Paddleboarding - what a workout!

Who knew?  I've seen all the images of people paddleboarding - they are all sleek looking and paddling with smiles on their faces.  If it is so easy to do that you can smile while you're exercising, I think I am in.

We discussed this, and decided to go for an inflatable stand-up paddleboard (known as: iSUP), so we could roll it up and take it with us.  The next decision was to buy a moderate priced board.  We looked at a lot of different brands; saw one at the Phoenix Sports Show that impressed me.  In the end, we decided to order one from Tower Paddleboards.  (As seen on Shark Tank!)

We read the reviews, pro and con.  No, it isn't a "high performance" board... this is not a high performance body.  If it floats when I'm on it, moves some when it is paddled, and I don't fall off repeatedly, just trying to get on the board (like with an inflatable kayak we bought years ago), we may consider something more "upscale."

Joan informed me that our package was "on the truck for delivery" today.  UPS.  That usually means we will see them some time after 5:00 pm.  Joan surmised that, "with so many people in the resort gone, they might get here earlier."

She should have bought a lottery ticket - the brown truck rolled up in front of our house before 1:30.  Joan had some errands to run, so that gave me time to unpack the board and set it up...

I carefully unpacked everything, checked to make sure it was all there and in good shape - yep.  Some of the on-line reviews mentioned that there was no manual or documentation with their board.  Not the case with this one...

I wouldn't call it a manual... unless you'd consider one page as a manual.  But, there is one image showing the board, and the writing is small... so you can get more words on the single page.  Fortunately, this isn't a lot different from an inflatable dinghy (same valve as our new dinghy).

The board as it came out of the box...

I can guarantee you it will never be that small ever again - well, that is the case with the dinghy.

I unrolled it, checked the valve to make sure it is in the "ready to inflate" position, put together the pump, and went to work...

 

The "manual" says you can expect to pump for a while before there is any sign the board is inflating.  Yep.  I saw on the on-line reviews that most people (in reasonable shape) will take 8 to 10 minutes getting it pumped to full inflation (it comes with a gauge).  One guy said he could do it in 3 minutes.  That guy is what I like to call: a liar.  I am proud to announce that I was able to get it to full inflation in only 9 minutes...

Not counting the time it took for me to try to catch my breath... then more pumping... then swiping the neighbor's oxygen bottle, before going back at it again.  I'm kidding... I didn't swipe the oxygen bottle - she saw me lying on my back, gasping for breath, and brought it over on her own.  I'm kidding again... we don't even have a neighbor who is on oxygen... well, not a close neighbor... and I was in no shape to go looking for an oxygen bottle, since my heart felt like it was going to explode!

It may look like I am testing the board for rigidity - I was just trying to get back on my feet.  ;-)

Kidding aside, I was impressed by the inflated board - it feels very solid.  No deflection in it when you stand on it.  I think that's good.

Fins are important to give the board steerage.  Some boards have one fin; some have two, seems that most have three.  On other boards we checked into, you have to attach the main fin before you inflate the board... I would think that might make it vulnerable when pumping the board up and you collapse on it from exhaustion and lack of oxygen, when the board is on a solid surface.  With this one, you can attach the fin after it is inflated (and you collapse on it).

We ordered "the kit" (pump, adjustable paddle, one page manual, and a backpack bag to tote it all) - the paddle seems decent...

Of course, I don't know a thing about stand-up paddleboard paddles.  But, it is, at least, as good as the paddles on the dinghy.

I read one review where the tester put an inflated paddleboard over two sawhorses, then stood on it, to check for rigidity.  I didn't have sawhorses handy, but...

Yeah, I didn't stand on it.  But, I did lean on it pretty good... didn't flex a bit.  Stiff as I will probably be tomorrow... just from getting it inflated.

"So, how is it on the water?" you ask.  Hey, the wind is blowing like stink again today... and the sun was in my eyes... there is that whole exploding heart thing... and, we will be heading to Herb and Wilma's soon to get together this evening.  I didn't want to go to their house all wet... from salt water... sweat... blood... and possibly urinating on myself.

The wind is supposed to stay up for the next several days - I'll let you know when there aren't whitecaps in the canal and the palm trees are back to just swaying, not bending over like a yoga instructor.

I swear, these palm trees are more flexible than I am.

Yeah, I got me a pretty good workout in today.

;-)