23 have a go NOT to go into a crowded line-up ( the surfers won ' t thank you for that !) – have a lesson , find somewhere quiet , enjoy the fun but think about the safety aspect first . Find someone who knows what they are doing for top tips .
There is nothing more thrilling than catching your first wave or the next one , or the next one ! Me , I want to be more than a leisure SUP surfer , so I guess I should grab some lessons to improve and learn too .
Final thoughts on SUP surfing ? I never thought I would surf , especially at ' my age , although I have never let that stop me from doing anything . Still , I certainly don ' t have the ability to pop on a traditional surfboard , so SUP surfing has filled that gap . I was encouraged to enter the Hotdoggers competition at Saunton – conditions were just manageable for me , and it was great fun being in the line-up with good mates who didn ' t judge my ability .
I am lucky enough to own a SUP longboard too , and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to learn to ' hang ten ' – if I get some lessons , catch the conditions and practice , I may do it one day .
Watch this space !
Damian Scott
Neptune SUP
Tell us about your surf riding background and when you discovered riding waves with a paddle . Although I spent more time in my youth ( over 30 years ago ), windsurfing ( Eastbourne has more wind than waves ) surfing was a big part of my early days on the water with many trips to the south-west . Since then , I have been lucky enough to surf from Europe to Oz and many breaks in between .
I first tried SUPing on the sea many years ago , it was only my second time on a SUP , and there was no more than a low tide ankle-biter under the board , and yet it caught it ; for me , and that was it . The reality that I could catch ' waves / lumps ' that previously I wouldn ’ t have even thought of , made adding a SUP to the quiver a must ( that was the start of the Neptune SUPs journey ).
Do you still partake in a surf dabble with a paddle ? If so , how does this make up ( to a greater or lesser extent ) your overall paddling ? I enjoy flatwater paddling , but for me playing on waves , however small ( my big wave days are behind me ), is where it ’ s at . I have noticed more riders on local breaks and think that will increase as time goes . Historically ' some ' surfers can be less than welcoming . It ’ s always been like
that , which is a shame . That doesn ’ t make it attractive and can put people off .
What ' s your overall opinion of SUP surfing in the UK currently ? Do you see much new blood at your local , for instance ? In the last year or so , there has been an explosion of cheap iSUPs that have been very popular ; these are hard enough to stand up on flatwater ; so I don ’ t think that has helped . Also , just as SUP surfing started to get traction , foiling has become the ' new toy ', and brands are focusing on pushing them . This is just my opinion but when I got into surfing , it was more about being connected to the wave . As the sport has grown , it ’ s more like skateboarding on waves with more and more air tricks or riding the biggest wave out there .
Why do you think stand up paddle boarding waves never exploded as some predicted ? This has become the face of the sport and requires very particular shaped boards and skills . SUP surfing , however , is more likened to old school longboard riding in style ; even a short 8 ’ full carbon traditional shaped surfboard SUP is nothing like as responsive as a ' surfboard '. So I think SUP surfing appeals to those who want to surf but maybe in a way that is not as ' popular ' as seen on TV / social media .
Final thoughts on SUP surfing ? When doing any sport in the sea , GET LESSONS ! Good instruction will not only get you surfing quicker , teach you the etiquette of waves and the rules / secrets of the sea , and it may also save your or someone else ’ s life . Keep safe and have fun !