The weekly stand-up paddleboard get-together, every Thursday at 5pm at the Kerikeri Basin, in front of the Plough and Feather restaurant and bar. All paddlers welcome!
- Leisurely cruise for everyone wanting a relaxing paddle in good company
- Fun race or harder paddle for those that want to get a workout and challenge themselves
- Drinks and food in the Plough and Feather afterwards for that post-SUP social!
Read on for more information and answers to all your questions…
The Cruise
Completely informal – get yourself onto the water any time from about 5pm onwards, and join the throng for a relaxed paddle up the Kerikeri inlet, for around a kilometre each way (although you’re welcome to go further if you like).
Bring your own board or use one of ours (take the opportunity to try out something different, perhaps?)
This is the opportunity to catch up with your friends, make new acquaintances, it’s pure pressure-free paddling – you pace it however you want.
There are no rules, no requirements, you can paddle on whatever you like. All we ask is that everyone looks out for everyone else, and there’s no horseplay which might upset or unbalance the less experienced paddlers in the group. (Unless horseplay has specifically been agreed on in advance!)
Frequently asked questions and answers below:
There is no charge to borrow some gear for your first cruise but it must be booked in advance, and this offer is only applicable to people with proper prior paddleboarding experience. First timers – see below!.
A $15 rental fee will apply after this first session.
Hopefully after a few goes you’ll be so in love with the sport that you’ll be wanting to get your own gear anyway! In which case Northland Paddleboarding can help every step of the way, ensuring that you get the right equipment for your budget, your build, and proper future progression… (If you are planning to borrow a board please bring some photo ID that we can hang on to while you’re out there on our gear.)
There is no instruction on the Thursday night sessions; it’s for people who already know how to paddle. If you haven’t paddled before then we ask that you book a lesson with us beforehand, which we can schedule to your individual or group requirements. The lesson fee also includes a free cruise session for all participants.
No, there are outer limits that we’ll ask you not to paddle beyond, but it’s also about time on the water. We’re generally off the water soon after 6pm and wanting to get packed away. An hour’s paddle is a decent paddle!
Anyone under 16 must have an adult on the water with them and in close supervision at all times. There must be at least one adult per 2 U16s. We will not supply equipment to anyone who appears to be under 16 unless their responsible adult is there right beside them at the time the equipment is handed over. Children under 16 MUST bring and wear their own PFD.
Please remember that everyone is entirely responsible for their own safety during these paddle sessions, there is no organised safety cover.
Rebooking each week is essential! Everyone who wants to borrow equipment needs to rebook, by email – every week. At least 24 hours in advance (ie by Wednesday at the latest). And if you have not had a specific email response from us confirming the availability of your equipment by Wednesday evening, please chase us up. If you haven’t specifically heard from us with confirmation, then there will not be a board waiting for you!
The Race
Completely informal – no entry fees, and no prizes, just a fun opportunity for those who want to push themselves a bit. The start happens when everyone’s in a rough line and someone says READY STEADY GO.
The decision as to what we do is made on the day, and determined by the weather and the general mood within the fleet. Sometimes we cruise out to the channel marker and then race back, so it’s a nice extended warm-up and a 2.5km race. Occasionally we race the whole way there and back (5km race), or if we’re really feeling like pushing it we’ll go right round to Waipapa Landing and back (about 6.5km). Or we do the inner course; 2 laps of a 2km course, and people can finish after 1 or 2 laps.
We also run occasional ‘pursuit races’ with handicap starts, so the fastest paddlers start last, and (hopefully!) everyone finishes at about the same time.
There are no prizes for winning, but sometimes we do record the finishing times and displayed them on the facebook page, so each week you can try to better your previous time.
The turning mark for the 2k/4k course is the first mooring piling, or first boat if there’s one there, around the S bend. It’s pretty much exactly 1km from the start.
The longer courses are usually out to the channel marker, which is the red and green post at the intersection with the Waipapa stream.
More race information in the FAQ below:
Nothing at all. It’s entirely informal – this is purely a group of like-minded paddleboarders getting together to push it along a bit and have a fun race.
Your board, your paddle, and a legrope (please wear a legrope).
You can join in on anything you like. Ideally though, we’d prefer no multihull craft or paddleboards longer than 14′, unless by prior arrangement.
Ok, so you may not win. But there’s no prize for winning anyway, so that doesn’t matter. However, keep a note of your finishing time and next race you can aim to beat that time. Once you’ve got a feel for going hard we can give you the opportunity for trying some faster equipment.
