Family friendly adventures on the water this summer.
Last week there was a great article in the Globe and Mail showcasing family friendly activities in Okanagan, BC
This article got me thinking about how awesome Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is for everyone in the family. As a safe and easily accessible sport, SUP may be your best bet for a new family adventure sport this summer. With a relatively easy learning curve and not much equipment to setup, it is very easy to get out on the water with the whole family. We provide life jackets and boards for kids to adults and have accommodated the smallest paddlers. Some great family friendly spots in the Canmore and Banff area can be accessed via car or public transport all summer. Quarry Lake in Canmore and Johnson Lake in Banff offers warm waters and sandy beaches. Two Jack Lake in Banff and the Rundle Forebay in Canmore offer bigger, open water but are still very manageable with the family. All of these lakes offer 360 degree mountain views and washroom facilities close by.
For those seeking a little more speed when out with the family, I would recommend taking a stable, yet efficient, race style board out on the water. This can add a little challenge initially, but once you are up and paddling they offer the speed and workout that will leave you craving more.
Want to add a little fun to the mix? Try out one of our Tandem SUPs or our 6 person Big Red SUP. Both are a great way to accommodate multiple people on one board and are a ton of fun!
If there is someone in the family who is a little hesitant about trying a SUP, we rent stable single and tandem kayaks that are incredibly easy to use. This will allow anyone in your group to get on the water comfortably and safely.
For over 10 years we have provided lessons and rentals of SUPs and kayaks. If you are unsure, a lesson is a great way to start. If you want to give it a shot yourself, we can set you up and make sure you are in complete control with our premium rentals. Every guest of ours leaves with full knowledge of safety, how to paddle and how to transport their equipment to the lake.
https://www.bowvalleysup.ca/experiences
https://www.bowvalleysup.ca/rentals
Bring your families this summer and try Stand Up Paddleboarding for the first time or take your skills to the next level. See you on the water. And always feel free to call or text us at 403-707-7202 with any questions.
]]>River surfing in the Rocky Mountains of Canada is possible and incredible!
The Alberta River Surf Association tirelessly raised money and hand built the Mountain Wave in the Kananaskis River for public enjoyment. Become a member of the association and keep in the loop for new waves, how to donate and all things that are happening in the river surf community. https://albertariversurfing.com
So, how do you get started?
Instruction
You can book lessons online here:
https://albertariversurfing.com/lessons
Rentals
Rental surf boards and wetsuits that are perfect for surfing on the Mountain Wave are available for pickup at our shop in Canmore. https://www.bowvalleysup.ca/rentals
Where?
The Mountain Wave on the Kananaskis River is the most accessible place to surf in the area and totally free! However, we do encourage you to become an Alberta River Surf Association member to support building of more waves and community events. https://albertariversurfing.com. The 10th Street wave in Calgary is another great beginner spot.
https://albertariversurfing.com/waves
Safety and Etiquette
The Mountain Wave is a great place to learn to surf but does have it’s fair share of challenges and hazards. Please ask other surfers the hazards and surf etiquette before attempting to surf at the Mountain Wave. Please read about safety and etiquette here: https://albertariversurfing.com/safety
Equipment
Having proper equipment is the most important aspect of getting started. You can expect to pay between $600-$1200 for equipment to get into the sport. After you make the investment on gear, surfing is free! Buy gear that will last, provide warmth and make you comforatable. It goes a long way in your overall experience and enjoyment. Make sure you check off all of the following to ensure a safe, fun and enjoyable outing on the wave.
Helmet- the Mountain Wave is shallow and has many rocks below the surface. We recommend a helmet for everyone while surfing on the Mountain Wave.
