Cities with the most people interested in stand up paddle boarding Meetups in USA

 

1	Miami, FL	137 interested
2	Fort Lauderdale, FL	132 interested
3	Orlando, FL	128 interested
4	Seattle, WA	68 interested
5	New York, NY	66 interested
6	Virginia Beach, VA	63 interested
7	Saint Petersburg, FL	56 interested
8	Charlotte, NC	55 interested
9	San Francisco, CA	54 interested
10	Wilmington, NC	47 interested
11	Los Angeles, CA	43 interested
12	Mount Pleasant, SC	37 interested
13	Jacksonville, FL	35 interested
14	Miami Beach, FL	35 interested
15	Hollywood, FL	30 interested
16	Newport Beach, CA	29 interested
17	Boston, MA	28 interested
18	Charleston, SC	28 interested
19	Raleigh, NC	27 interested
20	Jacksonville Beach, FL	25 interested

2012 SUP Races Caledar

Date	Race	Venue	State/Country	Region	Rating*
07/14/2012	NY/NJ Paddle's Long Beach 10 Miler	Long Beach	New York	U.S.	★★★★
07/14/2012	SUP Splash Series - St Pete	St Pete Beach	Florida	U.S.	★★
07/14/2012	Bayfest SUP Race	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★
07/14/2012	Blackburn Challenge	Cape Ann	Massachusetts	U.S.	★★
07/14/2012	Tahoe Cup Race Series: #2, Jam From The Dam	Lake Tahoe	California	U.S.	★★★★
07/14/2012	East Coast Stand Up Paddle Championships	Ponce Inlet	Florida	U.S.	★★★
07/14/2012	[Stand Up World Series] Betsafe Paddle Challenge	Varberg	Sweden	Europe	★★★★
07/14/2012	Midwest Standup Paddle Festival (Midwest Race Series)	Madison	Wisconsin	U.S.	★★★
07/14/2012	Triple Crown of SUP #3: Maui to Molokai	Maui	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★★
07/15/2012	Willamette SUP Cup	Lake Oswego	Oregon	California	★★★
07/15/2012	SUP a la Platja del Prat	Catalunya	Spain	Europe	★★
07/19/2012	YOLO Board Race Series	Western Lake	Florida	U.S.	★★★
07/20/2012	Great Lakes SUP Classic (Midwest Race Series)	Holland	Michigan	U.S.	★★
07/21/2012	Route des Phares Hoalen	Brittany	France	Europe	★★
07/21/2012	Irish Champs: SUP the Lough Festival	Lough Neagh	Ireland	Europe	★★
07/21/2012	Na Pali Race	Kauai	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★★
07/21/2012	San Clemente Ocean Festival/SurfRace To Victory SUPCross	San Clemente	California	U.S.	★★★★
07/22/2012	Naish International Paddleboard Championship	Maui	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★★
07/27/2012	H2O Overdrive Summer Series	Park City	Utah	U.S.	★★★★★
07/28/2012	SUP.se Swedish Championships (race #4 - Final)	Varberg	Sweden	Europe	★★★
07/28/2012	Detroit SUP Festival (Midwest Race Series)	Milford	Michigan	U.S.	★★★
07/28/2012	Tom Blake Board Across the Bay - Race & Festival	Washburn	Wisconsin	U.S.	★★★
07/28/2012	Bermuda Cup (Rursee)	Rursee	Germany	Europe	★★★
07/29/2012	Stroke the Slough	Seattle	Washington	U.S.	★★★
07/29/2012	Kinzigman SUP Race	Langenselbold	Germany	Europe	★★★
07/29/2012	Tommy Zahn Memorial Race (Poseidon Paddle Series)	Malibu	California	U.S.	★★★★
07/29/2012	Molokai2Oahu	Molokai	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★★★
07/29/2012	Manu O Ke Kai Ocean Challenge	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★
07/31/2012	SurfRace To Victory/Boardworks Show Up & Blow Up SUPCross	Weber River	Utah	U.S.	★★★★
08/04/2012	North Shore Ocean Quest	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★
