If you are looking for a new exciting sport to take up then it can be twice as much fun if that sport happens to be brand new itself. There is the fun of being the first one in your area to be doing something that no one has done before and there is generally a great sense of camaraderie as you get to meet other early adopters of the activity. Granted, being in at the beginning of a dangerous sport like basejumping while the equipment is still having design flaws worked out is a bit worrying but fortunately stand up paddleboarding isn't a life threatening sport so those concerns aren't there.

Stand up paddle boarding is a watersport which involves standing on an extra large surfboard and propelling it by using a long hand held paddle. Its roots can be traced back firstly to the 1960s beach boy era and before that to the sea fairing Polynesians who used it as their form of transportation. In its modern incarnation the sport can be said to have started in 2002 when a collection of Hawaiian watermen rediscovered the joys of SUP on a day when the wind was down and the waves were flat. They soon realized the fun that it could give, the strength workout they got from it and also the great benefits to their core and balance. Due to the larger sizes of their boards compared to regular surfboards and the extra speed that paddling gave them meant they could catch a lot more waves as well as carving tighter, more exhilarating turns with the aid of using the paddle as a rudder.

Originally the sport was limited to this tight knit group but steadily the idea caught on throughout the Hawaiian islands and in no time at all respected locals like Laird Hamilton and Jimmy Lewis started fabricating their own boards which were in turn marketed to a larger audience. This new sport soon came to the attention of the established windsurfing brands and companies that were more geared up to large scale production like Mistral added SUP boards to their roster and the global push began.

SUP was originally targeted at windsurfers who were already used to standing up on a board and who wanted to get out on the water when the wind was down. Originally many of them dismissed it as a fad that wouldn't catch on but once they actually tried it for themselves they were hooked.

So, at the time of writing, even though the sport is officially 7 years, old in many countries it is only in its 2nd or 3rd year and the pace of advance is speeding up, both in terms of board evolution and user take up. If you are reading this article and you can stand, swim and aren't afraid of the water then there is a high chance you would enjoy at least one of the aspects of this great new sport.

For starters its not just about waveriding. Spend any sort of time browsing online and you can easily come away with the impression that its just a surfing sport. Initially it was, but its true potential will be in bringing watersports to the masses of people who live miles away from the sea. Just like with kayaking where the majority of people use them on rivers and lakes rather than out in the surf . Whether its for going exploring, multi day expeditions, meeting up with likeminded people or just for getting away from life's stresses for a few hours then paddleboarding can do all that and more. We all know canoeing and kayaking can be fun but standing up on a board is even more fun! There is something about the upright position allowing you to see more that leads to a much more rewarding experience whether its being able to look down at the fishes swimming underneath or over hedgerows for a better view while paddling along or just watching the water pass rhythmically under the nose of the board as you glide along.

If you do live within driving distance of a beach then the increased length of the board compared to a regular surfboard means you have got more chance of getting some surf time in, even if your local spot isn't renowned for a big swell. The extra buoyancy a SUP board gives over mini mals and longboards means you'll be catching long rides no matter how small the conditions are, either away from the regular overcrowded surf spots or when the conditions are flatter and your surfing brethren are waiting on land for the conditions to pick up a bit.

Either way taking the plunge with the great sport of SUP means you are going to benefit from some fantastic strength training, a great core workout and the chance to switch off from it all while exploring inland waterways or hitting the lesser known surf spots all year round. Plus you are in at the beginning of something very exciting!