SUP Yoga

Hype or legit?

A friend of mine organized a SUP yoga class, so I felt compelled to try it since I love my stand-up paddle board and yoga. Maybe it would be like chocolate and peanut butter going hand in hand.  To be honest, I was a little skeptical. How much yoga can you really do on a SUP? I bit my tongue and signed up.

The class was scheduled for 5:30 which had its pros and cons. I like to SUP when the weather is warmer, and it can cool off towards the end of the day. However, the breeze usually dies down towards evening and the water tends to smooth out. Plus, you don’t have to worry as much about sun exposure late in the day. The air temperature was in the low 60s, so I wore a bathing suit with a rash guard shirt and some yoga leggings over it. The program provided us with Co2 cartridge waist life vests which are unobtrusive. The program also provided us with boards which was easier than loading mine on top of my car.

The instructor was friendly and well versed in the proper way to hold a paddle, and she went over some basics on shore before we set off. Each of us also received a small mushroom anchor to attach to our board and throw in the bay once the yoga portion of the class began.

We paddled out into the middle of the bay chitchatting and happy to be out on the water. The instructor directed us to an area near a swim float and we threw our anchors into the water to keep our boards from moving.  She turned on yoga music from a box she had placed on the swim float and we assembled on our boards in a rough semi-circle.

The yoga was very gentle and stuck to the basics that are easy to do on a yoga board: cat/cow, upward dog, and easy stretches. Warrior and crescent lunge proved more challenging, and a few people fell in the water. I was determined not to get wet because of the cold air temperature, so I was careful and deliberate with my poses. Savasna was the best part, in my opinion, because we laid on our backs gazed up at the sky and listened to the water gently lapping against our boards. It was extremely peaceful.

Class ended and we paddled back to shore as the sun sank lower in the sky, some of us wet and some dry. The following week the winds were stronger, and we were more limited in our yoga movements; a lot more people took an unexpected dip. 

My verdict: SUP yoga is a fun activity to try if you’re looking for a little variety. I don’t plan on signing up for anymore classes, but I’m glad I gave it a try. I can always try striking a yoga pose on my SUP when I’m paddling on my own if the spirit moves me.

GENERAL TIPS:

1. An ankle leash guard is important in case you fall off your board. It can shoot off farther than you think if it’s not tethered to you.
2. Quick dry clothing over a bathing suit works best. My favorite rash guards lately are from Carve and I love the sporty bathings suits at Title Nine. https://www.carvedesigns.com/collections/rashguards-sunshirts https://www.titlenine.com/womens-athletic-swimwear/
3. A mushroom anchor is helpful if you don’t want to drift around.
4. Music is unnecessary; the sounds of nature are more than enough IMO.
5. A Co2 waist pack is nice to have as a low profile flotation device; in an emergency you pull the tab and it inflates.