08/04/2012	"Strokes" Danish SUP Marathon	Sjællands Odde	Denmark	Europe	★★★
08/04/2012	Lake Superior Paddle Fest (Midwest Race Series)	Duluth	Minnesota	U.S.	★★★
08/04/2012	The H2O Generation's Plum Island Paddlefest	Plum Island	Massachusetts	U.S.	★★★
08/04/2012	Paddle 4 People Charity Race	Miami	Florida	U.S.	★★★
08/04/2012	Paddle Party 3	St. Jacut	France	Europe	★★
08/05/2012	Stand Up 4 Liberty	Boston	Massachusetts	U.S.	★★★
08/09/2012	YOLO Board Race Series	Western Lake	Florida	U.S.	★★★
08/10/2012	Paddlestock	TBA	California	U.S.	★★
08/11/2012	SUP the City Smukfest	Skanderborg	Denmark	Europe	★★
08/11/2012	SUPSA Flat Water Distance Race ("Wendts Return")	Gold Coast	Queensland	Australia	★★★★
08/11/2012	Hulinokea Race #1	Hossegor	France	Europe	★★
08/11/2012	5th Annual Easy Rider SUP Cup	Edmonton	Alberta	Canada	★★★★
08/11/2012	PC SUP Cup Race #2	Park City	Utah	U.S.	★★★
08/11/2012	Chicago Shoreline Marathon (Midwest Race Series)	Chicago	Illinois	U.S.	★★★
08/11/2012	La Roootaaa Regataaa race #4	Miami	Florida	U.S.	★★★
08/11/2012	[Stand Up World Series] North Shore Paddle Challenge	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★
08/11/2012	Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival	Lake Tahoe	California	U.S.	★★★★
08/11/2012	German SUP Challenge Berlin	Berlin	Germany	Europe	★★
08/12/2012	Steinlager SUP and OC-6 Race	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★
08/18/2012	TC Waterman SUP Challenge (Midwest Race Series)	Traverse City	Michigan	U.S.	★★
08/18/2012	Paddle At The Porch / Destin SUP Cup	Destin	Florida	U.S.	★★
08/18/2012	SUP Splash Series - Savannah	Savannah	Georgia	U.S.	★★
08/18/2012	Stockholm SUP Challenge	Stockholm	Sweden	Europe	★★
08/18/2012	Gorge Paddle Challenge	Hood River	Oregon	U.S.	★★★★★
08/18/2012	SEA Paddle NYC	New York	New York	U.S.	★★★★
08/19/2012	Australian Stand Up Paddle Titles	Port Macquarie	New South Wales	Australia	★★★★★
08/19/2012	Penobscot Bay Paddle Challenge	Rockport	Maine	U.S.	★★★
08/21/2012	Duke's Ocean Fest	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★
08/25/2012	Oregon Open Ocean Classic	Newport	Oregon	U.S.	★★★
08/25/2012	A Day At The Beach SUP Race	Folsom	California	U.S.	★★★
08/25/2012	Watermans Paddle For Humanity	Washington DC	Washington DC	U.S.	★★★★
08/25/2012	[Stand Up World Series] Brazil Grand Slam	TBA	Brazil	South America	★★★
08/26/2012	Catalina Paddleboard Race	Catalina Island	California	U.S.	★★★★
09/01/2012	Austrian SUP Championships	Neusiedlersee	Austria	Europe	★★★
09/01/2012	Silvaplana SUP Race	Lake Silvaplana	Switzerland	Europe	★★
09/02/2012	Haleiwa Joe's Race	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★
09/02/2012	Battle For The Booty SUP Race	Virginia Beach	Virginia	U.S.	★★★
09/02/2012	SUP Regatta Rotterdam	Rotterdam	Netherlands	Europe	★★
09/02/2012	Six Fours SUP Classic	Six-Fours-les-Plages	France	Europe	★★
09/05/2012	SUP 11 City Tour	Friesland	Netherlands	Europe	★★★★
09/08/2012	SUPSA Club Championships, BoP-style race	Gold Coast	Queensland	Australia	★★★★
09/08/2012	[Stand Up World Series] Miami World Paddle Challenge	Miami	Florida	U.S.	★★★★★
09/08/2012	Paddle2Live	Newport Beach	California	U.S.	★★★
09/08/2012	Open de Lyon	Lyon	France	Europe	★★★
09/08/2012	PC SUP Cup Race #3	Park City	Utah	U.S.	★★★
