A little history

SUP stands for Stand Up Paddle. Thus, sapboarding is a kind of surfing, respectively, and the history of sapboarding traces back to surfing, which appeared in Hawaii. The prototype of sap is considered to be the canoe used by the Hawaiian people. The canoe was steered while standing, using an oar to guide the boat downstream. The Hawaiians made “sapboards” of wood and quite long – the longest boards reached six meters in length and, of course, belonged to the royal family and nobles.
But today Paddle-board is making a new round in its development: the first company producing sapboards appeared in 2005, and in 2007 the first competitions in sapboarding were held. Sap is also convenient because it solves the problem of training in a full calm.

If you are interested in sapboarding

If you are interested in sapboarding, then feel free to grab your board and look for the nearest body of water. Sapboarding does not require waves or special weather (some sapboarders ride even in winter!); both a calm lake surface and a river with a slow current will do. Having lowered the board on the water, you need to lie down on it and swim away from the shore a little, then get up on your knees and, feeling the balance, try to get to your feet. Take an oar and, slowly paddling, enjoy the views and tranquility.
Of course, falls are not uncommon at first, but don’t be afraid. First you have to get on your board yourself and then go for your paddle. Just make sure in advance that your paddle does not sink.

Improving your skills, you can learn how to steer the sapboard and on the waves, or go for a hike on the river, or, having learned to keep your balance, do various tricks and even do yoga.

How to choose

But before you get on the water, one of the most important topics is the choice of equipment. We will try to outline the possible options of boards and accessories for sapboarding, as well as describe their advantages and disadvantages.

First of all SUPs

Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the board.

Sapboard width varies from 65 cm to 1 meter, and length from 3 to 4.5 meters. Hard sapboards use the lightest materials: fiberglass, wood, resin or carbon. Of course, the lightest boards are made of carbon, but they are also the most expensive. A separate category – inflatable SUP-boards. What type of board to choose, rigid or inflatable – it is up to everyone, but the advantages of inflatable boards are their compactness: you can easily take a board with you, it fits in a regular backpack and is easily stowed in the trunk of a car; and relative cheapness of inflatable boards in comparison with rigid ones.
Rigid sapboards, whether they are fiberglass, wood, or carbon, cost an order of magnitude more than any inflatable board. But it’s likely that any rider will want to try riding different saps made of different materials, including rigid saps. In any case, the sapboard market is overflowing with different boards for all tastes.

Sapboard paddles are usually about 20 cm longer than the rider’s height and as well as sapboards, they can be made from different materials: carbon, wood, aluminum. Of course, the most expensive and lightest paddles are made of carbon.
Lish, or safety leash, is necessary for most beginners, as it helps not to lose the board in case of a fall. As a rule, it should be 30 cm longer than a board.

Also among the accessories for a board it is worth mentioning different fins that help to stay on the water more stable. The fins are made of different materials and have different shapes. Thus, you can choose the style of riding for every taste. Today there is even a fin with an electric motor that is attached to the sipboard instead of the usual fin and is controlled remotely, using a remote control. When using such a fin with an electric motor, you will only need to use the paddle as a “steering wheel”; all that remains is to enjoy the water ride.

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With such a dynamic start, canoe polo thrills the fans from the first minutes. The guys, who develop incredible speed in their kayaks, literally wrestle the ball from each other. The speedy attacks, powerful throws and uncompromising fight for the ball do not let the audience breathe. But, of course, no words can describe what it feels like to watch live.

Canupolo is a spectacular and exciting game. The explosive start, where two sprinters from different teams try to get the ball! In the flicker of oars and splashing water the attacks are rapidly developing. The ball moves unpredictably from one team to the other and the players, without hiding their emotions, fight for it, pushing and turning over each other, adrenaline rushes over the edge. And the spectator, with bated breath, follows the game, the finale of which is impossible to predict.

Canupolo is a team game. In a playful and relaxed form it contributes to the development of such personal traits as: responsibility for the overall result, the ability to act as a team, the need to think about protecting your players, discipline, determination, perseverance, self-control, determination, courage. One for all and all for one, one word – the team!

Canupolo game tactical. And here, in addition to activity, pressure and physical capabilities, no less important is the ability to think strategically, some amount of cunning and wisdom. Any physically strong team that does not know the tactics, will be easily defeated by a weaker, but experienced. That’s why canupolo is not only a game of muscles, but also a game of the mind!

