It may not seem like the season but we can go out on the water this time of year.

If you have Paddle Board experience and would like to rent a board we have boards available.

If you are a hearty beginner we have a few wet suits to rent out with board if you want a lesson.

Or you want to wait until Spring?  We understand. Stay tuned into my blog to see what is happening over the winter.

 
Introductory classes
 $40 for one student.

Youth and Groups rates available.

Tours available. From one-four hours.  Rates vary depending on number of participants and length.

Morning core/cardio sessions

Class times: 6:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m.

Small class sizes, three students per class.

This session is for students who have gone through the introductory class or have previous SUP (Stand Up Paddle) experience.

Week long 5 sessions:

$75/wk per student. *

*Single days  $20/class/student

 

Lunch core/cardio sessions

Class times: noon-1:00 p.m.

Small class sizes, three students per class.

This session is for students who have gone through the introductory class or have previous SUP (Stand Up Paddle) experience.

Week long 5 sessions:

$75/wk per student. *

Sunset core/cardio sessions

Class times: 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Small class sizes, three students per class.

This session is for students who have gone through the introductory class or have previous SUP (Stand Up Paddle) experience.

Week long 5 sessions:

$75/wk per student. *

Floating Feather Bed and Breakfast in Ocean Shores, Washington

We were invited out to Ocean Shores to explore the miles and miles of canals.  Perfect flat water SUP conditions.

It really did feel like Venice or the Everglades or the Bayous. The tree canopy arching over our heads.  We saw some fun semi-wild life.
What a wonderful adventure.  Thank you to Chris Fry of Westbay Stand Up Paddle for including me, The Floating Feather; for hosting us, and David and Jason for coming up with the idea. Donna it was so fun to meet you.  Can not wait for future SUP adventures.
Check out the Floating Feather at:
http://www.oceanshores.com/bed_breakfast/floating_feathers/index.html

I am sure Chris, Donna and or David will be posting more interesting photos soon.

Stand Up for Cancer/ July 11 2010

http://sup4cancer.org/

Intro classes and Morning or Sunset Core/Cardio

 Classes and core/cardio sessions Board rental included in price.



Introductory classes are being offered at $40/hr per person.
We can accommodate up to three students per hour.

Morning core/cardio sessions

Class times: 6:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m.

Small class sizes, three students per class.

This session is for students who have gone through the introductory class or have previous SUP (Stand Up Paddle) experience.

Week long 5 sessions:

$75/wk per student. *

*Single days  $20/class/student

Sunset core/cardio sessions

Class times: 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Small class sizes, three students per class.

This session is for students who have gone through the introductory class or have previous SUP (Stand Up Paddle) experience.

Week long 5 sessions:

$75/wk per student. *

check out the Thursday evening SUP races. 6:30 p.m. Swantown Marina

http://standuppaddlesurfing.ning.com/group/pacificnorthwestsup/forum/topics/olympia-thur-evening-sup-races

Fun at any age

Little SUP next to Big Square Riggers

Video at Percival Landing

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/040463e3cc1bfb999dbcbb21411344c4/video/15753957

out and about Budd Inlet

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/e625069d5971a21293771fd773467425/video/15753958

Stand Up for Cancer

For a great SUP experience you should check out the Kiteboard/SUP for cancer event in Hoodsport July 9-11th.
It is so fun and so beautiful with the kites all flying around.
There are three SUP events this year. A two hour endurance race, a relay race and a full contact SUP event (kinda like jousting.)
Such great camaraderie. Great exercise.

https://www.kb4c.org/athlete_detail.cfm?a=148

Arcadia to Westbay Marina; a perfect adventure

Well it was great.  A little more over cast than I was expecting.  The winds actually went against us in the beginning of our trip leaving Arcadia.
This is looking back at Steam boat Island
 

We launched at twelve thirty and arrived at Tug Boat Annie's at four pm.











This is around Dana Passage

 See our beloved Capital on the horizon

 I was looking for starfish around Hope island, no hope just this lonely jelly fish.










Here is a seal who followed me for a while, behind the seal is Boston Harbor.

