Why don’t more people go stand up paddle-boarding? Seriously, I don’t f*ing get it. Unless you are into cowtipping, there isn’t much else to do over here in Eastern South Dakota. But even if there was, THERE SHOULD STILL BE MORE PEOPLE DOING IT!
I’ll be honest though, I found SUPing by pure chance. I decided to demo a board from my workplace for the day and ended up spending almost 6 hours on Lake Alvin just exploring, floating, swimming, and paddling. The second I got back into town I bought one. And then I bought another…
Reasons why SUPing is awesome:
- Full body workout. You aren’t just using your arms like in kayaking or legs like in cycling.
- Balance. Often forgotten by fitness nerds.
- Nature.
- No car that can hit you while they are texting and driving.
- Exploring rivers.
- Playing on lakes!
- Kids love it.
- It’s cheap (Who the fuck can afford a real boat + gas?).
Also, stand up paddleboarding lets us reach nature spots that would otherwise be difficult to access. A friend and I wanted to try cliff jumping at Devil’s gulch and a paddle board was the perfect tool for the job. Want a chill day in the sun while also staying active? SUPing is the answer.
I have many new goals because of SUPing. First sub-zero paddle. First 25/50 mile paddle. First paddle on the Missouri. First overnight-paddle….. and heck, since I now own a wetsuit, I can finally attempt an Ironman! (BTW, used wetsuits on eBay are stupid cheap, your welcome).
For some reason I almost enjoy off-season paddling more than mid summer paddling? Perhaps I have an unhealthy relationship with suffering, but my favorite paddle of 2026 was a dark 34°F morning where I spent the first 2 hours shivering my nuts off and then the last 2 hours paddling into such an insane headwind that it created waves that were crashing over my front dry bag.
I gain nothing from this blog. It is simply an outlet for my creativity or latest obsession. If you want to paddle with me, send me a message! Finding friends as an adult is hard. Finding friends as an adult that prefer going outside and doing hard things instead of sitting on the couch drinking beer and watching football is even harder ;). Maybe we can start a club. Everyone has to paddle 10 miles while blindfolded and wearing a neon pink speedo in order to join. Too much???
