Perfect Paddles Summer Issue 2021

In Spotlight, SUP Location Recommendations, SUP Technique, SUP Trips, Trip Reviews by [email protected]

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Welcome to the New and Improved Perfect Paddles!
- For those who feel the call of the water -
Our continued mission to provide an online space for the SUP community to network, plan paddle trips, and access important knowledge/resources in your hometown and abroad has been on overdrive this summer...
And we are beyond excited to share the new features with you!
In response to what we see are the needs of the SUP community we have now implemented:
  • Enhanced tools to plan your next paddling trip including region SUP hubs for more direct searches
  • Curated SUP resources and knowledge from around the world to learn about paddling and where to go next
  • Dedicated SUP social networking features including a Paddle Buddy Finder feature and online discussion forum to connect with paddlers from across the world!
To see a complete rundown of our most recent changes, click on the button below:
On top of that, our main goal hasn't changed - to help you find moments on the water full of magic and natural wonder that you will never forget...
Wildlife paddles that dreams are made of; SUP retreats for health and spirit; opportunities to take friends or make friends on a multi-day paddle adventure trip and more!
Interested in joining the community? We offer Membership benefits that include:
  • Discounts on trips around the world
  • Discounts on local paddling activities in your hometown
  • Discounts on the best SUP gear on the market
  • A community of paddlers eager to connect and have fun
To experience these benefits - join today!
And now without further delay...
Introducing Our End of Summer Newsletter!
Inside you'll find a list of our favorite and helpful articles to get you paddling where the weather stays warm or in your hometown in the fall, gear reviews with links to discounts on those listed, our featured SUP activity you must try, paddle destinations, a list of fun events, and more! Check it out!
Our Favorite Articles
Pandemic Paddle Across America
From quarantine to the ultimate freedom of the road - find out where to paddle on your next SUP journey!
How to Test Your SUP Skills and Stay Safe on the Water
Check out 3 tests you can use today to see if you are ready to take the next step!
Inflatable or Hardboard?
Find out the differences between both types
of boards and which one is a fit for you!
Is This Paddling Paradise on Your Visit List?
Let's take a short trip down to Mexico...
Upcoming Calendar Events
As part of our continued evolution, Perfect Paddles now has an interactive calendar feature for paddlers around the world to connect, share, and sign up for events held near and afar.
Now, instead of a local community of paddlers, our hope is to create an international community full of like-minded individuals eager to connect and share in the activity we all love.
Check out these three featured events as well as our full calendar, with more events to come, by clicking HERE.
Get Certified! PSUPA Flatwater 1 Certification with Surf Skate Fitness - 9/13-9/14
The main purpose of the in-person 2-day training is to evaluate your stamina, ability to move around on the board, and to navigate using a variety of strokes (We pay special attention to your forward stroke technique because you will be teaching the next generation of paddlers); ensuring that you can efficiently perform a variety of water rescues, your teaching skills, interpersonal rapport building skills, your ability to represent a professional SUP organization, will all be evaluated. Recommendations will be made to support the achievement of best practices. Upon completion, you will be ready to teach SUP and be a fantastic ambassador for the sport.
Click HERE for more information!
Paddle for Recovery hosted by Blue Paddle SUP - 9/25
Paddle for Recovery is a FREE paddleboard class for recovering cancer survivors and a friend or family member who supported them through their treatment. The mission of this program is to provide an opportunity for survivors to escape on the water from the physical and mental stressors from this terrible disease, and maybe even find a new passion that can assist in recovery. There are no gimmicks, it's just free for anyone who has completed cancer treatment.
All equipment and instruction will be provided.
Click HERE to join!
Red River Paddle Challenge - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - 9/24-9/25
Join us for the third annual Red River Paddle Challenge! The RRPC is a 45 kilometer (~28 miles) long-distance paddling race on the Red River beginning in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and ending downriver in Lockport, Manitoba. We welcome all types of paddling craft, including kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, surf skis, and more! Basically, our motto is if you can paddle it you can race it!
The early bird price is $75.00 per paddler. Early bird registration ends July 31, 2021. After that, it's $100 per paddler.
For more information click HERE!
Featured Activity: SUP Yoga
For this issue, we will be focusing on SUP Yoga! Take your practice from inside a studio's four walls and into nature. Feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and the soft ripples of water underneath your board as you gently fold into your favorite poses. This is an opportunity not to be missed.
