MY FIRST YEAR WITH AN INFLATABLE PADDLE BOARD
So mid June of last year I was biking back from the studio and decided to stop and chill on the Lachine Canal to enjoy the remainder evening. It was just before sun set and I realized that I live right on this amazingly located (and somewhat clean) body of water and do nothing to take advantage of it.
Cue the impulse buy? why not!
{Here’s a shot a few streets away from the Atwater Market in Montreal}
After a quick search on my not-so-smart mobile device, I fell upon Paddle Boards Direct. These guys are a supplier of inflatable (and regular) Stand Up Paddle boards otherwise known as an S_U_P or SUP. After reading up on a few reviews of the website as well as the products that they offer, I swiped my digital credit card and ordered up a pair boards. If you decide to call them, then ask for Glenn. He’s a cool dude who’s happy to help in any way that he can.
At a cool $1000/board it’s quite an investment to which i can honestly say that I have not regretted for single moment. I have enjoyed countless sunrise and sunset paddles on the canal as well as tons of other lakes and oceans. If you are ever looking for a therapeutic calming way to start and/or end your day this would be on the top of my list. Also a pretty kick ass core workout. On the Canal you can paddle out 4-5km before hitting one of the locks and if you are not in a rush, allow the slow current to take you back. During this time drifting, one can sit down and enjoy a book, travel through a quick Yoga flow or simply sit back and enjoy the view. I guess paddling back is also an option:) A few times, I have hopped out at the Atwater Market and picked up a Café latte from Au Pain Dore and then hopped back on. They see me walking towards the cafe with a board in hand and are thinking: Where the heck has he come from??
I have also had the pleasure of bringing many of my friends out for their first SUP experience and not one of my “students” has left disappointed. Although a few have tumbled into the canal...no worries, they are still alive. I have also conducted quite a few work meetings while out for a paddle. Having other creative freelance colleagues is always a plus and it’s an amazing way to discuss up coming projects.
{#jubs wet}
So I mentioned that these boards are inflatable. Which means the board, pump, fins (removable) & paddle (collapsable) all fit neatly into a large (but manageable) backpack. it takes about 10min to inflate one with the hand pump and it’s a good shoulder work out & warmup before hitting the water. After years of flying with 7’4” surfboard on a plane ($150 both ways for handling fee), I never thought that I would be checking in a 10’8” board as “regular” sized luggage. This means if you are able to pack all your cloths in a carry on, there is no extra fee for traveling with an inflatable SUP (providing your carrier doesn’t charge for the first checked bag). So these two boards in the past year have travelled to Panama, Florida, New Jersey, Maine, Trinidad, Tobago & Saint Lucia along with countless lakes across Quebec & Ontario. Considering all the connecting tickets it works out to about 16 flights total where they were thrown off and on and all around. I am happy to report that they are still holding strong. The travel backpacks have seen better days (and should be replaced this winter) however i feel this is appropriate wear & tare considering. I noticed the model available on their site now comes with wheels. #winning
So what having one of these boards entails for me is freedom. Simple and as beautiful as that. To have the ability when driving up the coast to hop out at any giving moment and roll out a board and float around a cool spot that you saw when driving is an amazing thing. These boards are equipped with a criss-cross bungee system on the front and back which allows you to strap down your shoes, dry-bag and even better yet, a snorkel and fins. Being able to “stand” on water allows you to see down below very clearly, so spotting the best spots to throw the fins on and go snorkelling is a breeze. By simply strapping on a surf leash, the board will follow behind you while you are snorkelling which allows you to keep it close and also bestows a confidence that would not be there (at least for me) if the board wasn’t quietly follow behind you.
Did i mention surf leash? Because you can do that too:)
{Venao Beach, Panama}
So what do i take out of this first year owning a Cruise Inflatable SUP. best investment i have made in a long while. Montreal is a great place to have one of these boards. Flying out to any destination with one although takes some logistics, is eye-opening and amazing. What i have spent ($) on the boards, I have saved 2X on what it would have costed to check a surfboard and hire a boat to go snorkelling. Having the ability to do all when ever or where ever you want is simply amazing.
Voila!
Some photos from the past year
{Evening paddle on the the Lachine Canal with the Montreal cityscape}
A video posted by David Curleigh Photography (@dcurleigh) on Jun 18, 2015 at 8:59pm PDT
{Sunrise paddle on the Canal with my good friend Stefanie Austin}
{Exploring some of the old historical buildings now converted into commercial & living spaces in and along Saint Patrick street (south west of downtown)}
{Roderick & my mom out for a cruise on the Saint Lawrence river in the west part of the Island. Did i Mention Montreal is an island? cause it is!}
{Morning cruise downtown Montreal paddling past the historical “Farine Five Roses”sign & a much less historical billboard...}
{Say hello to Sofia. Her first time out on the board}
{Twiggy!}
{Free diving in Panama with the board following behind me. I learned after this day you can tie two surf leashes together and it enables you to dive up to 24′}
{Here I am with a doubled up surf leash in Saint Lucia & a kickass song }
A video posted by David Curleigh Photography (@dcurleigh) on Jun 6, 2015 at 3:36pm PDT
{Me and the gang crossed the river in Verdun (sud Ouest of Montreal) to check out Ile Rock. A great spot to paddle around}
{Checkers death match. Maine, USA}
{Exploring a lake near Mont Tremblant with my good buddy Mikey}
{the sun tan. An excellent SUP move}
{working the core. this took awhile to figure out}
{Had a little friend join me while paddling in Tobago, Caribbean}
{A pretty shot of the canal, Kaitlyn out for a cruise. You can see a set of locks up ahead of her}
{bet not to many people would believe that this spot is about an 10min walk from down town Montreal}
{five of us went out to a beauty of a coral reef with the help of two boards. We never would have gone that far without the them. Louis is still working on that tan...}
{Theres the therapy i keep talking about...}
A few things I have learned along the way:
-The pressure gauge that screws on between the pump & hose is very delicate. This is your guide to how much pressure to pump up the boards. I recommend putting that in it’s own separate pouch.
-I have been storing the boards when not in use slightly inflated (not to pressure) in a cool, dry space (garage storage room) the idea is that the least amount of time spent rolled up, the longer the life. I’ll keep you posted on this:)
-Keep the boards out of the sun (UV rays) when ever not in use.
-There is a little pin that holds the main fin in place when installed on the track system of the board. it’s loose and can slip out. Glue that in place with silicone right away or you will lose it.
-After ocean use, rinse with fresh water as soon as you can. paddles included. there is some metal in the pins that hold the paddles together. They will erode mighty quickly with salt water.
Thanks for reading.
David:)
