History of SUP

Paddleboarding has a hawaiian heritage and translates in hawaiian to Ku Hoe He’e Nalu; to stand, to paddle, to surf, a wave. It’s history dates back to the 1950’s when the beachboys (surf instructors) on Waikki Beach used to stand up and paddle out to the surf break using their regular surf boards and a one bladed paddle. They did this because the higher view point offered by the sup style provided better visibility of their group and incoming swells. Also, it allowed them to keep their wealthy customers cameras dry and take pictures of them surfing!! As surfing developed and fashions changed, the paddle was lost and only a few surfers in Waikki continued to stand on their board and use a paddle.

What is SUP ?

SUP stands for “standup paddleboarding” and has been taking the water sports world by storm since the late 2000’s. Stand up paddleboarding is quickly becoming the water sport of choice due to it’s accessibility  and fast learning curve. While SUP might not be the most popular (yet) it certainly is the fastest growing and you will have no doubt already seen more and more people taking to the water to enjoy this fabulous new sport.