What if for two hours, technology, and the real world are all left behind, where we set out on an adventure, one that needs no map, no planning, just living in the moment.

Our guide is the world we live in and our mind and eyes the storyteller. We see the nature in its most basic, raw form, birds, fish, animals, and insects all moving through their day as if we were not even there.

This is how we see the world while moving through the water on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP). The boards, designed with stability and efficiency in mind, allow us to glide through the waterways of the world. Our motor is our paddle, which propels us along and requires minimal upper body strength. The combination of the board and paddle allows us set out on mountain lakes, the oceans, rivers and pretty much anywhere we see water.

But the adventure does not just stop here, the sport of SUP has many disciplines, providing something for everyone. We can set out on a social paddle where we move our traditional coffee talk to the water or explore the practice of SUP yoga in the floating studio.  We can surf the waves through SUP surfing, ride the rapids in SUP Whitewater, take on the competition side in a SUP race, bring our gym workouts to the water for SUP Fitness and travel long distances through SUP touring.

The sport is fully all encompassing and extremely user-friendly. Families paddle together, from children to grandparents, corporations use it as a team building exercise, adaptive athletes use it in all forms and schools are adding it to their physical education program. SUP is something for everyone, no matter the age or physical ability.

With all these amazing disciplines and with so much water covering the world, SUP is a global activity. From the arctic to the warm waters of the Caribbean, we find people paddling, taking in nature in all of its beauty. Whether we are traveling to a tropical paradise for a holiday vacation or live in a place with endless summer, step outside and into this amazing world of the unknown.

Explore the SUP practice on our upcoming retreats to Tulum, Greece & more.

Photo: Jeramie Vaine