Below we have highlighted some of the best outfitters across the globe holding SUP yoga classes and retreats as well as a short guide to poses you can practice at home today!
And don't forget to search for places in your area to try SUP yoga by using our Locations/Activities tab.
Paddle Diva (New York City and Florida)
SUP Yoga Class and Teacher Training
We'll guide students through a challenging set of poses, moving them outside of their comfort zones, and into a place of peace where they will be able to release their tension.
For those wanting to move from student to teacher, we also offer immersive teacher training that will leave you more than prepared to lead your own classes.
Paddle Diva offers discounts through our Member Discounts!
Yoga Floats (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Yoga Floats came about out of the desire to enjoy the breathtaking beauty and serenity of Oahu, Hawaii. An avid yogi and enthusiastic paddler, Kelsey, the founder of Yoga Floats, wanted to find a way to combine the deep sense of peace she found through yoga with the inspiring and uplifting feeling of being on the ocean.
Yoga Floats offers discounts through our Member Discounts! 
Metta Float (Medulin, Croatia)
Sunset SUP Yoga Medulin
Yoga. At sunset. On water. Is there anything more beautiful than this?
Join us for our Sunset SUP Yoga class and experience true peace of mind while connecting with the beautiful nature around you.
Metta Float offers discounts through our Member DIscounts!
To find additional SUP Yoga classes all around the world - head to our Locations/Activities under SUP Yoga HERE! from our friends at Yogi Approved to start working on your poses and balance from the comfort of your home. Click on the picture below to access!
Want to give it a try at your own pace in the comfort of your home? Use these 5 beginner poses from our friends at Yogi Approved to start working on your poses and balance from the comfort of your home. Click on the picture below to access!
Featured Location Articles
"Napa Valley is known for one thing and really one thing only - wine. The vast acres of rolling hills are covered in long grape vines spilling onto the ground in an offering to the farmers who grow them with precision and create the famous wine tastes known around the world. It is a pleasure to see the carefully manicured farms and the process it takes to bring a single bottle of wine into the world.
If you plan on heading to Napa, then do yourself a favor and visit at least one winery while you are there. It is an experience one must delve into at least once before leaving.
After your taste test and tour, if you are wondering what else the area has to offer, the answer is plenty. Especially if you are a SUP fanatic."
-Click the link to continue reading!
Ocean City, Maryland is a small beach-going town that lies between relaxed family vibes and wild nightlife adventures. It has served as the go-to hub for vacationers flocking from the nearby states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and even New York. Due to this surge of activity, the community has grown around its service of visitors, creating one of the best places to experience beach life on the East Coast.
While we can spend plenty of time revealing to you all Ocean City has to offer, what we instead wish to focus on is a little-known state and national park that is one of the best places to experience the wildlife in Maryland as well as create lasting memories.
Located about 15 minutes outside of the Ocean City strip, away from the local bars, boardwalk and famous Thrasher’s fries stands quietly sits Assateague State and National Parks. Both of these parks are excellent places to catch some sun, waves, open beaches, and the famous wild ponies native to the island.
If you want both a taste of the nightlife and the wildlife then a trip to Ocean City and Assateague Island should be on your must-visit list for your summer SUP destinations.
Click on the link to continue reading!
SUP Events
This is your chance to combine your passion for SUP and a fantastic trip around the world!
For more information on each holiday click on the pictures below!
Whether you want to paddle for an hour or have the whole day to explore Our tours are perfect for you, your family, and friends.
Our Tours are the best way to get to Tutukaka’s secret spots! You’ll discover secluded white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and rock gardens – all in a safe and educational guided tour with our certified instructors.
This is a journey into one of the most spectacular areas of Europe. We will be gliding through the Knoydart, an amazing wilderness area cut off from the mainland road network, surrounded by majestic mountains and deep lochs. Deep in heart of Knoydart we will find true wilderness, wildlife, and adventure. Knoydart is steeped in history and its remoteness is breathtaking.
Sup Cruise offers you an opportunity to explore the most beautiful locations in the Mediterranean Sea, Seychelles islands, and the Caribbean, in a way rarely experienced - up close and personal.
7-day cruises on a catamaran yacht, hosted by a professional and personal crew and, of course, SUP boards.