09/08/2012	SUP Splash Series - Blue Ridge	Blue Ridge	Georgia	U.S.	★★
09/08/2012	German SUP Challenge Pelzerhaken	Pelzerhaken	Germany	Europe	★★
09/09/2012	Richard Henry Dana Charity Regatta SUP Race	Dana Point	California	U.S.	★★★
09/09/2012	Round the Rock	Seattle	Washington	U.S.	★★★★
09/15/2012	Watermans Paddle For Humanity	Austin	Texas	U.S.	★★★★
09/15/2012	Mokoli'i Paddle Classic	Oahu	Hawaii	U.S.	★★★★
09/15/2012	SurfRace to Victory SUPCross Series Final	Huntington Beach	California	U.S.	★★★★
09/16/2012	[Stand Up World Series] Tahoe World Paddle Challenge	Lake Tahoe	California	U.S.	★★★★
09/16/2012	Tahoe Cup Race Series: #3, Fall Classic	Lake Tahoe	California	U.S.	★★★★
09/16/2012	Bissets Strand Paddle Challege: SUP the Lough Festival	Dublin	Ireland	Europe	★★
09/23/2012	4 Lakes Trophy: Lake Starnberg	Munich	Germany	Europe	★★
09/29/2012	Battle of the Paddle	Dana Point	California	U.S.	★★★★★★
09/29/2012	Translac du Bourget	Le Bourget-du-Lac	France	Europe	★★
10/06/2012	Catalina SUP Festival	Catalina Island	California	U.S.	★★★★★
10/06/2012	Bissets Strand Paddle Challege: Mullagmore Battle of the Paddle	Mullaghmore	Ireland	Europe	★★
10/06/2012	Presqu'île Paddle Race	Presqu'île de Crozon	France	Europe	★★
10/06/2012	[Stand Up World Series] Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam	Huntington Beach	California	U.S.	★★★★★
10/06/2012	4 Lakes Trophy: Chiemsee Marathon	Chiemsee	Germany	Europe	★★
10/12/2012	[Stand Up World Series] World Championship Finals	Oahu	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★★★
10/13/2012	La Roootaaa Regataaa race #5	Miami	Florida	U.S.	★★★
10/13/2012	Battle of the Bay	San Rafael	California	U.S.	★★★★★
10/21/2012	SUP Splash Series - Golden Isles SUP Classic	St. Simons Island	Georgia	U.S.	★★
10/27/2012	SUPSA Flat Water SUP Sprint Series race #3	Gold Coast	Queensland	Australia	★★★★
10/27/2012	Paddle Royal	San Juan	Puerto Rico	South America	★★★★
11/03/2012	Hennessey's World Championships	Cabos San Lucas	Mexico	South America	★★★★★★
11/03/2012	Los Cabos Classic	Cabos San Lucas	Mexico	South America	★★★
11/03/2012	Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival	Fort Myers	Florida	U.S.	★★
11/10/2012	SUP Splash Series - Pacifico Paddle Challenge	St. Pete Beach	Florida	U.S.	★★
11/11/2012	Malibu SUPathlon	Malibu	California	U.S.	★★
11/17/2012	Power of the Paddle	Coolum	Queensland	Australia	★★★★
12/09/2012	Paris Nautic SUP Crossing	Paris	France	Europe	★★★★
02/01/2013	2013: ISA World Stand Up Paddle and Paddleboard Championship	Miraflores	Peru	South America	★★★★★★
03/01/2013	2013: [Stand Up World Series] Australia	TBA	TBA	Australia	★★★★★
03/01/2013	2013: [Stand Up World Series] New Zealand	TBA	New Zealand	Pacific	★★★★
03/08/2013	2013: Punta Sayulita Classic	Punta Sayulita	Mexico	South America	★★★★★
04/01/2013	2013: [Stand Up World Series] Chile	TBA	Chile	South America	★★★
04/18/2013	2013: [Stand Up World Series] CamSur World Paddle Challenge	CamSur Waterpark	Philippines	Pacific	★★★★★
05/11/2013	2013: OluKai	Maui	Hawaii	Hawaii	★★★★★★
05/25/2013	2013: Lost Mills International	Brombachsee	Germany	Europe	★★★★★
06/01/2013	2013: [Stand Up World Series] Norway	Oslo	Norway	Europe	★★★★
06/29/2013	2013: Lake Max Challenge	Culver	Indiana	U.S.	★★★★

