Whitewater Forum: SUP?

SUP?

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Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11175
Printed Date: 11 Oct 2025 at 4:25pm

Topic: SUP?

Posted By: Scott_H
Subject: SUP?
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2011 at 12:23pm

Anyone try a SUP out on the river? I tried it on some flatwater and thought it was a nice change of pace to a sea-kayak. I was nosing around the idea of someday snagging one and trying it out on some Class II-III stretches. They are kind of pricey for what would be the occasional diversion - so who knows, maybe I'd just see if I could rent one when the urge hit.

Undoubtedly those in the know can answer this better: why don't they have at least one strap to hook a foot when running a rapid? Seems like this would add more stability and control.

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.”

Replies:

Posted By: dave
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2011 at 12:39pm

I saw a ton of them out on the Wenanchee this season. They seemed to be having a good time and were waiting in line with us at the play spots.

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Nomad

Posted By: NateW
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2011 at 12:53pm

The Leavenworth Mtn Sports guys did SUP demos at Happy wave on the Wenatchee when the level was good. It looks like fun, but you need a pretty big eddy without too rapid of water to play at a single spot if you fall.

Posted By: fiddleyak
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2011 at 1:10pm

I've been ww supping my Emotion Kayak Traverse a bit. Same model as the Rapidfire. Pretty good design for ww (not surfing, I fall right off whenever I go for a wave, but maybe that's why I'm a kayaker). It's super stable and turns easily and not a bad price at $500 brand new.
It's a cool way to run class II-II+. I guess after a while I've decided playboating is more fun, and less hazardous.
One of the cool things about supping is you have to move your feet around a decent amount, basically to do what you do with your hips in a kayak, so I don't think there is one place that you would want to be strapped in. I've been thinking about maybe putting pieces of foam that I could push my toes under to get a little more stability.

Posted By: TastyWaves
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 4:31pm

"Undoubtedly those in the know can answer this better: why don't they have at least one strap to hook a foot when running a rapid? Seems like this would add more stability and control."

The reason there is no strap is that to be able to turn a board the size of an SUP, you can't just stand in the same place the whole time. To turn a board (any size) you have to focus your weight over the fins, and then when you pick up speed down the line you move your weight towards the nose (ever seen someone hanging ten?) Its a little more subtle on a shortboard but all surfers follow this concept from bottom-turn to top-turn.

Anyway, obviously on a river in rapids you could get by standing in the same spot much easier than on an ocean wave, but if you wanted to take it into play holes and actually stay on the board, it wouldn't be possible to connect more than one trip across the wave face if you stood in the same spot.

If you go to you tube and search for a video of longboarding, you'll see what I'm talking about. Turns are above the fins, and speed sections are toward the nose.

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Wise men say forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.

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