Sport

Choosing a SUP for whitewater paddling can be confusing. Sure, you’ve probably heard that inflatable SUPs are the way to go, but there are still a lot of options. Are all inflatables suitable for paddling in whitewater? The short answer, no.

Stability

Stability is an important factor in all aspects of standup paddling (SUP), but the balance element really comes into play when stepping onto moving water. A sub 30 inch SUP may glide through the flats, but if you are paddling white water you’ll want to go a bit wider. Start out in the 34 inch range and work your way wider. Yes, wider! The more gnarly the whitewater, the wider you’ll likely want to be.

As a point of reference, Hala Gear’s white water SUP range runs from 34 inches all the way up to a whopping 42 inches. 

Unbreakable, flexible and retractable fins

You’re fins help keep you paddling in the direction you intend to travel. Without them you’ll quickly become lost. If you paddle whitewater on a SUP with a fin , lost is likely where you’ll soon find yourself. Why? Traditional fins are designed to remain in place and not flex. This is great in water free from obstacles, but not so great in whitewater where rocks – and bumping into them – are part of the experience.

Choose a board with unbreakable, flexible side fins and a retractable center fin. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

Ample nose and tail rocker

Whitewater paddling is rough. I like to think of whitewater SUP as somewhat akin to skiing moguls. You are constantly bumping and changing direction to maintain the most efficient line down the river. You’ll want a board that is up to the challenge and this requires sufficient nose and tail rocker to navigate through the rough stuff.

Arch bar and kick pad

Similar to SUP surfing, paddling a SUP through whitewater requires a lot of moving around on your board. Just like when stepping back to surf a wave, you’ll want to know where you are on your SUP at all times. Having an arch bar and kick pad will serve as a useful touch point to maintaining a center  alignment and preventing you from stepping off the back of your board.

Grab handles

Chances are, you’re going to find yourself in the water reaching for your board at one time or another. In flat water it is sufficient to rely on a single handle in the center of your board. Not so in whitewater SUP, however. Look for a board with multiple grab handles. At a minimum, there should be handles on the nose and tail. Better yet, choose a board with handles on the sides, in addition to the center, nose and tail, e.g. a minimum of five grab handles.

Which model do I recommend?

The Hala Radito (10’x34″x6″) embodies each of the factors highlighted above and is my favorite white water SUP. It’s been fantastic entry level whitewater SUP for me and an amazing platform on which to grow and develop my whitewater paddling skills. Capable of expedition paddling or simple out for a day trip, the Radito is one of the most versatile whitewater SUPs on the market. It is also great all around board for novice paddlers, getting  kids out on the water, snorkeling trips and surfing small waves. If you want a whitewater SUP that can perform double duty in a variety of paddling situations, the Hala Radito is a pretty good option.

#HalaGear #StandupPaddling #sup #WhitewaterPaddling

PaddleXaminer is a veteran owned publication based in Los Angeles, California. We provide stories, gear reviews, and news for adventurers on and off the water.

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© PaddleXaminer 2023 – All Rights Reserved

PaddleXaminer is a veteran owned publication based in Los Angeles, California. We provide stories, gear reviews, and news for adventurers on and off the water.

Read More

© PaddleXaminer 2023 – All Rights Reserved

All companies should take responsibility for their carbon emissions, and consumers have the right to spend consciously on products that align with their concern about climate change. This is the belief of Climate Neutral, a new independent non-profit organization whose mission is to enlist brands to measure, reduce, and offset the carbon emissions resulting from the design, production, and shipping of products and services. Today, Climate Neutral is proud to announce its “Climate Neutral Certified” label, which will begin appearing on the packaging, hang tags, and websites of certified brands in early 2020 to verify the achievement of a net-zero carbon footprint.

With socially conscious consumerism on the rise and 76 percent of Americans viewing climate change as a crisis or major problem(1), Climate Neutral intends to deliver a new standard of trust and transparency when it comes to corporate action on climate change. Companies that elect to become “Climate Neutral Certified” are required to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint for the company’s upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions. Once the certification process is complete, a company may use the Climate Neutral Certified label across all consumer channels to communicate the company’s commitment toward a global climate solution. 

