SUP - Stand Up Paddle - is a waterboard sport where you stand on the board and paddle with a single-bladed paddle. We at Kona Sports discovered SUP already in 2006 when the sport was completely new in Sweden. Since then, SUP paddling has grown enormously. Today the sport is very popular and well established in all the world and we think it is so fun!

The best thing about SUP is that it is a sport for everyone. It does not matter how old or young you are, big or small, strong or what you have done before - everyone can learn! The most common all-round boards are very stable, which makes it easy to get started with paddling and as soon as you become confident on the board, you can paddle in all types of water. This makes SUP a very broad and very original sport. In different waters, the board can be used in lots of different ways, so depending on where you paddle, you get very varied paddling experiences. SUP in a calm lake is a very different experience from paddling on a cooler river or on a windy open sea. Whether you paddle SUP as a hobby or as a form of exercise, all types of SUP paddling provide incredibly good training - for the whole body. The core muscles, legs and shoulders are mainly trained.

That SUP paddle opens so many doors and opportunities is super cool! The most common types of SUP are flat water SUP, touring, surfing, racing, SUP yoga and SUP fitness, but there are more. Here we will go through the different forms of paddling and which board models are best suited for different purposes. For different types of paddling, there are of course different types of boards to give the paddler as good conditions as possible. There are, for example, faster boards for touring that are longer, narrower and a little less stable, special boards adapted for SUP surfing and wider, much more stable boards that are perfect for SUP yoga.

SUP ON FLAT WATER

Flat water paddling is the most common form of paddling in the world. Here you paddle in calmer waters, in lakes and rivers, where there are rarely big waves. If you mainly paddle in flat water, a long, flat board with a pointy bow is best for you. It has good directional stability, which means that you do not have to change sides with the paddle as often. At the same time, it is not as easy to maneuver as a shorter board, which you instead look for in wavy water.

SUP-TOURING

Touring means paddling a longer trip with the SUP. A touring board, just like a flat water board, has good directional stability - it is long but pointy, but since you also want to get up to speed with touring, these boards are also a bit narrower. The touring board also has good bearing capacity with a large volume to handle both paddlers and any cargo. These SUP boards also have attachments for carrying a load in the bow. Since touring often takes place on the high seas, the board can handle wilder water without becoming very unstable.

SUP-YOGA

SUP yoga is one of the fastest growing branch of SUP paddling right now. That yoga at a SUP gives the experience another dimension and is a very relaxing, peaceful and effective way to train balance, body control and concentration. Yoga in combination with the still water is unbeatable! When you do yoga on a SUP, the surface is not completely stable, which enhances the training effect and trains the sense of balance enormously. Boards for SUP yoga are stable and thus shorter and wider than other models. They have a large soft grip surface that covers the entire board, making it a great yoga mat!

SUP-FITNESS

Combine effective paddling with fitness exercises on the board! SUP fitness is an incredibly effective way to train the whole body. Here you train your strength, endurance and balance incredibly effectively in ways that are difficult to do on land. It is also a form of exercise that simultaneously develops both body control and concentration. The board is the same as for SUP yoga. A wide and stable board with a soft grip surface on the entire top.

SUP-SURF

If you surf with your SUP, you should have a shorter board that is similar to a classic surfboard. However, the bearing capacity and stability should be better. These boards have round lining and more fins and they are not suitable for classic flat water paddling as they are slow to paddle normally with.

SUP-RACE / TRAINING

Those who compete in speed in SUP have very light carbon fiber boards in the classes 12'6 or 14'0 depending on distance. SUP races are decided both on flat water and in the sea. On flat water, there are long-distance races and sprint races. When racing in the sea, the competitors paddle out towards the waves and in with the waves where their surfing skills are also tested. The boards used are very narrow, long and directionally stable to give the best speed and minimize the number of changes in paddle grip.

SUP DOWNWINDER

Paddling at sea on big waves in tailwind, these paddlers have long boards of 17 feet and surf at high speeds.

SUP IN RAPIDS - WHITEWATER

Rapids paddling is a difficult and risky type of paddling and relatively rare. These paddlers are well equipped with protection and have durable stable boards. Nothing for beginners!