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First of all, you should determine the style of riding. There are two big areas in which all boards are differentiated: riding behind the winch and behind the boat.

Park wakeboards have a smoother surface and an extra abrasion-resistant layer on the skid. They are designed for figure skating, which means they don’t have built-in fins and the main emphasis is on better gliding.

Boat wakeboards, in turn, need to be more stable and stable, and therefore have built-in and removable fins and deep channels on the skid in order to better cushion while jumping and doing tricks.

Park wakes often have a core of natural wood slats for responsiveness (snap) and durability, while boat wakes have a foam or hybrid core for greater rigidity or lightness.

Of course, there are also hybrid models designed for both park and boat. But it’s not always a viable choice.

Once you have decided on the style, you should pay attention to the length of the wakeboard. Length is considered one of the most important indicators and, depending on the weight of the rider, the length of the board will vary. The heavier the rider, the longer the wakeboard should be. Consider the main advantages of long and short boards:

Long wakeboards

• More stable and good for beginners
• Due to the greater surface contact with the water, they are more stable when barreling and develop more speed
• More surface area for balance and easier landings

Short wakeboards

• Smaller surface area makes it easier to do tricks and flips
• Generally more maneuverable wakeboard, but less stable
• The nose of the board may burrow into the water when landing and landings are generally heavier
• Slower than long wakeboards. Requires more effort to accelerate.

The rocker or the curve of the board

Probably one of the most important criteria in choosing a wakeboard is the rocker and the shape of the board. There are three kinds of rockers:

• Continuous rocker. A smooth curve of the board from bow to stern. Provides stability and good glide. Suitable for beginners.
• Three stage rocker. Wakeboard has two bend points and thus divided into three parts: bow, center and tail. Suitable for advanced riders and thrill-seekers, as such board cuts the water better, is more responsive to rider’s movements, has better elasticity and high speed. Wakeboard with a three-stage rocker is suitable for an aggressive style of riding, it is easy to perform tricks and high jumps. For even more advanced riders, there is also a five-stage rocker.
• Hybrid Rocker. This is an attempt to combine the benefits of a continuous and three-stage rocker. Of course, such a board glides better, is more stable, and at the same time it is easy to perform various tricks on it and to cut the water hard. But this wakeboard in most cases is chosen individually for a particular rider.
• Progressive rocker Smoothly changing radius of curvature from the center to the nose and tail, wakeboard as if it is part of a large circle, if you look at it in perspective. The disadvantage of such wakeboards can be called a high price, because making boards with a progressive rocker is quite expensive. Ideal for flate riding, will be a good help for those who are trying to get on the water for the first time.

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Hungry for any kind of activity people started to take up wakeboarding or wakesurfing, moved on to mastering the wind with windsurfing. But from our side we have noticed huge demand for the hobby of SUP surfing. All over Russia schools, rental outlets and mass events are being opened. Do you want to learn about exciting water sports? Then read our article next.

SUP-boarding

Sup boarding has really become the most popular type of recreation on the water this season. This type of recreation on the water each year is gaining more and more fans around the world. Especially in comparison with classic surfing inflatable board is very easy to manage, and you can master it immediately getting on the board. All you need is the basic skills to keep your balance, a board and a paddle, as well as a great mood. The wide range of boards allows you to pick up absolutely any interest. Universal boards are suitable for riding in calm water in the city. Touring ones have a little more rigidity and are designed for open ponds or hiking with a lot of equipment. Specially designed boards for yoga on the water have a larger area for absolute stability and comfort. There are also sapboards for fishing, they are equipped with a comfortable cooler seat and rod holders. Choose a board for absolutely every taste and discover the fascinating world of water sports. For longer outings and even more convenience, consider waterproof bags that can hold extra clothes or gadgets without getting anything wet in case of emergencies.