Great stuff – let’s make it happen! Contact Northland Paddleboarding to organise a board. We have a full fleet of race-capable boards in all different sizes and suitabilities for different weight riders. There is no charge to borrow some gear for your first few races. A $15 rental fee will apply after then, but hopefully by that time you’ll be so in love with the sport that you’ll be wanting to get your own gear anyway! In which case Northland Paddleboarding can help every step of the way, ensuring that you get the right equipment for your budget, your build, and proper future progression… (If you are planning to borrow a board please bring some photo ID that we can hang on to while you’re out there on our gear.)
Totally. Northland Paddleboarding has a fleet of more race-orientated boards available to borrow and demo.
Get some coaching! We’ll soon have you paddling better and faster
Our crew often go for downwinders, it’s all organised via our Whatsapp group. Once you’ve paddled with us a few times and we know your ability level you’ll be added to the group and will be welcome to join in on the downwinders
The 4km race is normally over and done with in less than half an hour. The longest races are about 45 minutes.
The most important rule is that everybody looks out for each other. This is about enjoyment, not being ultra-competitive! Other than that:
- Physical contact between boards should be avoided as much as possible – nobody wants their board getting dinged or damaged
- You aren’t allowed to block people trying to overtake
- No pushing, shoving or attempting to knock people in
- Drafting within your own general class is allowable (ie 12’6 raceboards can draft each other) as per normal paddleboard racing rules
We all are!! Everyone looks out for each other. If someone is in trouble the race stops, and we all help. This is NOT an official competition, it’s self-organised and it is absolutely not in any way the responsibility of Northland Paddleboarding or The Pear Tree to provide safety cover or any other liability in any form. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you and your equipment are in suitable and appropriate condition for a 4km hard paddle.
Please also extend this self-responsibility to ensuring adequate sun protection during the summer season, and keeping yourself sufficiently well hydrated.
No, it’s just for the fun.
It’s amazing how racing increases the motivation. You can’t help but paddle that little bit harder and faster, push yourself that little bit more. You simply go harder when you race. And consequently the fitness benefits are that much greater. You burn more calories. You improve your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds (ie you increase your stamina). And if you manage to improve on last week’s time, your sense of achievement and satisfaction is that much greater too. So even if you have no intention ever of competing seriously, building the Thursday night race into your weekly activity schedule will be very very good for you!
Yes, we do. We have to start earlier in the winter, otherwise we run out of daylight. But it’s still great fun, and the sense of achievement afterwards, when you’re in the pub by the fire warming up with a hot toddy, is actually even greater. You really feel like you’ve cheated mother nature!
Great! We can offer training to the highest level – we have put racers on the Podium at the National Championships. If that’s your ambition, then we’ll be delighted to help you every step of the way.
Please remember that everyone is entirely responsible for their own safety during these paddle sessions, there is no organised safety cover. Therefore, any paddlers under 16 need to have an adult supervising them in close attendance and taking responsibility for their welfare. We will not supply equipment to any unaccompanied U16s.
Rebooking each week is essential! Everyone who wants to borrow equipment needs to rebook, by email – every week. At least 24 hours in advance (ie by Wednesday at the latest). And if you have not had a specific email response from us confirming the availability of your equipment by Wednesday evening, please chase us up. If you haven’t specifically heard from us with confirmation, then there will not be a board waiting for you!
If the weather is really bad or if the river is in absolutely full spate, then we’ll cancel. But this only happens once or twice a year. If it’s a bit of wind or rain we’ll be out there – and it’s amazing how often the weather clears up at around 5pm and we have great conditions.
Not paddled before?
Club night isn’t the ideal time for first timers, so we don’t offer beginner sessions on the Thursday night. We prefer first timers to have a proper lesson with us, which we can take at your own pace, and give you a good grounding in the safety aspects of paddleboarding along with getting your technique sorted. plus a lot more information, and of course the undivided attention of your professional instructor throughout.
Click here for more info about proper lessons. All equipment is provided (and is state-of-the-art learning gear, the best available), along with information to take away about the sport and how to take it further. And then, after that initial lesson, you’re welcome to come along and practice your new-found skills on a Thursday club evening any time – indeed, the first session is entirely on us! No charge at all for the gear. Just let us know that you’re coming so we can load up the trailer.