Sailing trip with trend sport Stand Up Paddling

In summer 2022, our customer Sebastian Zier was going with 10 friends on the large catamaran Fountaine Pajot Saona 47 Quintet "Fee" from our Pitter base Marina Kornati Biograd.

Of course, 11 people on board need employment 😉. Sebastian and his crew are very athletic. Therefore they were very happy that they had one Stand Up Paddle from Pitter on board as well as their owns. 

Sebastian wrote the following blog about his experience with a SUP on board for us. A SUP should not be missing on a sailing trip. Why? You can find out more about this in the following blog post 👇. 

A SUP is a must on a sailing trip. Why?

After using our SUP on many beautiful lakes, it was clear to us that it also had to be on our sailing trip. We had a total of 3 SUPs on board during our sailing trip (we were 11 people including the skipper). We took two of them ourselves and booked one SUP through Pitter Yachtcharter. ➡️ If you don't have your own SUP, you can book one through Pitter Yachtcharter when you make your booking.

What can you do with a SUP?

For us, the clear advantage of taking a SUP was that you can go ashore and discover lonely bays even more closely. You are simply very flexible with it. In addition, it is also a sportive activity. If discovering bays is not enough for you, you can also do other sports with it: for example, a workout or yoga on the SUP 🧘. Not only can the SUP keep up in terms of sport, but it can also be useful for implementing creative photo ideas 📸. And finally, you can also use it simply to relax in the sun. ☀️

Useful tips how beginners can use the SUP

As already mentioned, we already had a bit of SUP experience. However, it is basically no problem to quickly learn how to use it and so everyone can really get their money's worth. 👉 For beginners, I have summarised a few tips for the first attempts here:

• When getting on the SUP, always start slowly paddling in a sitting position first.
• Then slowly paddle on your knees.
• If all this is no problem, slowly get up from your knees (important: bend your knees very slightly and concentrate on the horizon). It will certainly take a while until you have a secure footing. Especially with the waves at the sea.
• ATTENTION: please pay attention to the swell, the current and larger stones under water! In shallow water, always paddle on your knees to avoid accidents if you fall into the water.
• For unsure swimmers, a life jacket and leash on the ankle (connection to the SUP) is recommended.
• How do you hold the paddle correctly? When holding the paddle above your head, your elbows should form a 90° angle. One hand should be at the top of the paddle.ie 

If you don't have secure footing because the waves are too strong, simply take a step back and kneel. No master has fallen from the sky - it just takes a bit more practice on the sea than on calm waters. 🌊 Besides, paddling is another thing and needs a bit of practice.

Beginner's checklist with the SUP board

• For beginners, an all-round board is recommended. They have a length of 2.75-3.35 metres and a width of 80-86 cm.
• The paddle should be held so that the paddle blade is bent forward (often used incorrectly).
• Direction of gaze: Look forward
  Correct stance: There should be a carrying handle on every SUP. This is for orientation and is in the middle of the board. 
  Attention sun: the board should never be left in the sun for a long time, as this can damage the material.
• Be aware of dangers: it is essential to find out in advance which bay you are going to, and to watch out for currents, rocks or waterfalls.
• Air pressure: If the SUP is not firm enough, it will be more difficult to get a secure footing and will be wobblier.

When did we use the SUP?

We always used the SUP when we were at a buoy or when we were anchored. When it was time to move on again, it was quick and easy to bring back on board. ➡️ Please always tie it down so that it does not go overboard.
Basically, we could use the SUP wherever our boat was (we were always in a bay). Of course, it was important to watch out for other boats.
 
So, if you are still thinking about whether you should take a SUP with you on your sailing trip or book one, there is one clear answer for me: YES - for me simply a must-have on a sailing trip! 🤗
 

Which SUP do I recommend?

After owning two of them ourselves, we can recommend the Allround boards from Fanatic for beginners. The price may be higher, but we are very satisfied with the quality. And of course, they are an eye-catcher.
There is even a special edition for girls (this was very important for my girlfriend 😊). Furthermore we really recommend the SUPs of Pitter - they are in top quality 👍. 

I wish you all a lot of fun trying out a SUP on a sailing trip with Pitter Yachtcharter. You can read another blog post of myself where I share my experience on a catamaran with you on the blog SAILING TRIP WITH A LARGE GROUP OF FRIENDS ON A CATAMARAN. Have fun - I can also highly recommend all Pitter blogs ;) Pitter provides a lot of interesting topics for you being best prepared for your trip and also they are providing tips which are useful during your sailing holiday. 

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