I first tried paddle boarding (and paddle board yoga) during my unemployed summer in Michigan while I was looking for anything and everything COVID-safe to entertain myself with.
I fell in love IMMEDIATELY, and would have bought a paddle board right away if it were not for the pesky logistical things like… yunno, planning my move to an apartment. In Arizona. With little room to store a paddle board and few places to actually take said paddle board.
My two really good friends Vandy and Breanna, who live in Seattle, bought paddle boards sometime around the start of the pandemic, too, and seeing their constant social media posts around all the lakes, sounds and bays in Seattle did absolutely nothing to dissuade me.
So, after almost two full years of indecision, I finally pulled the trigger and bought myself a brand new inflatable stand-up paddle board (iSUP) earlier this month!
Because I’m super Type A, I did spend a good amount of time over the past two years researching SUPs, brands and pricing, and stalking sales as well.
One of the retailers I’d been eyeing — ISLE — recently placed its old model SUPs on sale to make room for a new design.
The deal — $300 off — was too good to pass up! I ended up taking the plunge and ordering ISLE’s “Pioneer” model.
I picked the “Pioneer” because I was more interested in a wider board with greater stability because I was (and still am) more interested in using my SUP for yoga rather than touring.
My board arrived in two days.
I was a little bummed because the literal DAY after I ordered it, ISLE lowered the price by another $100… but I reached out to the company and they offer price adjustments! So, they immediately gave me a code for $100 off my next purchase, and I promptly ordered an electric pump. SCORE!
I had a $25-off coupon code on my initial purchase, too, which about covered taxes. Shipping was free, so for about $540 I got:
- My inflatable paddle board
- An adjustable paddle
- A dry bag
- A repair kit
- A leash
- A storage backpack
- A manual pump
- An electric pump
- A bunch of stickers
A pretty good deal IMO!
I took my board out for the first time last Thursday night. My friend Jim, who also teaches at YogaSix with me, is an avid paddle board enthusiast.
He may or may not have had a role in convincing me to splurge on my board.
He took time out of his evening to head down to Upper Lake Mary with me and show me the ins and outs of inflatable paddle boards.
I’d been paddling before, but it’d been almost two years, and I hadn’t ever used an inflatable SUP. So, it was really helpful to have Jim show me how to unpack it, inflate it, maneuver it, deflate it, store it and care for it.
We spent about 90 minutes paddling around Upper Lake Mary and watching the sun set.
We also, being yoga instructors, messed around with inversions, of course.
It was SO fun! It made me regret waiting two whole years to invest in a paddle board.
I had plans to take my SUP out Friday after work as well, but a lightning storm delayed those plans.
Needless to say — I was right back at it Saturday.
I also convinced my friend Jody to snag the same SUP during the sale.
Both of us — and Jim — had planned to go to East Clear Creek for a day paddling trip, but Jody’s arm was feeling a little sore after her COVID booster and Jim ended up with some unexpected errands to run on Saturday, so we saved the trip for another day.
Jody and I did end up heading back out to Lake Mary for a few hours though.
Good news! It was just as fun.
It was WAY windier on Saturday than it was on Thursday, which made it extra challenging.
I was a little hesitant to invest given the fact that — while there absolutely are GORGEOUS places to paddle in northern Arizona, like Lake Mary, Lake Powell, East Clear Creek and C.C. Cragin, among others — the access to water here doesn’t compare to the access I had back in Michigan.
But, given that a rental SUP costs about $50 for a day, it’ll only take me a handful of excursions to make the purchase totally worth it.
I can’t wait to post about MORE paddle boarding excursions, but I’m in the midst of yet another Type 1 fire on my forest right now, so that’ll have to come later.
Happy paddling!