Stand-Up Paddleboarders Will Get Ticketed for Not Wearing Life Jackets

Sup, bro? You totally into that crazy SUPing? You know, that stand-up paddleboarding? Well, the Conservation Commission Marine Patrol is about to cramp your style and issue a ticket if you decide to SUP in certain areas without a life jacket.

In 2008 the U.S. Coast Guard decided to classify paddleboards as vessels. According to the Palm Beach Post, anyone operating a vessel in areas that aren't designated for swimming, surfing, or bathing must be wearing a life vest. Operators must also have a whistle and, at night, a flashlight and a visual distress signal.

So a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tells the Post that it'll begin issuing warnings to paddleboarders who don't meet the requirements. Repeat offenders could face a fine of $90. The FWC's full requirements can be found here.

Technically, paddleboarders aren't required to wear a life jacket, but they must have it on board. And there's not really much room on a paddleboard for a life jacket unless you're wearing it. So, paddle boarders, get ready to accept those awkward tan lines.

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Palau Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board/Kayak

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Come Paddle in South Florida

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Surf's Up: The Rise of Stand-up Paddle Boards

By KEVIN HELLIKER

When Chris Krause hops on a board each morning to surf Lake Michigan, the water is usually flat. But who cares? Instead of catching a wave, Mr. Krause is catching a workout, by standing on his board and paddling for 60 minutes.

"For my money it's the best total body workout you can get," says Mr. Krause, a 44-year-old triathlete who runs a match-making service for promising athletes and college coaches.

Stand-up paddle surfing is the fitness rage of the summer. In lakes, rivers and bays where the surf is never up, Americans in skyrocketing numbers are standing on boards and paddling, a balancing act that strengthens the muscles of the legs, buttocks, back, shoulders and arms.

"Stand-up paddle surfing is a valuable new form of cross-training, in part because it's so low impact," says Cindi Bannink, a triathlon coach in Madison, Wis.

For an industry long dependent on California and Hawaii, the trend is rapidly forging new sales territories. "Suddenly, our fastest-growing markets are places like Chicago, Boise and Austin, Texas," says Ty Zulim, sales manager for Surftech International, a surf-board maker and distributor based in Santa Cruz, Calif.

"Stand-up paddling is the fastest-growing segment of the surf industry," says Sean Smith, executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, whose most recent study found that the industry had sales in 2008 of $7.2 billion.

Some manufacturers say they can't make them fast enough. "Every one we make is already sold, and that's the case with most manufacturers," says surfing legend Laird Hamilton, who has licensed his name and stand-up board designs—including a model called the Laird—to Surftech and other manufacturers.

After introducing stand-up boards at west coast stores last year, Recreational Equipment Inc. this summer stocked it in a number of land-locked stores—and met its annual sales projections by mid-June, says Nathan Grothe, product manager for REI, based just outside of Seattle.

Even general merchandiser Costco Wholesale Corp. began selling stand-up boards this summer to great success, says Jack Weisbly, the Kirkland, Wash., chain's sporting goods' merchandise manager. "We're selling a lot of them to hotels and resorts that are located near water," he says.

Known as SUP (pronounced as in "Wassup?"), the stand-up paddling trend comes on the heels of the kayak craze, but offers potentially greater health benefits, especially given recent research showing the hazards of prolonged sitting. Like yoga, standing on a board requires basic balancing abilities, which in turn strengthen and tone any and all muscles used to stay in position. (A new trend in some still-water locales involves staging yoga classes on stand-up boards.)

 

Surfer Laird Hamilton, with daughter Reece, 6, on Hanalei River, Kauai.

People of any age can get started, proponents say, recommending that newcomers should use the widest—and therefore sturdiest—boards. While conventional surf boards are about 20 inches in width, stand-up boards can be 32 inches wide. Children older than toddlers can use them alongside their grandparents, although life preservers are recommended and in some locations required.

Newcomers should kneel on the board and paddle that way before trying to rise to their feet. In still water, standing up is hardly more difficult on a stand-up board than on solid ground. Once afoot, staying that way is relatively easy. This reporter—who during yoga class takes frequent tumbles—stayed dry during an hour of debut paddle surfing last week on the choppy waters of Lake Michigan.

Like cycling, paddle surfing can be done at a recreational pace or, for an aerobic workout, at heart-thumping speed. And like yoga, stand-up paddle surfing is proving particularly popular with women.