“Consumer brands today offer many credentials to a prospective buyer, but none of them directly addresses the brand’s climate impact,” said Austin Whitman, CEO of Climate Neutral. “Even worse, most brands don’t know how much they contribute to climate change. Climate Neutral exists to address both of these gaps so that we can make headway in the climate crisis.”

The power of product labeling is well documented. In the food industry, certified organic, gluten-free, and non-GMO labels heavily influence purchasing decisions. Studies have also shown that labeling programs result in more positive customer experiences and consumers are willing to pay more for these products (2). 

Carbon labeling has yet to achieve wide-scale recognition, but Climate Neutral plans to change that. Peter Dering, CEO of Peak Design and a co-founder of Climate Neutral, commented, “Carbon labeling by itself will not solve all our climate problems. But by enabling consumers to make informed purchasing decisions, labeling can play a crucial role in encouraging businesses to take full responsibility for their carbon expenditure and apply a long-overdue price to carbon.”

Climate Neutral was launched as a collaboration between Peak Design and Brooklyn-based BioLite, an innovator in off-grid clean energy solutions. To join Climate Neutral or learn more about how the program works, please visit climateneutral.org

— (1) Source: July 9-Aug. 5, 2019, The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of 2,293 US adults with an error margin of +/- 3 percentage points. More at http://wapo.st/pollarchive

(2) Source: Cornell University Food and Brand Lab http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/organic.html

#Environment

Wearing the Blaze Orange Seahawk model in my Nelo surfski.

Founded in the proving grounds of Southern California by avid paddler surfer Jurgen Schulz, Shelta was designed to deliver a high performance sun hat that functioned in the water as well as it did on land. Every Shelta hat, regardless of the model, is uniquely identifiable by Shelta’s signature “no flop brim”.

Each piece of Shelta gear from the hats to the growing lineup of shirts and accessories is built with purpose and designed for action with the overarching goal of providing the best possible sun protection for outdoor athletes and adventurers. Shelta hats float in most conditions and are now available in five brim widths and shapes to encompass a diverse range of activities. Click here to view the full list of design features for each model.

Complementing Shelta’s hats are two technical shirts, the Assault (hooded) and the Amphibian (crew), which are every bit as cutting edge as the hats. Like the hats, the Assault and Amphibian are designed to perform equally well on land and in the water. Both are available in a variety of colorways and packed full of features.

Our Take

It is difficult to hold back the urge to simply state a long string of superlatives when writing about Shelta. I’ve been wearing Shelta hats and technical shirts for several years now and they are without question the best gear I own.

Whenever I’m outdoors, there is almost always a Shelta hat on my head. I’ve worn a Shelta hat during Catalina Channel crossings racing outrigger canoes and would feel naked without one paddling my Nelo surfski. The “no flop brim” is no joke – it works exceedingly well at blocking the sun from your face without blocking your field of view.

My favorite color in recent years has been the blaze orange, so much so that there are at least a handful of paddlers who know me simply as “the guy in the orange hat”!

The Assault and Amphibian technical shirts are as solid as the hats. The Amphibian is without question my favorite shirt to wear when paddling my surfski. It offers unrivaled sun protection and breaks the ocean breeze in a manner which never causes my body to overheat or be too cool. For Southern California surfski paddling, it is a viable four season shirt which I can reliably wear in any conditions.

PaddleXaminer is a veteran owned publication based in Los Angeles, California. We provide stories, gear reviews, and news for adventurers on and off the water.

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© PaddleXaminer 2023 – All Rights Reserved

Known by the Spanish name meaning “King of Marinas”, Marina del Rey is a popular hub of activity for stand up paddlers in Los Angeles. The large man-made marina is home to a significant fleet of private vessels, charter fishing boats, pleasure cruisers and more throughout the eight lettered basins (A-H). The average depth of the marina is between 15-21 feet and the majority of stand up paddlers enter the water from the sandy confines of Mother’s Beach, located at 4101 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA.

Mother’s Beach

Formally named Marina Beach, this calm, 12 acre horseshoe-shaped lagoon is ringed by a sandy beach and known more widely by locals as Mother’s Beach. There is ample public parking surrounding Mother’s Beach and the most common place to park and launch SUPs is from the lot on Palawan Way. Mother’s Beach is also the home of the Marina del Rey Outrigger Canoe Club – known for assembling the first women’s team to race in the Catalina Channel Crossing in 1972. The sandy shoreline is a popular location for beach fitness clubs to train students and also has a playground for children.

