The Stand Up Paddle World is as varied and wonderful as the shapes, sizes and desires of the Paddlers that inhabit it. Once entered into this World it can be a big and intimidating place.  In it you will find so many niches and disciplines which could lead you into areas where you may never have thought to tread, especially after those first tentative steps on a board on your first lesson. 

Here we take a look at just some of the many areas of the SUP World that you can experience.

Touring:

The unique perspective that standing on a SUP gives us helps us to enjoy some wonderful views of the World around us. We can look deep down into the water, peer out towards distant vistas and see if we can look around the next horizon. If this kind of exploration appeals, then SUP Touring could be for you. From day trips to Scottish lochs, exploring a Cities waterways, or really committing to a multi-day journey, a SUP can be a fantastic vehicle to use. Touring boards tend to be slightly longer in length, able to accommodate on their decks plenty of gear and be designed to be more efficient in their forward glide. 

Racing:

SUP, like most sports, is pushed forward in its skillset and equipment design by competition. That need to be number one, to find one’s own limits, this can can be gained by entering SUP’s friendly (yet fierce) racing scene. Different races across the country, and the World test different things, be it flat out straight line speed, technique in mastering buoy turns or tactics in long races or drafting fellow paddlers.

 Boards tend to be lighter and much thinner, so there is more potential speed, possibly weighed against lateral stability in some cases. Fine tuning of equipment and picking the right board for the conditions all come into play.

Surfing:

The glide of surfing along a wave, harnessing the power of the ocean, is a feeling like no other. SUP’s can be fantastic wave catching machines, with the added super power of the paddle, to give you speed into the wave, to create speed in less critical sections and to help with maneuvers. It means a SUP surfers wave count can be pretty high and the ability to surf and enjoy less crowded waves is also high. More waves equals more stoke, just be aware of others and respect the surfers code out there. It is a full body workout and a half too!

Board shapes can vary in shape, length and design. Longboards are, as the name suggests, longer and they can offer plenty of glide for nose rides, walking the board and graceful turns. Gentle beach breaks, like, locally, West Sands in St Andrews are manna from heaven for Longboard SUP Surfing. Smaller shapes with the significantly lower volumes and sharper rails are on shortboard style Surf SUP’s. Designed for surfing the steeper, more critical waves, they can be used to throw more aggressive maneuvers, throw plenty of spray and even get barreled. The steeper the wave and the more powerful, the more these low volume boards come into their own. 

Whitewater:

Scotland is blessed with some incredible rivers to explore, with some unbelievably adrenalin inducing sections of Whitewater. Whitewater SUP is a full on, committing niche of the SUP World to delve into. Knowledge of how to read the water and its hidden dangers, the ability to work as a team to keep each other safe, these are as equally as important as the skills to be able to take on the rapids themselves. With the right knowledge, safety, team, equipment and paddling skills, there is a whole world of incredible rapids of all grades ready to be discovered out there. Expect plenty of swims, thrills, spills and the odd bruise on your Whitewater SUP adventures.

Boards tend to be inflatable and reinforced to take big impacts. They are wide to aid stability, have plenty of rocker in the board design, lots of grab handles and the smaller than usual fins are further forward for more intuitive turning.

SUP Yoga:

Yoga and Paddleboarding are a perfect match. For many people Yoga is a fantastic relaxation tool for them, away from the stresses of modern life…imagine adding some wonderful views into the equation as you immerse yourself in nature as well.  Away from the stuffy confines of an indoor Yoga class it can be an opportunity to breathe in some fresh air and enjoy some positive personal time as well as stretch the body's muscles and joints. The fact you are on a less stable platform adds another level of challenge to poses old and new to you.

 Boards tend to be wide and have a larger deck pad to move around on. A calm area and an anchor are essential as well.

Wind SUP:

The modern sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding is massively indebted to Windsurfing. Its pioneers in both athletes and equipment designers all came from, and in many cases are still involved in Windsurfing. Harnessing the wind adds a new dimension to your Paddleboarding. Instead of the wind scuppering your enjoyment with the paddle, adding a windsurf sail means you can still have an incredible day on the water. Once you discover the sensation of blasting across the water using the invisible, incredible power of the wind it is a totally addictive feeling.



Wind SUP boards tend to be for lower wind days, non planing conditions. They might be higher in volume too.

Wing SUP:

The newest kid on the watersports block is Foiling. Surfing and aerodynamics meet in the middle as you rise out of the water, flying above it on a hydrofoil. Subtle movements lead to big changes as you dances above the water. Magical. To get the board out of the water and onto the foil you can paddle like fury on a tiny SUP with the foil on the bottom, or you can use a Wing (a cross between a Windsurf sail and a handheld Kite) to pump you up onto the foil. Once flying you are incredibly efficient leading you to surf endless waves and bumps or foil for miles at much more speed than the actual wind speed. On the way to this flying Nirvana, there will be lots of equipment tweaks, cuts, bruises and frustrating sessions, but once you are flying along, it feels more than worth it.

 Equipment is highly specialist, with super lightweight carbon foils sat underneath low volume SUPs. 

Adding a Wing to your normal when the wind increases is a great fun way to get the basics down and enjoy windy days on the water too. Not a fast as with a foil by any means, it is surprisingly easy to pick up and be able to sail back and forth along the water.