Paddle board advice (6 Viewers)

[MrPG]

Forget about 2 adults on a paddleboard it will be a PIA.
I ended up with one by accident bought it for my daughter as a birthday present but unknown to me here hubby got her one so I kept it for myself.

If is good fun but limited by conditions, if it's windy you often go backwards and have to kneel down to paddle back against the wind. Only useable on rivers with very slow currents unless there is someone to transport you back.
Only used mine once at home this year as its been too windy all year.

My £300 Amazon Goosewing job is as good as daughter's £400 Two Bare Feet but hers looks posher. A friend has £800 one and he reckons mine is better on the sea. I think it's pot luck with the cheap ones.

I have a two wheel trolly I strap it to, for getting down the beach 200yds as the crow fly but 500 yds around the road & of course an electric pump.

grasscutter & his other half Paddleboarder are into quite serious paddleboarding.

I did 8 hours into a headwind on Loch Ness in April. With correct technique it’s not too difficult if it’s windy.
I’m leading an open water course this weekend in the Lakes covering paddling in wind.

 

[suavecarve]

I would strongly advise a PFD for any water sports.

Having been to more drowning incidents than I care to remember, the common theme in all of them, is that they weren’t wearing a PFD of some sort. As soon as you go sub surface, we can’t find you very easily if at all.

I know they are a faff and hot, but the alternatives are worse.

It isn’t just about falling in and hitting your head, you might have an equipment failure, or bad weather, or a medical episode.

I know I am dull, but I wear mine always.

I m a carefree sort of guy.
I even wear shorts on a motorbike ......... well a scooter really ........ in the height of summer ........ in Southern France ............. on small journeys.

An inland lake, with little to no wind (worst case we would go out in) and possibly a maximum of a km to swim to safety really isnt an issue for either of us.

I think your advice about bouyancy aids is spot on......just not for me and I think there is a massive bouyancy aid in the form of a canoe should i be wrong. As a complete aside, on BBC this morning the aid saved the life of a bloke in a canoe, attacked by a hippo

Cheers

 

[Lenny HB]

I did 8 hours into a headwind on Loch Ness in April. With correct technique it’s not too difficult if it’s windy.
I’m leading an open water course this weekend in the Lakes covering paddling in wind.

My wind experance is on the so have both wind and current to contend with and also I'm only a novice. Certainly different to sailing a Laser where a bit of wind helps.

 

[Johnen]

You will find that once you have pumped it up to 20psi you will be too tired to take it out on the water. Get an electric pump