Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
$100. Also in front of the 505 Front Street area,
Maui Paddle Sports
(808/283-9344,
www.mauipaddlesports.com
,
8am and 10am) offers lessons for $95/person and has per-
sonalized ratios of three paddlers per instructor. For rentals, expect to pay in the $35 range
for three hours to $45 for all day.
TIPS FOR STAND-UP PADDLING
Stand-up paddling has seen an explosion in popularity over the past five years.
While taking a lesson is always the best way to ensure success, here are a few tips
for those who would rather rent a board and set out on their own.
• Paddle in the morning before the wind comes up.
• When first getting in the water, start on your knees to get the feeling for the board.
• When you stand up, keep your feet shoulder-width apart. You want to be standing
in the middle of the board about where the handle is.
• A stand-up paddleboard is like a bicycle; you need momentum for balance, so if
you stop paddling, it's like trying to balance on a bicycle without pedaling. When
you first stand up from your knees, take a couple of paddles quickly to build up
enough momentum so that you won't fall.
• Use the correct side of the paddle. Paddles are like an extension of your hand; you
want to use the side of the paddle which would be your palm as opposed to the
back of your hand.
• Instead of placing both hands on the shaft of the paddle, put one on the top, and
the other on the shaft. To keep a straight line you must alternate paddling on both
sides of your body by taking a few strokes on your left and then a few strokes on
your right, much like you would in a canoe.
• When paddling, take long, full strokes. Many first-time paddlers have a tendency
to poke at the water with short little strokes. Since this doesn't create much mo-
mentum, the board becomes wobbly and you're liable to fall. By taking long
strokes you create enough momentum for a stable platform and a much more en-
joyable paddle.
• Use a leash. A leash is your lifeline if you fall off the board. If you are not sure
which ankle to put leash around, act as if you're going to do a cartwheel, and
whichever foot you put backwards is the one you should attach the leash to.
