Category: Routes
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SUP Route: Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm SUP? Start here. This 6.5km loop takes you around Långholmen past bridges, houseboats and quiet channels, with the city waking up around you. After Västerbron, a classic Stockholm backdrop across Riddarfjärden: Old Town ahead, City Hall to the left and Södermalm’s colorful hillside to the right.
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SUP Stories: Duncan “Flussmensch”(Germany)
Like many in the SUP world, Duncan and I are Instagram acquaintances. We’ve followed each other for a while and share a passion for SUP. Plus, apparently, 168 mutual accounts. When I relaunched this blog, Duncan messaged to tell me about a little paddle he had done on the Rhine. It turned out to be…
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SUP Stories: Sophy (London)
Has anyone ever talked you into a charity challenge? A 10K run, a Tough Mudder, maybe even a marathon? That’s how Sophy found herself paddling 26 miles down the Thames in 2013, despite never having stepped on a paddleboard before. With just a few practice sessions under their belts, she and a friend participated in…
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SUP Stories: Tilda (London)
What do you get when you combine lower back pain, Bill Bailey and a love for travel? For Tilda, that’s how she discovered paddleboarding. An Unexpected Beginning Tilda didn’t set out to fall for SUP. She was just trying to fix her bad back and avoid the gym. A TV clip of Bill Bailey paddleboarding…
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SUP Stories: Daisy (North Yorkshire)
Great things happen when you step outside your comfort zone, especially in good company. Daisy first tried SUP six years ago, treating a friend to a birthday lesson close to home in North Yorkshire. They both loved it, but life and the pandemic put things on pause. It wasn’t until September 2020, after a refresher…
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SUP Stories: Louise (London)
If you’ve ever paddled on the Thames in southwest London, chances are you’ve seen Louise out on the water. Always smiling, always quietly outpacing the rest of us. She’s been paddling for over a decade and was one of the first to take the ASI instructor course with Steve West in Brentford back in 2012.…
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SUP Stories: Anu (London)
A New Series: Real Paddlers, Real Routes I’m starting a new blog series celebrating people who’ve made SUP part of their lives. Not pros. Not influencers. Just real paddlers, finding joy on the water. Each post will share why they paddle and their favourite route, one they’d recommend to two others, who I’ll then interview…
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SUP Route: London Legacy Loop, Limehouse
I like paddling with my partner. But she doesn’t always want to paddle with me. This surprises me, especially since I’m the one who even pumps up her board. Evidently, her reluctance stems from my tendency to prolong our SUP trips. She claims that they frequently turn into never-ending odysseys. This notion is entirely baseless.…
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SUP Route: Crocodile Islet, Gigaro, France
I love a summer holiday in La Croix-Valmer in the South of France. Just one bay away from the glitz and glam of Saint-Tropez, the unspoiled beauty of Gigaro Beach offers the kind of a serene and simple escape I’m after. June is my preferred time to go. There is plenty of sunshine, it’s warm,…
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SUP Route: Verdon Gorge, France
Some places are magical. Amongst them stands Verdon Gorge. A natural wonder. The true enchantment lies in the hours before 9 am or after 7 pm. It’s early morning and quiet blankets the lake. The rental places that will soon be bustling with activity are still closed. Colourful pedalos, canoes and kayaks patiently wait at…
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SUP Route: Richmond 5am Club, Thames
Early bird? No, I’m not a morning person. In fact, I’m barely even a person until I’ve had my second cup of tea. And staying up late into the night? Night owling is not my style either. So what does that make me? Perhaps a daytime squirrel, darting about during the daylight hours. I’ve been…
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SUP Route: Old Harry Rocks, Dorset
I get such van envy when on the coast. All these cute camper vans dotting the seaside roads. Each more creatively decorated than the last. It seems as though every traveller has their own personal masterpiece on wheels. One day, I too shall join the ranks. For this SUP weekend away, I hop on the…
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SUP Route: Plymouth, Devon
The story of my life: Always having to embrace Plan B. See, I love devising SUP adventures. But no matter how meticulously I plan, I always find myself embarking on a different journey altogether. Like my recent SUP training course in Plymouth. I must confess that my grasp of UK geography is somewhat shameful. I…
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SUP Route: Venice, Italy
I usually paddle in Little Venice in London. I’m excited to see if there’s any resemblance to the real Venice in Italy. Venice is built on a group of 118 small islands with no roads or cars, making it a pedestrian-only zone. The islands are connected by canals, bridges and walkways. The transportation options are…
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SUP Route: Cambridge
Punts are to Cambridge what gondolas are to Venice. These flat-bottomed wooden boats have been around since the 19th century, navigating the shallow waters of the River Cam by way of a long pole. What started as a leisure activity for Cambridge University students has since become a top attraction for thousands of visitors. Can…
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SUP Route: Richmond-Hampton Court, Thames
I cheated this winter. I completely neglected my relationship with SUP and had an intense affair with the gym. It was all physical. In the warm embrace of the indoors, I was swept away by the allure of the barbell, kettlebell and sorry, the ski erg! More about my gym Barch in a separate post…
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SUP Route: Anglesey, Wales
“Why not?” is my simple answer to those who ask why I sometimes opt for guided SUP tours despite having my own board and good skills. It’s a treat, like dining out at a restaurant instead of cooking at home. It’s convenient, enjoyable and sometimes inspirational. Just like my recent guided SUP experience in North…
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SUP Route: Putney-Richmond, Thames
I travel to Putney on the District Line and walk to our launch point. So thankful for my wheelie bag! Like most Saturdays, the Embankment is heaving with rowing crews. Just before low water, the ebbing Thames has left the concrete slipway along the riverbank muddy and slippery. We pump up the boards and wait…
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SUP Route: Weybridge, Thames & River Wey
Sometimes I wish I had a car. Getting from Richmond to Weybridge riverside on public transport was complicated with the usual weekend engineering works – 90 minutes for a modest 17km. Seriously! It would have been a feasible bike ride, but I am yet to carry my SUP bag on my trusted electric Brompton. At…
My SUP Stories 