Life hasn’t been all gloom and doom lately. I have had some fun! (Despite my aching body.)
First, Michael and I had a pickleball lesson. I bought it as a Father’s Day gift for Michael at an auction. It was a 90 minute lesson. I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve seen people play pickleball and it looked fun. I’m not really into sports, so I didn’t think it would be something for me. But I liked it a lot!
We met our partners at a nearby indoor place. They gave us a lesson for about an hour and then we played a few games. I didn’t do too bad! I would definitely play it again sometime. I didn’t really understand all the rules or the scoring, but I liked playing.
Next, I tried SUP for the first time!
My cousin Anna suggested it and I met up with her and her husband and friend one gorgeous Friday for my first time. We went to CedarOak in West Linn and it was an awesome find! There was a little cove that was perfect for a newbie doing SUP. There were also no boats in that area so it’s nice and calm.
I’ve been kayaking a bunch of times but I’ve never done SUP. I honestly didn’t think it would be something I’d like because I’m not very coordinated and when it comes to balance I’m even worse (especially with all my hip issues/injuries). But it was surprisingly easy to sit or kneel. I did not try standing this time. I didn’t feel ready to try that! But I liked kneeling a lot.
We got in the water a lot and it was perfect. It was so nice and not cold at all. It was probably around 75/80 outside so it’s not like it was crazy hot out but it did warm up while we were out for a few hours so it felt nice to get in the water. I will say, there is no graceful or easy way to get back up on the paddle board after being in the water!
Michael and I have been talking about getting kayaks for years now and I am now obsessed with getting a SUP instead. You kind of get the best of both worlds, it seems. Anna has the Isle brand and loves it. She did a ton of research before buying it and highly recommends it. It is probably a little out of our budget for something we want to try out. Having kids makes it harder to do stuff so I don’t know that I want to spend a ton of money on something we can only use a few times a summer. (At least until the kids are older and can join us.) If you do SUP, what is your brand and do you like it? Pros and cons?
Stephanie
I have a Hydro Force I bought on Walmart dot com for $125. I’ve used it a few times a week every week this summer and it’s been fantastic. Mine has a kayak seat you can attach on top and a kayak handle attachment. I like it a LOT better because my background in water is a kayak and because of a previous back injury. I’ve heard the SUP boards at Costco for $225 are a good choice too.
Lisa Eirene
Thank you for the tips! I will look at costco. I didn’t even think about checking there.
Bea
We have an Isle board and the Costco inflatable one. Honestly, we use the Costco one more. It’s a great board and a lot easier to bring places. Pumping it up isn’t too bad, especially as your kids get older and they can do it more : ) Both my son (11) and daughter (6) have played on the boards a lot and both can paddle themselves around easily. We’ve had both at least two summers. I highly recommend for summer fun!
Lisa Eirene
Thanks for the recommendation! I will check out costco!