Wakesurfing

Nowadays only a lazy person or a person without internet has not heard about wakesurfing. As soon as people were allowed to leave their homes, and the heat in the cities was quite strong, the whole Instagram was filled with photos and videos of people mastering this sport. Wakesurfing board is a great alternative in an urban environment. To create a surfer wave, a special boat with an offset center of gravity is used to form a keel wave. Wakesurfing is not easy to master in one lesson, but from the first lesson you will not be left indifferent and want to return again and again. The start is out of the water, where a person holds on to a special halyard attached to the boat and picks up speed, trying to catch a wave and stay with the board. Once the balance is stable and the halyard looks like an unnecessary accessory, it can be tossed aside and enjoy the free wave. The theory may look complicated, but you definitely won’t be able to forget this adventure and want to master urban surfing.

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding today is one of the most popular and extreme water sports among young people. Free, fast, interesting and diverse – all this can be said about wakeboarding. Learn wakeboarding and curb the board is not so difficult, just choose the right equipment and instructor. You can ride both behind the boat and on the winch in a wake park, but it is easier to learn in the park area. The wake itself consists of a board and special bindings, where the rider inserts his feet and controls the board. To master a simple move on the smooth water does not need to spend a lot of time, and once your rack will be strong, and you feel confident, you can move on to the development of figures and tricks. Wakeboarding is an exciting and dynamic sport, which is why it is most often chosen by novice athletes who are looking for a thrill.

Windsurfing

A sailing sport that is rapidly developing and gaining popularity. Windsurfing is similar to sapboarding, but the motion of the board is not by paddling, but by wind and sail. An inflatable board with a sail attached to it and keels to keep the board afloat more easily. With enough desire and persistence you can learn not just free movement on the waves, but also freestyle tricks. If you are in love with waves and action sports, then windsurfing is exactly what you need.

Waterskiing

Mastering the direction of water skiing is not easy for the beginner, but at the same time, this sport attracts more and more new athletes every year. There are several directions in this sport and each one needs its own skis. That is why there are slalom, figure skis as well as the usual pairs of recreational skis. The very essence is simple: the rider moves behind the boat, while holding the halyard. The boat’s driver continuously monitors the athlete and controls the situation in order to retrieve the athlete from the water or give him the halyard. Slalom (single) skis have a higher length and stiffness compared to pairs of recreational skis. Figure skis have a short length and medium stiffness for performing maneuvering tricks on figures. Pair cross-country skis are the golden mean for the beginner to consider.

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Inflatable, rigid, single-ply, double-ply,…how do they differ from each other? Which board should I choose? If we speak in plain language, following the logic, you can understand that the inflatable board can be blown, folded into a bag and put away for storage, but with hard to do this will not work. Agree to travel with a board that fits in the backpack is much more convenient, to make air travel or throw in the trunk of the car, and if necessary, inflate. As for the rigid board, it will not fit in every car or will require the installation of the trunk for transportation. For such moments, there are inflatable car roof racks, but it is better to drive carefully and not to exceed the speed limit, so that your board does not fly away on its own solo trip down the freeway. We won’t even list a number of inconveniences you’ll have to deal with when transporting a hard board by air, from buying a new travel case to handling oversized luggage.

Many people believe that rigid boards are more maneuverable and faster. Yes, that fact is not to be disputed. However, thanks to the development of technology, modern inflatable boards are not inferior in parameters. On the basis of this, of course, if you do not participate in any world competitions in this discipline, then feel free to take an inflatable SUP-board.

Even among the rocky beaches inflatable SUP-board will show itself better than the hard because of the impact resistant PVC material and the bumper safety, thanks to which it is difficult to puncture. Drawing an analogy with the rigid board, you can leave a chip or dent, just putting it on the asphalt, so these boards are better to use on beaches with sand. As we understood from the previous paragraphs, inflatable boards win in almost every way, so let’s break down the layers.

Single layer SUP board

The so-called insides of a sapboard consist of Drop Stitch material (high pressure chamber). This material is similar to 2 layers of PVC fabric connected by a huge amount of nylon threads, which do not allow the top and bottom parts to inflate into a ball shape, and as the air pressure inside the chamber increases, it becomes more and more rigid, similar to non-inflatable boards. With single layer boards, the high pressure chamber is covered with a single layer of PVC fabric. This makes the board lighter and less rigid. Aqua Marina SUP boards with DROP STITCH LIGHT high pressure chamber technology combined with proprietary high frequency welding technology are the best value for money on the market with the best stiffness and weight on the board.

