Who would you most like to share a SUP adventure with and why ? Three years ago , I saw a photograph on social media of Mohamed Salah on a SUP board . I messaged him through Twitter to invite him to come through to Southport Marine Lake to paddle with me . I haven ’ t heard back from him . Not yet anyway . Perhaps he ’ s been too busy winning the Premier League and the Champions League and the World Club Championship with Liverpool and generally becoming the best player in the world of football . If you ’ re reading this , Mo , the offer is still open .
What ’ s your favourite gear to date ? I own two Red Paddleboards , an 11 ’ 0 Sport and a 13 ’ 2 Voyager . Between them , they take care of most of my SUP needs . I prefer to take my board with me when I travel . I often paddle alone and sometimes in far-out locations , so I need to have equipment that I can rely on .
I ’ ve recently purchased a Prolimit SUP suit which I hope will keep me warm and dry , primarily through the winter months . Having a decent winter kit is vital for confidence , safety , and comfort .
For me , social media is a big part of SUP . I love to take quality photographs of my adventures and log my trips with a tracking app . I didn ’ t quite realise how much I relied on my mobile phone until I dropped it into the Danube during a multi-day adventure in 2021 ! A mobile phone inside a waterproof case also provides an important safety function .
How ’ s COVID impacted your journeys ? Any thoughts of international travel came to a sudden halt for us all in early 2020 . I found those first few months of lockdown challenging to deal with , especially in terms of mental health . However , COVID travel restrictions gave me time to explore closer to home . During July , August and September of that year , I became the first paddler to SUP around the perimeter of all twelve SUP-able lakes in the English Lake District .* I haven ’ t ventured too far from home in the last two years , mainly because of travel restrictions . But I have managed to revisit a few favourite European countries .
* In 2020 , we were allowed to SUP on 12 lakes . Sadly paddling has recently been banned SUP on Thirlmere and Ennerdale . We are hoping to have this decision reversed , but there are only ten SUP-able lakes at this time .
Rome
I became the first paddler to SUP around the perimeter of all twelve SUP-able lakes in the English Lake District
Southport Marine Lake
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