We intend to run a series of practical SUP courses between now and high summer. We will create the full programme when we know what and where the demand is.
If the demand is there, the half day and full day courses can be chained together to create a full weekend of quality SUP education and fun. (Courses will all be run near a suitable camping venue/affordable accommodation.)
These are the courses that will we can offer. Check them out and then use the form at the bottom of the page to let us know which ones you would be interested in, and where.
A half day classroom and practical course crammed full of knowledge and techniques that every stand up paddleboarder should know!
Learn about and practice:
- Paddleboard towing techniques
- Paddleboard swimmer rescue techniques
- Paddleboard board-roll techniques
- Surfboard rescue techniques
- Understanding drowning and rescue strategies
Every paddleboarder should know about and practice these techniques regularly. You may well have already seen or done a board roll but there is so much more to carrying out a rescue than that. Having a wide range of different towing and rescue techniques at your disposal and understanding which to do and why is knowledge you will not have unless you’ve actually practised it.
After learning and practicing all the individual techniques, each participant will get to carry out a complete rescue from start to finish. Upon successful completion of the course a certificate will be awarded.
All aspects of paddleboarding technique, for any paddler looking to raise their game.
Learn about and practice:
- Equipment choice and set-up
- Warming up
- Fundamentals of paddle technique
- Improving efficiency
- Turning techniques
- Stances
- Paddling faster
- Work-ons and drills
Before and after video footage will be used to give each participant a video review of their improvement and work-ons.
Every paddleboarder can improve their efficiency and technique. However, the situation is complicated by the simple fact that there is no one right way to paddle. In this half-day session you’ll discover what works right for you, how to maintain it and improve it, and also learn the complete range of turns that every paddleboarder should have at their disposal. (We’re not just talking pivot turns!). And the personalised video you’ll receive after the course will help you build on what you learned.
Eligibility: This course is for paddlers who have mastered the basics of paddleboarding, and are able to swim at least 50m unaided.
Paddleboarding is good for you. We all know that. Every time you go paddling you’re getting fitness and health benefits. But it’s very easy to plateau. If you’re really wanting to maximise the health benefits of your paddleboarding, the secret to success is not just about doing more paddling. It’s about doing the right mix of paddling sessions, and doing each at the right pace and for the right amount of time. This is what supercharges your fitness improvements. You could go paddling 3x per week for the rest of your life and not actually get much change in fitness – whereas with a few carefully planned changes to your normal paddling routine, you can dramatically increase the benefits.
And we’re not talking about brutalising your paddleboarding, turning every session into boot camp. Quite the opposite.
This classroom based half day course is designed to explain in simple terms how you can use your paddleboarding to improve your fitness. You’ll quickly discover if you do any research online or hang around with runners, cyclists or any other fitness nerds that there’s a world of jargon and terminology and competing theories when it comes to planning any sort of training. In this course we break it all down into simplest terms and give you the information you need in order to start making your own paddling more productive, whatever your level.
Learn about:
- How fitness works
- Max HRs
- Zones
- Thresholds
- Energy systems
- VO2 max
- Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
- The critical power model
- Using fitness tech
- The pros and cons of interval training
- How to use zones in your paddling
- Pyramid training vs polarised training
- Caffeine and hydration
- Breathing strategies.
- Warm ups and warm downs
- Supplementary training
With an understanding of these topics and how they link together, you’ll be much better equipped to understand, enjoy and customise your own paddling to whatever fitness goals you have.
Fancy trying some racing this season? This half day course will give you the technique and knowledge you need to move forward.
Learn about:
- What paddleboard competition is all about
- Types of competition
- Equipment choice and set-up for racing
- Fundamentals of faster paddle technique
- Turning techniques for racing
- Starts and finishes
- Stances and bracing
- How to train
- Fitness, nutrition, hydration and other considerations
Participants will also have the opportunity to try a range of different widths and styles of raceboard, different paddles, and enjoy some easy practice races to get a feel of what it’s all about.
Before and after video footage will be used to give each participant a video review of their improvement and work-ons.
Eligibility: This course is for paddlers who have mastered the basics of paddleboarding, and are able to swim at least 50m unaided.
Looking to up your game on the SUP race course this season? This full day course will give you the technique, knowledge and practice that you need to move forward.
Work on:
- Equipment choice and set-up
- Faster paddle technique
- The different paddle technique styles
- Turning techniques for racing
- Starts and finishes
- Stances and bracing
- Sprinting
- Tactics and strategies
- How to train
- Fitness, nutrition, hydration and other considerations
Participants will also have the opportunity to try different widths and styles of raceboard, different paddles, and there will be plenty of practice racing too.
Before and after video footage will be used to give each participant a video review of their improvement and work-ons.
Eligibility: This course is for paddlers who have already done some paddleboard racing, or are coming in with a high competence level from SUP surfing or white water paddling.
This is essentially the full weekend version of the 1 day Improve your SUP racing course described above. The topics will be the same, but with the extra time available there will be much greater opportunity to incorporate video coaching and feedback and really make some significant gains. After working on the fundamentals on the first day, videos for each participant will be prepared that evening to be viewed at the start of day 2, and used as the basis for that second day of practice. The extra time will also give plenty of opportunity for more practice racing and sprinting.
It’s only when you see what you’re actually doing, that you can actually understand how to do it better.
You can catch waves on any SUP board, if you know how.
This course is for the person looking to get into catching waves on their SUP board, whatever it may be. It includes the necessary classroom theory to understand your way around the surf zone (including the relevant rules and etiquette), a series of flat water drills and exercises to ensure that your board handling skills are up to the job, and then if conditions permit, the opportunity to put it into practice in small safe surf conditions and catch your very first wave. You’ll also learn about equipment choice, safety considerations, entry and exit considerations and much more.
You’ll also get the chance to try some other boards and paddles.
Please note that completing the actual surfing section of this course will be dependent on suitable safe conditions. However, even if there isn’t the opportunity to catch a wave the classroom learning and flat water drills are still extremely valuable and beneficial.
Eligibility: This course is for paddlers who have mastered the basics of paddleboarding, are able to swim at least 50m unaided, are comfortable putting their head under water for at least 5 seconds, and are able to scramble quickly back onto their paddleboard after falling off.