Rental Options

There are three main SUP rental options in Marina del Rey, all of which are located at Mother’s Beach. Each offers a selection of well maintained SUPs and varying levels of instruction and clinics.

1. ProSUPShop: Located in the parking lot of the Jamaica Bay Inn, ProSUPShop has a large selection of SUPs ranging from all-around cruisers to displacement hull touring boards available for rental customers. In addition to offering rentals, ProSUPShop has a small retail selection of boards, apparel and popular accessories on offer.

2. Paddle Method: Located beneath the white pop up tent on the sand, Paddle Method has a small fleet of inflatable SUPs and composite all around boards. They offer full service instruction, tours and also rent out their inflatable SUPs for use off-site.

3. Phins: Located on the dock at in front of the Mermaid Cafe and Marina Fitness, Phins offers a fleet of Hobie soft-top all around SUPs in addition to kayaks and row boats.

What You’ll See

A California Sea Lion basking in the sunshine.

Marina del Rey offers paddlers the opportunity to view a number of spectacular private vessels from the water. Many of the slips are home to luxury watercraft and über yachts and sailing vessels frequent the marina throughout the year. During the summer months, a selection of rays and leopard sharks are regularly seen in the shallow waters of Mother’s Beach and marine mammals such as seals and sea lions are seen year round throughout the marina. A range of permanent and seasonal birds can be spotted in Marina del Rey, to include different species of pelicans, a variety of ducks, cormorants and other waterfowl. On clear days you can see the Hollywood sign on the hills in the distance beneath the mountains ringing Los Angeles to the north and east.  

Food and Accommodation

There is a large selection of hotels, bars and restaurants in Marina del Rey, predominantly along Admiralty Way. The type of fare and price point of each ranges from economy to luxury options and includes a mix of recognized chains and local businesses. Killer Shrimp and its sibling Killer Cafe are collocated across the street from Mother’s Beach at the intersection of Admiralty Blvd and Palawan Way and are SUP Examiner’s favorite spots for post paddle food and libations.  

#California #PaddleMethod #MarinadelRey #Phins #ProSUPShop #KillerShrimp

Three months from the opening ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup for 2023 and the excitement is building ahead of an Olympic and Paralympic qualification campaign barely two years since the close of the Tokyo Games.

The 2023 canoe sprint and paracanoe season will kick off at the spiritual home of the sport, Szeged in Hungary. Capacity crowds are expected to cheer on athletes from all over the world at the opening ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup, as they continue a journey they hope will take them to Paris in 2024.

The main pathway to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics will come through the ICF World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, in June. This will be an opportunity for athletes to earn Paris 2024 quotas for their country.

The Szeged World Cup, and a second world cup in Poznan, Poland, two weeks later, will provide a valuable opportunity for athletes to test their progress ahead of the Paris qualifiers. It will also provide teams with a valuable opportunity to experiment with different athletes in their crew boats.

There will be new events in Paris. The men’s K2 and C2 1000 metre races become 500 metre events, and the men’s and women’s K1 200 races are no longer on the program.

Nearly all the Olympic medalists from Tokyo are expected to be back racing this season, with some notable exceptions. Great Britain’s Liam Heath, Canada’s Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, Cuba’s Serguey Torres, and Germans Ronald Rauhe and Max Hoff are among the big-name athletes who announced their retirement after Japan.

Szeged will also provide an opportunity to highlight the newest Paralympic paracanoe event. The women’s VL3 has been added to the Paris 2024 Paralympic program, giving paracanoe 10 medal events.

Szeged has built a reputation as one of the premiere venues for canoe sprint in the world, reflecting the standing canoe sprint and paracanoe holds among Hungarians. The city has hosted four ICF World Championships, the first back in 1998, and regularly hosts world cups and junior and U23 world titles.

The opening ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Cup will be held in Szeged from May 11 to 14.

About International Canoe Federation

The International Canoe Federation is responsible for the global sport of canoeing and has 167 affiliated National Associations and 13 disciplines – Sprint, Slalom, Paracanoe, Wildwater, Marathon, Canoe Polo, Freestyle, Ocean Racing, Dragon Boat, SUP, Rafting, WaveSki and Canoe Sailing.

