its native Hawaii. You stand on an oversized (10 feet-plus) board and propel yourself through the water with a long paddle. Unlike surfing, SUP doesn’t require waves, and unlike kayaking, you get to enjoy long vistas from a standing position.
I arrived for Tuesday Night SUP-per at Seattle’s Alki Kayak Rentals, where anyone can try out paddleboarding for free, with a dark cloud over my head. Despite the glorious sunshine of our long-awaited summer, as the Cascades played peek-a-boo with the downtown skyline, while people on the nearby trail strolled, ran and rollerbladed, what was I intent upon?
The fact that something had died in the bushes near the shop and was putting up a powerful stink.
But my foul mood—and the bad odor—was quickly blown away when friends Connie and Jenn arrived, and we got out on the water to test different boards. Any lingering evil was knocked out of me on my first fall off an inflatable paddleboard.
I mean, how can you stay grumpy when you’re trying to walk on water? And, as I discovered, SUP—even when you're struggling for balance—is a shortcut to a happy place.
Hands-down my favorite board of the evening was a stable, black-and-white craft I dubbed the Urban Orca. Jenn and Connie were both fans of the inflatable model that kept dumping me.
So I'm curious. What does it take for you to shake off a midweek funk and get out for some fresh air and fun? I never would have made it out the door without previously made plans to meet friends.
How do you make it happen for yourself?
Never heard of SUP? It’s an ancient form of surfing that’s catching on fast outside its native Hawaii. You stand on an oversized (10 feet-plus) board and propel yourself through the water with a long paddle. Unlike surfing, SUP doesn’t require waves, and unlike kayaking, you get to enjoy long vistas from a standing position.
I arrived for Tuesday Night SUP-per at Seattle’s Alki Kayak Rentals, where anyone can try out paddleboarding for free, with a dark cloud over my head. Despite the glorious sunshine of our long-awaited summer, as the Cascades played peek-a-boo with the downtown skyline, while people on the nearby trail strolled, ran and rollerbladed, what was I intent upon? The fact that something had died in the bushes near the shop and was putting up a powerful stink.
But my foul mood—and the bad odor—was quickly blown away when friends Connie and Jenn arrived, and we got out on the water to test different boards. Any lingering evil was knocked out of me on my first fall off an inflatable paddleboard.
I mean, how can you stay grumpy when you’re trying to walk on water? And, as I discovered, SUP—even when you're struggling for balance—is a shortcut to a happy place.
Hands-down my favorite board of the evening was a stable, black-and-white craft I dubbed the Urban Orca. Jenn and Connie were both fans of the inflatable model that kept dumping me.
So I'm curious. What does it take for you to shake off a midweek funk and get out for some fresh air and fun? I never would have made it out the door without previously made plans to meet friends. How do you make it happen for yourself?
Ratings and Comments
The only way to do it consistently is to stumble out of bed at such an early hour that you don't have the mental capacity to talk yourself out of what you're doing or about to do. At that point the hardest thing becomes getting out of bed. To make this a little easier, I recommend preparing the night before. Get everything you need in your car, for instance, I put my surfboard, wetsuit and towel in my car before I go to bed. This process not only makes it easier to get out of bed (you know you don't have to really do anything but get up) but also ensures you don't forget something whilst subject to a pre-dawn induced zombie-like stupor. I also go as far as to have my clothes folded and set out next to my bed, so all I have to do is stumble into them, grab a banana and roll out!!
Now I'm not sure if I am anything like you, but it seems the longer I wait into the day, the less likely I am to get out and do something. I argue that my prescribed method is the most appropriate fix for such mid-day malaise. I find that despite my initial exhaustion upon waking, afterward I am able to carry on throughout the day with more energy, more focus, less coffee and a bigger smile!
Jason, thanks for the excellent tips. I, too, sometimes lay out clothes the night before. Especially on days when I'm biking to work. But I'm not so organized as to fold them--they go in a pile near the door. I hear you about earlier-in-the day exercise = less coffee! I've been caffeine-free for 28 days and counting! --Kelly
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