Given 9 out of 10 of my photos on instagram are of paddle boarding, I think it’s safe to say I do it a lot.. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about it so I figured i’d write it all down in a post. Disclaimer – this is purely what I have learnt from trial and error, i’m no expert I just do it ALOT!
There are three key points i’m going to cover below which are all very important; weather, location/tides and safety requirements.
Firstly if you’ve never tried it, I absolutely recommend renting one. Most people assume that it’s easy (granted it may look that way) but that’s not always the case. By renting one it helps you to avoid regretting spending $600+ on something that will look pretty sitting in your garage. If you’re based in Nelson I definitely recommend renting from Moana, the team are awesome and Tahunanui is a perfect spot to give it a go.
I decided to buy one after renting one only a couple of times, which was actually a really hard decision. I was so paranoid about spending the money that I made a pact with myself that I had to use it no matter what.. (seems ironic now as I can’t live without it).
Weather:
Paddleboarding doesnt require sunshine or even a dry day, but it does require decent weather. Wind is not your friend. If the wind picks up it can be very hard to paddle which will cause you to need to go on your knees or even lay down and paddle with your arms. (Which i’ve definitely had to do 😅).
In summer it tends to be calmer in the morning and then the wind will pick up by about 10am onwards (in Nelson). In winter it’s generally calmer days so you can go out that bit later. When i’m planning to go out I check the weather in three places.
I use Surf Forecast which is aimed at surfers but you can read it for paddle boarding too. It shows you when to expect high & low tide, and also the wind & swell. If it says glass, then it’s looking pretty good.
Then I will go and check the MetService App on my phone at the 48 hour forecast and check how the wind is looking. If it’s 4-6km then it will be perfect. But anything over 15km I would be dubious about. It wouldn’t stop me from going out, but I know it would be a possible no when I got to the beach.
Lastly for a final check, i’ll look at accuweather’s hourly forecast and check how much the wind changes. If it goes up a few km’s consistently then that’s ok, but if it goes from 6km – 15km within an hour, it’s not looking good. Unfortunately there’s no way of knowing for certain until you turn up, but checking the weather & getting up early is the best bet.
Location & Tides:
Tides are pretty important, because getting caught on a strong outgoing tide can be hard work. In nelson there are a couple of great but tidal dependent spots, such as Monaco. It’s one of my favourite spots, but realistically you only want to go between 2 hours before high tide, and an hour after high tide, otherwise you’ll be attempting to paddle on mud or fighting the strong current heading out to sea. Places like Pohara in Golden Bay really require a higher tide, otherwise you literally walk for miles to get to the water. Tahunanui on the other hand is fine to paddle on any tide (just bearing in mind the outgoing tide can be strong).
Safety Requirements:
By complying to the rules not only are you obviously keeping yourself safe, but you are also avoiding a big fine & I have been stopped by the coastguard twice now. You must have your leash attached to you and your board, wear a pfd (personal floatation device, i.e. lifejacket/ belt/buoyancy aid) and have a communication device (lets be honest who doesn’t take a phone, just put it in a waterproof carry case). It sounds over the top but you can get caught out, never underestimate the sea or current 😅
Solid or inflatable?
This is a common question in the paddleboard world, and I strongly believe it is down to opinion. Both have their benefits – a solid one means that you can just chuck it on the roof rack and go, however an inflatable one means you can carry it on your back, and chuck it in any vehicle. Pumping up the board is hard at first but its a good way to warm up on a chilly morning (for sunrise paddles 😏) and you build up good arm muscles! I’ve tried both, and I actually still prefer my inflatable overall.
I’ve had the best memories out on my board, exploring different coastlines, discovering caves & spotting wildlife. I see it as my form of meditation and I couldn’t imagine life without it. It’s one of the easiest watersports to pick up (especially for the uncoordinated like me), but as noted above, go rent one first!
Have you given it a go yet? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below 👇