Canoeing has two Olympic disciplines, with sprint introduced at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and slalom at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games; Canoeing also made its debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games with Paracanoe.

Everyone has a story about how they started stand up paddling. Many of the top SUP racers initially made their name at another paddling discipline long before making the transition to SUP. Andrea Moller, Danny Ching, Travis Grant, and Georges Cronsteadt are a few of the names which readily come to mind. Each excels at paddling outrigger canoes, among other craft. Similarly, many recreational stand up paddlers living along the coast were already immersed in a culture of water sports and easily added stand up paddling as another way to spend time on the water. In contrast to most of these folks, I found stand up paddling because I am a hiker.

Unlike many stand up paddlers, I’m equally as happy pursuing some form of terrestrial activity. I’ve backpacked rugged trails on three continents, logged countless miles, and reached the summit of numerous peaks. Almost immediately upon moving to Los Angeles in January 2008 I ordered a new pair of hiking boots and began exploring the trails at Topanga and Malibu Creek State Parks in nearby Malibu. I love the rugged, dry terrain (I had been living in England for the previous six years.), but one of the elements which struck me the most was the proximity of many of the trails to the Pacific Ocean.

I had never lived anywhere where you could hike in the mountains and see the ocean. The vastness of the water was captivating and the curvature of the mountains along the Malibu coastline offer a wide selection of sights. From city views, the mountains, the ocean, even Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on clear days. Before long, I wanted to take advantage of the coastal location and find a way to get out on the water so I could see the mountains from a different perspective.

Stand up paddling was not yet the worldwide phenomenon it is today, but it was common to see kayakers plying their way around the bay. I had rented a kayak a few times over the years and it looked like that was the best way to go. I’d yet to discover the thriving SoCal outrigger canoe scene and stand up paddling…what was that?

I began scoping out kayaks to see what would work the best for me when I saw my first stand up paddler in Marina del Rey. My wife and I rented a pair of boards from Poseidon Paddle & Surf shortly thereafter. I soon bought my first board and the rest, as they say, is history.

Even so, I am still a bit more at home in the mountains than I am on the water. Regardless of where I am, I will always be an explorer seeking out new and interesting places both on land and at sea. One of my favorite local mountain hikes, it has now turned into an annual trek, is to the summit of Mt. San Antonio, better known locally as Mt. Baldy. Rising up 10,064 ft, the mountain is the highest peak in Los Angeles County.

The view from the summit is amazing any time of year and while strenuous, it is not an extremely difficult climb. One of the nice aspects of hiking Mt. Baldy is the fact there are multiple routes to the summit. The Devil’s Backbone trail via the Mt. Baldy ski lodge is undoubtedly the most popular route. I’ve taken this path in the past, but prefer the lengthier and more diverse Mt. Baldy Trail which begins approximately ¼ mile from the Mt. Baldy Visitor Center in Bear Canyon.

Hiking Mt. Baldy is a right of passage for SoCal hikers and you’ll always find first timers as well as veterans ambling their way up its steep slopes. On my most recent outing, I was fortunate to come across a group of desert bighorn sheep. This was the first time I’d ever seen the desert bighorns and sighting them on a hike is analogous to seeing a whale while stand up paddling. I like to return to the mountain each year to commemorate my time in California and survey the region from on high as I think back on my adventures of the past and those which are yet to come.

Acknowledgements

There are a lot of options when choosing your outdoor gear and over the years I’ve developed a good sense for what I like. I’m a big fan of Merrell boots, so much so they are the only brand I’ve worn for the past 15 years. I selected a pair of Merrell’s Moab Ventilator Mid hiking boots. Designed for a dry climate, the Moab Ventilator Mids are able to be worn right out of the box. Your legs may get tired over a long hike, but rest assured, your feet will be comfortable in these boots from start to finish. Paired with the Ventilator Mids, I wore the Merrell Stapleton SE pants which are by far the most comfortable technical hiking pants I’ve ever worn. You could wear them out around town, but these pants are most at home in the outdoors.