Take the trip of a lifetime with M&M SUP Amsterdam - To learn more click here!
Join the Water Skills Academy team on a unique and one-off Stand Up Paddle Board adventure experience across the Himalayas visiting Nepal. This once-in-a-lifetime adventure has access to parts of the planet rarely seen by Western eyes and will be guided by some of the most experienced SUP guides and expedition leaders in the world. As part of this adventure, you will be some of the first to descend the rivers of Nepal by SUP as we travel across the country – a pretty awesome achievement!
Learn Important Rescue and Water Safety - Online!
Stand Up Paddling is an exciting and rapidly expanding sport and past-time.
Making smart decisions on when and where to launch, knowing how to get back on your board, dressing for the conditions and water temperature, and knowing how to rescue another paddler or swimmer are essential skills covered in this course.
What you’ll learn in this comprehensive SUP Rescues & Water Safety Course:
  • Rescue techniques such as the flip rescue and towing
  • How to choose where to launch (or land) and when to go (or not go).
  • Which life jackets to choose and how to wear them. Covers C02 PFDs.
  • Which clothing to wear for various conditions and temperatures or levels of activity
  • How to safely fall in (We all fall!) and tips for getting back on the board. Plus alternative options if you struggle with getting back on.
  • Alternative options for not standing. How to paddle sitting, kneeling, or prone (on belly).
Plus 6 Essential Downloads:
  • Checklist for a 1 hr paddle or day trip
  • How to prep your car for paddling
  • Clothing list for all seasons
  • Contents for First Aid and Repair Kits
  • How to repair hard and inflatable boards
And My Essential Paddler’s Resources, Updated Regularly for the Most Up-to-Date Resources, Including:
  • US and Canadian marine weather forecast links
  • Surf and coastal forecast tools
  • Marine navigation resources
  • Additional training resources
  • Where to launch
  • Float Plan apps
  • Marine Traffic apps
  • Make your first Stand Up Paddle experience a good one! And get the foundational skills to then take your Stand Up Paddling to new exciting levels.
Click HERE to enroll today!
Gear Roundup
What They Offer:
DeckBagZ, the original manufacturer of vintage surf-style paddleboard deck bags for SUP or kayak. Ultra high quality, durable and stylish SUP deck bag made of neoprene and vinyl, in many fun and vivid colors!
With lots of smart design features, and created by paddlers like you, our paddleboard accessories are proudly hand-built in the United States of America.
Become a member and receive exclusive discounts on all SUP Now gear!
What They Offer:
KAVU is run by full-on fun fanatics seeking the next adventure. Our formula for living well is simple — build good times into everything you do. They offer clothing and high-quality outdoor gear. Save 50% off bags!
Become a member today to save on Kavu's high-quality bags and other great gear!
What They Offer:
Vibrant, environmentally responsible apparel that visually represents 15 (and growing) conservation topics, empowering you to use what you wear as a fun and functional science communication tool. For each design, we donate 10% of profits to leading research & education organizations and use their expert knowledge to guide behavioral change recommendations.
Become a member today to receive a 10% discount on your next Waterlust purchase!
What They Offer:
High-quality carbon fiber paddles with a flaming hot color design. Grab a fire paddle if you want to use the lightest paddles on the market and want to do it with style.
Become a member today to receive exclusive discounts on your next Fire paddle purchase!
Our Favorite SUP Instructional Vids
Check out these two favorite SUP videos from previous email blasts!
Learn a few tips to get you mentally prepared for your first SUP race:
Use this quick drill to improve your paddle stroke:
Planning a Trip? Explore these Locations...
(Click on the picture to explore the location)(Click
Paddlers: Have a picture or a story of your very own Perfect Paddle? Share it with us! We love to hear about your adventures and share them with the rest of the Perfect Paddles community.
Paddling Pros: We love to share any regularly occurring social, core crew, or training paddles in your area! Do you have one or know of one that tis happening in your area? Let us know! We will include it in our next email as well as put it on our Events Calendar for our members to see!
Until next time, remember to stay stoked!
-The Perfect Paddles Team
P.S. Just a quick reminder: We offer Membership benefits that include:
  • Discounts on trips around the world
  • Discounts on local paddling activities in your hometown
  • Discounts on the best SUP gear on the market
  • A community of paddlers eager to connect and have fun
To experience these benefits join today!
P.S. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on amazing places to paddle across the world and whom to contact while you're there! Click below:

 

About the Author
sean.belliveau@gmail.com

[email protected]

I'm an outdoors enthusiast with a passion for water and snow sports. If I'm not at my desk making the world a better place for paddle boarders, I'm outside somewhere.

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