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What ’ s your overall opinion of SUP surfing in the UK ? Do you see much new blood at your local , for instance ? I think it depends where you go as to how well the sport is going . The waves aren ’ t suited for classic style surfing and more to surfing with a paddle at my local spot . When it gets good surf wise , it can get crowded ! As far as new blood is getting into the sport , I think many more people are showing an interest in it . It ’ ll be interesting to see if the recent boom in paddleboard sales will make it into the lineup .
Why do you think SUP boarding waves never exploded as some predicted ? Like any new sport in surfing , paddleboarding was initially frowned upon , and there was a certain stigma attached to it . So that might have held some people back from getting into it .
As SUP continues to navigate through its new growth spurt , with large volumes of paddlers coming into the fold , do you think we ' ll see an influx of SUP surf riders ? Yes , I do think we ’ ll see an influx of SUP surf riders . During the craziness that was last year , the sales of paddleboards went through the roof ; surely , some people will get into the surfing side of things .
Final thoughts on SUP surfing ? SUP surfing is my main focus when there are waves . I love it ; it gives you a completely different perspective on catching and riding waves . Classic style surfing has taken a back seat in recent years as I ’ m trying to push my paddle surfing as far as it can go .