Sunday, March 16, 2014

I could use a paddling! Our new SUP

The newest craze on the water is stand up paddle boards. They are everywhere. People enjoying the water with a little exercise. Friends can get together and have a day full of fun and adventure. Even the dog can come along. I have also seen people doing yoga on their boards. That seems very peaceful to me. Exercising in the great outdoors. The calming waters and you getting your zen on. (Though it may not feel like zen the first couple of times when I lose my balance and fall into the freezing cold water!)

However, have you seen the prices of these boards? You have to take out a small loan to pay for one of these things. Then there is all of the accessories that go with it. There is the paddle, a high pressure pump, a leash, and a bag to carry it in. They are also huge. If you have a small car like mine, where are you going to put it to get it to the lake?

Then a friend did a post on Facebook. She had won her paddle board from Tower http://www.towerpaddleboards.com/ and loves it. It is an inflatable board. This changes the whole dynamic of things. I can roll it up when deflated and easily put it in the trunk of my small car. It could also get stored in the berth of the boat and blow it up whenever we get the urge to go out on the water. There is still the cost though. Most inflatable paddle boards are still about $1000. That is way over my budget!

Well, that same great friend was promoting her board for Tower. They were running a deal $100 off a board. And they were also on sale! $595 instead of $1100. This makes the board $495!

Well....the rest went very quickly. Mark and I now have 2 great new paddle boards!  We also got the pumps and the paddles courtesy of Tower. We are going to have so much fun with these. We are even thinking about the idea of bringing them on our flight to Costa Rica. The total package (board, paddle, and pump) weighs only 33 pounds and can fit into a carry on bag that you can check.

This weekend while shopping in Joann's Fabric they were having a sale on duck cloth at 60% off. I am now making 2 SUP bags. Don't you just love a sale! I will do another blog post on how to make a bag for an inflatable SUP.
 
I am looking forward to a paddling this summer!















This is the pressure guage on the top of the pump to ensure a rigid board.




This is the SUP with the paddle rolled up into it. The paddle breaks down into 2 pieces.



 9'6" inflatable board with extendable paddle.  The board has a handle in the middle for easy carrying.
You can also add rings onto the board to strap on whatever you need. Like maybe a cooler.



















Here is the board all rolled up with the paddles inside for easy storage. The strap is included to keep it tight and secure.


















It took me less that 5 minutes to pump the board up!

2 comments:

  1. You lucky girl! We hope to get one (or two) of these once we're living on the boat. (Love your glasses)

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    1. Thanks Cheryl. They are Converse brand and I got them at Costco. Weekend wear when I don't want to wear my contacts, grin! When you do look into some SUP's, look into Tower. These are the cheapest and the best quality we have seen!
      Cheers!

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