"Nearly 50% of the buyers of our stand-up boards are women, which is a much much higher percentage than" conventional surf boards, says Mr. Hamilton.

At worst, a tumble means getting wet. But many veterans say they never do. "If falling off was a real danger, my wife and I wouldn't be out on Lake Michigan doing it in March," when chunks of ice are floating in the lake, says Mr. Krause, who says only his feet ever get wet.

High-end models of stand-up boards sold in sporting-goods stores range from about $900 to $1,500, with the paddle costing an additional $150 to $300. Costco, however, offers a board-and-paddle set for as little as $429.

Paddles have given rise to races. Dozens are scheduled this summer, up from none only a few years ago, with the fastest paddlers moving well beyond 10 miles an hour. "This is to surfing what snowboarding first was to skiing," says Mr. Hamilton. "I'm convinced it will be an Olympic sport."

Mr. Hamilton declines to call himself the inventor of the sport because Pacific Islanders—and Italy's Venetians—for centuries have stood in boats using paddles or poles.

Yet there's one place where stand-up paddling isn't popular: the waters where conventional surfers converge. To them, the oversized boards and six-feet long paddles represent a danger, especially in the hands of novices. "Don't Encourage Them," said a recent headline in a blog called Postsurf.com.

Miami Watermen Crossing of Gulf Stream on Stand-up Paddleboards

 

Miami Watermen Complete First-Ever Crossing of Gulf Stream on Stand-up Paddleboards

Miami Watermen Complete First-Ever Crossing of Gulf Stream on Stand-up Paddleboards
Bimini-Miami Blue Water Challenge Raised Awareness for Surfrider’s Rise Above Plastics
MIAMI BEACH, FL—JUNE 15, 2012— A journey of 10,000 strokes starts and ends with just one. On June 9th, Miami residents, Bill Whiddon (58) and Thaddeus Foote (38) set off from the docks of the Big Game Club Resort & Marina, Bimini. 17 hours, 11 minutes and 43 seconds later they took their final stroke to the shore of Haulover Beach, Miami. In doing so, they became the first in history to cross the Gulf Steam on stand-up paddleboards.
During their 60-plus mile epic journey, the pair battled rainsqualls, searing summer heat and the natural northern drift of the Gulf Stream.
“It was paddle, hydrate, eat and paddle more,” said the 58-year-old Whiddon. “We did battle a 40 minute tough squall with the first hour of leaving the Bahamas and the seas went from flat to three-foot swells breaking into us.”
Their course was as tactical as it was long. To counteract the north pull of the Gulf Stream, Whiddon said he and Foote, 38, started a heading more southwest out of Bimini and then after ten hours turned the course more to a due westerly direction that increased speed and pushed to the north.
“We only had one fish encounter when we woke up a huge sun fish basking on the surface,” Whiddon recalled. “The fins on the fish were at least two feet long. We also had a school of dolphin swimming under our boards for a longtime, using the shade for some relief from the blistering sun.”
The cause behind the “Bimini to Miami Blue Water Challenge” is to raise awareness for Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics campaign to reduce plastics in the ocean.
“This crossing was a great opportunity to highlight the impact that plastics are having on our world’s ocean and how our actions, as a society, can make such a big difference,” said Foote.
C4 Waterman, Inc. is an Oahu, Hawaii-based lifestyle and adventure sports equipment company. They are a brand focused on providing the highest quality hard goods and soft goods to water sports athletes and enthusiasts around the world. C4 was the first company with a focus on SUP and continues to lead the pack when it comes to industry recognition, authenticity, innovation and product design. Planning a unique SUP expedition? C4 is always seeking new adventures. Contact us at www.c4waterman.com.

Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Local Miami Chapter www.surfridermiami.org efforts include lobbying for the enforcement of litter laws, beach dune restoration and K-8 environmental education.
Bimini Big Game Club
The historic Bimini Big Game Club, which reopened in the summer of 2010, is located on the main navigation channel in Bimini Bay. The resort currently features 51-rooms and a 75-slip marina capable of accommodating boats up to 145 feet in length. For more information, go to www.biggameclubbimini.com.
Contacts:
Chase Olivieri, C4 Waterman, 787-316-2289, www.c4waterman.com chase@c4waterman.com
Thaddeus Foote, 786-837-3988, thaddeusfoote@gmail.com

Martha Greenlee, 407-580-1830, www.surfridermiami.org,