Stand-up paddling has taken the world by storm. Just a few years ago, you started to see it and now it’s everywhere. You can see people doing this on lakes, rivers, and even the ocean. Why exactly? Well, it’s relaxing and great for fitness reasons.
Chances are that while you may love it, your spouse might not be interested. Maybe your spouse doesn’t care for water sports or simply doesn’t see the appeal. How do you change his or her mind? Read on for 6 good reasons and how to convince her or him.
Why SUP?
Depending on the reason your spouse is reluctant, you may need more than one reason. If you’re looking for a few talking points to turn him or her into a paddling enthusiast, we’ve got 6 great reasons that will help you out:
- It’s fun
- It’s for everyone
- It’s great for fitness
- It can be social
- Experience and enjoy nature
- It’s safe
Let’s dive a bit deeper into these talking points.
1. It’s Fun
This is probably the most convincing reason. If your spouse hasn’t tried it yet, then it’s hard to imagine how much fun you’ll have with this activity. Point out how many people love this activity and see if you notice any budging.
Although you can always talk about it being fun, your spouse might not believe just you. Do you have any friends or family who also enjoy stand-up paddling? See if you can get them to talk to your spouse about how much they enjoy being on a board in the water. Sometimes having a different person’s perspective is all that it takes to make a convert.
2. It’s for Everyone
Maybe the reason why your spouse isn’t interested because he or she doesn’t believe that it’s the right activity. That’s true for many water sports. While you can go water-skiing at many ages or fitness levels, it takes a certain amount of strength and stability to stay upright. People often avoid activities thinking that they won’t enjoy or be good at them.
Just a simple look at who is doing SUP should be enough to dispense this myth. Who goes stand-up paddleboarding? Practically everyone. If you can stand, then you can paddleboard. Even people who don’t enjoy other water sports or may not be good at them, still enjoy this one.
If you’re concerned about stability and balance, most paddleboards are fairly stable but you can also find ones that are hard to tip or are wider for easier balancing. The long and short of it is that people of all ages and fitness levels love this activity. It’s not designed for a specific few so realizing this might be enough to convince a change.
3. It’s Great for Fitness
Is your fitness routine in a rut? Do you hate exercising? If your spouse doesn’t like to hit the gym but wants to make some healthy changes, then SUP is a great option. Do you know what type of exercise this is?
It strengthens your core muscles, legs, back, arms, and shoulders. In fact, it’s one of the most complete workouts that you can get. The good news is that it’s also a low-impact activity. Not everyone enjoys running or other types of exercise.
Keep in mind that while you’ll get good fitness from this activity, it won’t feel like exercise. Sure, if you spend hours stand-up paddling, then you might feel sore the next day. However, most people find that they enjoy the exertion and it doesn’t keep them from going back. And if you’re really into the fitness part of it, you can check even combine SUP and exercising or Yoga on the water.
Talk to your spouse about how stand-up paddling is a great way to get into shape or improve your shape.
4. It can be Social
This might be a reason why your spouse avoids SUP. You often see groups of people paddling together so it can seem like a social activity. For an introvert, this might not seem appealing. This doesn’t have to be the case for you though. Your spouse might enjoy paddleboarding if able to do it on their own. This is always a possibility. If this is a reason, consider finding areas that are more secluded to try this out. It might be enough to change his or her mind!
The reverse might also be true. After all, stand-up paddleboarding has a somewhat limited social aspect. It probably limits the number of people who can paddle together at one time before getting crowded.
However, this doesn’t mean that it can’t be a good way to connect with people. There are always local groups who like to set up outings and excursions with this activity. Look for a local group that will offer not only SUP but also a fun and social way to get started (check it e.g. on MeetUp). Talk to your spouse to see if this would be helpful.
5. Get to Experience and Enjoy Nature
Is there anything better than enjoying nature on its own terms? As you paddle, you can see fish under the water, enjoy the landscape from a standing position, and just relax. People love the de-stressing aspect of stand-up paddling which is why it has become so popular. What makes this different from other types of boating is that you’re standing instead of sitting. You can see some of the same views from a canoe, for example, but you’ll get much better views when you’re standing.
One of the reasons why your spouse might be interested is if it gets him or her outside more and gets to experience nature. This is especially helpful for anyone who works in a high-stress area or simply has a fair amount of stress in their lives. Boarding down a quiet stream as the sun sets gives you a sense of peace like no other.
6. It’s Safe
Stand-up paddleboarding is a rather safe sport. Kayaking, wave riding or kite surfing are fast and intense activities and come with some risks. SUP, on the other hand, has proven to be safe with very low numbers of accidents and low risks of injuries (according to US Coast Guard’s 2018 statistics).
Normally the worst thing is that you fall into the water every now and then and need to climb back on your board. This may be a scary thought at first but once you’ve fallen for the first time, you’re losing your fears of falling into the water.
If you’re following the safety rules and common sense, you and your spouse will be able to enjoy SUP safely.
Conclusion
We hope that these 6 points have helped convince your spouse to join you in SUP.
If these 6 reasons aren’t reason enough, then you might be out of luck! Actually, you might find that your spouse has some serious concerns about stand-up paddling. The best way to start the conversation is to understand why there is a reluctance to do this.
After you’ve got this reason, you can use these talking points to convince your spouse to try paddling. Find the nearest SUP rental or school in our directory and rent a board or book a course! Chances are that once you get him or her on the board, it’ll end up being a great experience.
These are just a few of the many reasons why SUP is great for couples, families, and friends to enjoy together.