How to stand-up paddleboard: Beginner tips for the lake or pond

When I made a trip home to visit my parents last summer, I was greeted with two newly purchased paddleboards. My first thought? There’s no way I’m going to be able to balance up there. 

To my surprise, my instincts kicked in and I was up on the board and paddling around the lake in no time. 

But boy, did I feel it the next day. Stand-up paddleboarding is a full-body workout involving your core strength, balance and endurance. You can even burn over 400 calories from an hour of leisurely paddling, SUP World Magazine found. 

How to paddleboard

Before you get out on the water, a note of caution: Paddleboarding may be all fun and games, but remember to wear a life vest because accidents happen. 

First, you’ll want to start in a calm area where the water is relatively flat. Standing up on a paddleboard for the first time is a challenge and a current or waves certainly won’t help. 

Get yourself acclimated to the feeling of being on a paddleboard by paddling around on your knees – you’ll want to position them on either side of the board’s center handle about hip-width apart. 

When you’re comfortable, try standing up. Here’s how to do it, according to outdoor sporting company REI:

• Start kneeling with your knees on either side of the center handle
• Reach down and stabilize yourself with hands on either side of the board
• Slowly move one foot at a time to stand with your hands still on the sides – position your feet where your knees were about hip-width distance
• Slowly raise your chest while keeping your knees bent and stand up fully when your chest is vertical

It’ll feel silly, but it might help to practice this motion out of the water ahead of time. Maneuvering up with confidence will help keep you from wobbling and falling off. 

Once you’re in an upright position on the water, the next challenge is to stay that way. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to stay balanced:

• Keep your feet parallel, hip-width distance apart and centered on the board
• Keep toes pointed forward
• Keep knees slightly bent
• Keep your back straight
• Keep head and shoulders upright
• Shift weight by moving your hips
• Stare toward the horizon, not at your feet

You’ll also need to paddle. Your paddle should be angled forward, toward the nose of the board with one hand on the top T-grip of the paddle and the other a few feet down. If you’re paddling on your right side, your left hand should be on top and reaching over your body and vice versa. Make sure to keep the entire paddle head in the water and make big, swooping motions to help you move further and stay stable.

SUPboarder recommends beginners adjust paddle length to be about 6 inches above their head.

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Is paddleboarding hard? 

Take it from an amateur paddleboarder – it looks much harder than it is. The important thing to remember is to let yourself relax while you’re on the board. Keeping your body stiff will hurt rather than help. 

The hardest part of paddleboarding is getting back on the board after falling off or taking a dip in the water. The most efficient way to get back on is to use the center handle on the board. Here’s what REI suggests:

• Swim next to the board and near the center
• Grab the handle with one hand
• Kick your legs to the surface while pulling on the handle to slide on

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