Merrell also makes a great wicking technical t-shirt that is a fantastic initial layer. It is lightweight, designed with an athletic cut, and is infinitely superior to wearing a cotton shirt. I timed my last hike between winter storms and knew I could get by with just a lightweight wind jacket as my outer layer. On this occasion I chose to take the Merrell Capra Hybrid Wind Layer. The Capra Hybrid is an amazing, technical designed wind layer. It is easily packable, works exceedingly well at blocking out the wind, and has two well placed pockets to keep small items close to your body without bouncing around.

When it comes to paddling, stand up paddleboards and watercraft may change over time, but I always have a Quickblade Paddle between my fingertips.

How Did You Become a Stand Up Paddler?

What’s your story? Send us an article pitch and tell us the story about how you started stand up paddling. If you have a compelling tale that you’d like to share, let us know and we’ll consider it for publication. Contact us today!

#Features #Stories #travel

Australian paddle sports apparel manufacturer Vaikobi has thoughtfully engineered a lightweight, vest style PFD to meet the growing market for performance oriented safety equipment in the stand up paddling community. Their Ocean Racing PFD was designed by paddlers for paddlers. It is intended to provide a high degree of comfort and performance while meeting Australia’s safety standards and was used by a large number of paddlers last year during the “The Doctor”, Australia’s challenging 27 km distance race.

Vaikobi’s Ocean Racing PFD

1. Lightweight and breathable

2. Hi Vis fluorescent yellow for maximum visibility

3. Australian Standard 4758 Level 50- Mandatory for Australian Races

4. Compartment on the back to store a hydration bladder

5. No side panels for maximum breathability

6. Easy access front mesh pockets for storage

7. Padded shoulders

8. Front center zipper for ease of taking on and off

SUP Examiner’s Take

The Vaikobi Ocean Racing PFD is truly a lightweight, comfortable, vest style PFD that affords paddlers a complete range of motion – something not commonly associated with stand up paddling in a vest style PFD. While this is unmistakably a vest style PFD, based on SUP Examiner’s experience testing the product, paddlers will quickly forget they are wearing it. In fact, if you are accustomed to wearing a backpack style hydration pack, the Ocean Racing PFD with its integrated compartment for a hydration bladder will be an unmistakable upgrade to your gear.

The Vaikobi Ocean Racing PFD contains six adjustable straps (one over each shoulder and two on each side) to enable you to comfortably adjust the PFD for the best fit. The front panels each contain a small sleeve where you can tuck any excess portion of the side straps neatly out of the way. The front zipper is a thick, rugged design that should withstand regular use for a long time. A quick release buckle is added below the zipper to secure the PFD. The quick release buckle (when secured) also prevents the PFD from being fully unzipped.

The two mesh front pockets are a nice size – large enough to hold a cell phone, energy bars/gels, or whatever you need. The right pocket includes a clip on a lanyard for attaching small items. The padded shoulder straps are comfortable and contain reflective loops to hold the excess portion of the straps in place. Additionally, the shoulder straps each have elastic loops for you to route the drink tube of your hydration bladder along with plastic D-rings for attaching items.

The rear hydration bladder compartment is sufficiently large enough to easily hold the MOCKE 1.5 L Rapid Hydration Bladder we used during testing and could likely hold a 2 L bladder for extended journeys on the water.

The Vaikobi Ocean Racing PFD is breathable, although it will likely trap some body heat if used in a race on a hot day. SUP Examiner tested the PFD extensively while paddling an SIC Bullet 17.4 offshore in a range of open ocean conditions. Overall we were impressed by the results. This is truly a vest style PFD that you can paddle in. If we had to name one attribute that stood out the most, it was the easy of use from not having to carry a separate PFD and hydration pack. The Vaikobi Ocean Racing PFD is extremely comfortable and affords paddlers a full range of motion. It stays securely in place and doesn’t slide around, nor do the straps gradually work their way loose over the course of paddling. We liked it and we think you will too.

Always read the label on your PFD for a list of complete operating instructions. Rules and regulations governing the use of PFDs may vary from country to country. Always consult local regulations to verify compliance. Wearing a PFD while stand up paddling is not a substitute for knowing how to swim. Learn the local conditions and your own limitations before entering the water.

Disclosure: Vaikobi provided SUP Examiner with a sample product for review, however, the opinions expressed are our own.

#personalflotationdevice #hydrationpacks #Vaikobi #supsafety #PFD