Single ply boards are great for personal use. If you are planning occasional trips on calm water or in very small waves, single ply boards are great for this purpose. Modern technology allows you to ride on the water on lightweight boards. Aqua Marina’s large line of sup-boards provides a choice of boards for all riders and types of bodies of water.

Double Layer SUP Board

In the case of the double-layer board, the Drop Stitch material is coated with two layers of PVC inside and outside. The technology allows a second layer to be applied by hand on an already inflated board and because of this technology, double layer boards are heavier and stronger than single layer boards.

Double layer boards are ideal for advanced adventure riders who are racing or racing through rough water or for SUP rental shops and SUP schools where boards are used daily and are exposed to a lot of stress.

From this we can conclude that inflatable boards are a versatile way to have fun and relax on the water, regardless of the time of year. Consider your needs before buying a sapboard. If you do not include yourself to the extreme and like a quiet holiday, then you will be fine with a one-ply board. In case you are a risky rider and like active rest, you should pay attention to specialized professional or semi-professional models for your riding style.

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Determined with the leading leg, you can already try to get up on a wakeboard on the water. For the first time it is better to try to get up on a wakeboard behind the boat or on a reversible winch and necessarily with an instructor, because the start on a circular winch is quite abrupt, and to master it from scratch may not be as easy as it seems from the outside.

Once you are in the water, lie on your back and place your wakeboard perpendicular to the movement. Tighten or lace your bindings firmly so you don’t accidentally jump out of them as you skate. Choose, put on and adjust the vest so that you feel comfortable in it and it does not restrict your movement. Once you are in the water, lie on your back and position your wakeboard perpendicular to the start direction. The halyard should rest on top of the board. Grasp the handle with both hands, arms straight out and do not bend. Keep your knees pressed against your chest. When you are ready to start, give a special sign to the boat pilot or the winch operator – lift the halyard up slightly and lower it – to start moving. When the halyard straightens and you begin to be pulled forward, stay in a semi-seated position while you are pushed out of the water onto the board. Stand up slowly, as if you had been squatting for a long time. Don’t fully straighten up too soon until you are pulled out of the water.

As soon as the boat or winch pushes you out of the water, lightly shift your body weight to the rear leg and the wakeboard turns toward the boat. The front of the board now faces the boat. Your knees are slightly bent, your shoulders and hips are in line with the wakeboard, and your arms are straight. Lean back slightly so that your hips are over your front foot and your shoulders are over your back foot. Try to keep your balance at all times and enjoy the process of riding.

You certainly have seen many videos on Youtube where riders do different tricks on a wakeboard, both when riding on the winch and behind the boat. However, not all riders like to do stunts. You can just glide across the water and enjoy the experience. Speed, splashing water, wind in the face – already a good combination of new experiences for those who first got on a board. Well, for those who are already confident on a wakeboard and crave more extreme we can offer to learn how to do various tricks on a wakeboard: waterboarding, jumps, rotations, etc. (read about this in the following articles).

Mistakes of beginner wakeboarders

Of course, trying to get on a wakeboard is not without mistakes at first. When riding a wakeboard you should always remember to stay safe and develop a sense of balance. It’s necessary when the boat pushes the rider out of the water as well as when the rider is already on the water. Developing a sense of balance is not an easy task and special exercises such as the famous “swallow” or balance-board will help you.

Other typical mistakes that wakeboarders make are:

• bend their arms and pull the halyard towards themselves, while the boat itself should push the wakeboard out of the water;
• Straightening out completely before the boat pushes the wakeboard out of the water;
• Excessively trying to lift the board over the water (only the front of the board should be lifted)

There are many different ways to start on a wakeboard. For example, you can start not only from lying down, but also from sitting or even standing. Another way is to start not from the water, but, for example, by diving from the pier. But these ways are more traumatic and are suitable for more experienced riders. We advise for beginners to start riding a wakeboard from the water, from prone position. This way you can avoid unnecessary strain on your knees and back and not harm yourself and others around you.

What else you need to keep in mind

If you spend a lot of time in the water in the sun, do not forget about personal comfort and safety. Always wear a life jacket when out on the water. It cushions possible hits against the water and, if necessary, slightly supports you on the water if you fall. It is also advisable to wear a wetsuit or a wetsuit, depending on the weather. A lycra wetsuit will protect you from sunburn in warm weather, and a neoprene wetsuit will protect you from hypothermia in cold weather.

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