What a lovely day.  I did not think we would get that far that fast.  The weather was with us for the most part.  Once we hit the in coming tide and the southerly wind died down.


I could imagine some SUP endurance and speed races right here in our South Puget Sound.
That is my next project...more on that soon.
Until then, don't forget to appreciate our waterways.  I can give lessons or tours for two people if you need help getting out there.  Let me know if you want to come out and explore.

Getting out when the getting is good

I woke up this morning listened to the weather and decided nothing else is important.
The kids are fine with out me, I have no chore too important to ignore.
Now we've planned a ten mile adventure following the tides.
We are going to go from the Arcadia boat ramp in to Tug Boat Annie's.
I am wanting to start timing runs and conditions so that when I take other people out I can be somewhat accurate.
Looks like we are going to have a NE wind, about seven miles per hour. Tide will be low around ten, high at four twenty.
It's going to be a sunny day.
You can reach me on the water!!!

My SUP race

Last summer I raced my Stand Up Paddle Board down in Hood River Waterfront Event Site in Hood River, Oregon.
These guys came from all over the world to come race.  Some had been racing for years.  I had only been paddling for three months.  They were such an inclusive bunch.  Happy to show me the ropes.
You can see the nose of my board in the far left of this first picture.

The race was a two hour endurance race.
We made many laps around the event site in HoodRiver.
After a few laps about half the racers had to stop.
By the end of the race the wind was up to 30 knots I think.
The hardest part of the lap was into the wind.
By the end of my time, while going into the wind I could no longer paddle forward.  The wind kept pushing against me.  If I stopped paddling for a second I would go back twenty feet in seconds!

  



A bunch of the racers landed on the shore behind me in this picture. The wind would blow them backward onto the beach.

This is a photo of the windy part of the lap.  One of my earlier laps when the wind was not as strong.

I finally had to stop after one hour and fifty minutes. Almost five full laps around the course.

This race was in conjunction with a Kite Boarding competition. The entire event was a fund raiser for Cancer.
The event was called Kiting4Cancer, SUP4Cancer.
I think they raised $20,000 that year.
The event will be happening this year again.
It is such a great event, so beautiful with the many Kites flying in the back ground.
In the evenings there is live music and food.  Requisite beer garden. Such a great atmosphere.  Everyone physically tired from the day's events.
I will be going again!


I really want to get some races for Stand Up Paddles going here in Bay.  The wind would not be such an issue.  I will post information when we get something organized.

Please excuse my experiments on the blog.  I think I like the slide show as the best method for sharing pictures.
I will be getting out on the water soon and will get some action shots and start some instructional and informational entries.

Friday

We hit the water around noon.
We put in at Boston Harbor public boat ramp.
Tide was a mid point going down. Low tide was around three.

We headed toward Johnson Point.

 We passed Cooper Point,

Steamboat Island,

and Squaxin Island 

 and paddled along the shores of Harstine Island. 









Then we headed back to Boston Harbor.

from Boston Harbor to Budd Inet.
Wind at my back the whole way back.

To Tug boat Annie's for dinner and beer! 

What a great day.

 

an afternoon on the water with the twins.

We left from the Swan Town boat launch



















This is out between Hearthfire and Tugboat Annie's

































All three Stand Up Paddle Boards actually
fit on my little Prius.

Saturday fun

Hmmm, where should we go today?
It is pretending to be summer, we have got to get out there today.
Let's see we need to take the tides, wind and current into consideration.
Looks like low tide this afternoon. Just a little wind.
I think Swantown is the ticket since there is a boat ramp there.
Then we can go over to Priest Point Park and over to West Bay and check out the new Park down by the water.
There are a lot of seals on the route. I look forward to being able to post pics of some of the marine life out there.

Boston Harbor

There is so much water

to explore in this little city.





Each inlet of the South Puget Sound

has it's own special feature.





Some areas have many seals.






Some sand dollars.

We have seen bald eagles,

osprey,

kingfishers,

heron,

mergansers...

Some areas have

many star fish.







I think this is better than a vacation
away!!!