Surf board- we recommend a high volume board to start. The 5’7” Softech Flash https://supsurfshop.ca/collections/river-surf-boards/products/softech-flash-5-7 is the board we recommend to all beginners. The more float and volume, the better the chance of you getting up and surfing. After progressing, you will want a speedier board that turns and maneuvers quickly. Libtech make some of the toughest, and most progressive boards on the market. https://supsurfshop.ca/collections/river-surf-boards/products/copy-of-libtech-puddle-jumper-53
Wax- keeps your grip on the board while surfing. Use a cold water wax for the best traction.
Fins- Like the tires on your car, fins provide traction, control and stability. A three fin setup is ideal for the river. It is best to start with a flexible fin in the river as the likelihood of hitting bottom and rocks is high.
Booties- should be worn to not only keep your feet warm, but to protect against rocks and walking on the river bottom. https://supsurfshop.ca/collections/surf-accessories-1/products/solite-5mm-custom-pro-2-0
Gloves- keep your hands toasty while surfing. They also protect you hands from hitting rocks and cuts. https://supsurfshop.ca/collections/surf-accessories-1/products/solite-3-2-gauntlet-glove
PFD- a tight fitting PFD should be worn to help with buoyancy and flotation.
Wetsuit- Generally, a 5mm wetsuit is sufficient to keep warm and protected from the frigid waters. XCEL makes some of the best suits available. https://supsurfshop.ca/collections/featured-collection/products/mens-xcel-drylock-hooded-5-4mm-fullsuit
More info.
Always feel free to shoot us a text at 403-707-7202 for more info or email at info@bowvalleysup.ca
The standard width of an all around SUP is about 32”. If you start looking at boards that are wider than 32”, you will add stability but likely lose some speed. If you are looking at boards below 32”, you will gain on speed but lose on stability. Think, narrower like a toothpick for speed or wider like a pancake for stability. If you are new to SUP, I would likely advise on a 32” to 34” board depending on how stable a platform you need. A board in this range will provide great stability, still cruises very well and will allow comfort no matter if you are paddling on the river, lake or ocean. A couple of great all around boards in this width would be the 10’6”X 32” Red Paddle CO. Ride, the Kootenay Sustain 11’ X 32”, or the Badfish Monarch 11’ X 34”.
If you are primarily going to be paddling on more advanced rivers and want stability over anything I can’t say enough about the Badfish Rivershred. The Rivershred comes in at 36” wide and is built for stability and maneuverability in the river. However, if you take this board to the lake you will notice how slow it is because of the width.
When your skills are advancing you will likely want to get on a board built for faster touring or racing. I would advise on a board that is 30” or below. Boards at this width will compromise on stability but make up on speed and touring ability. I would only recommend a board at this width if you are an intermediate paddler, at minimum. You may notice some boards around that are very long and extremely narrow. Starboard has just come out with their new race board that is 14’ long X 19.75” wide! That is just barely wide enough to stand with two feet side by side. You can imagine how unstable a board like this must be. However, boards like this are made for advanced paddlers whose main desire is to go fast. And do they ever rocket! Some great options in the 30” or below boards would be the Red Paddle CO Voyager 13’2” X 30” or the Red Paddle CO. Sport 12’6” X 30”.
Other factors to consider when getting on a board is the volume of a board. Think length X width X thickness. This is how much the board will displace the water when a user is standing on the board or the buoyancy of a board. If you are plus size paddler this is another critical metric to consider. A board that is thicker, wider and longer will add significant volume and help you stay on top of the water easier than a board that has less volume. When we say plus size, we are talking about paddlers north of 225lbs. Here’s where volume of the board becomes a critical part of your enjoyment. We have seen many couples come out paddling with one partner who’s less than 170lbs jumps on the board and rips off having fun, the other partner struggles, just can’t seem to get it right, gets frustrated and stalks back to the shore vowing never to do this again. It’s not a lack of ability, it might simply be the board doesn’t have the right amount of buoyancy. We can work with you to get that right. Not all boards publish their volumes. It’ll be expressed in Litres. A 230 Litre board is a great amount of volume for most paddlers until your weight is more than the published litres. We do have boards that range from 270 L to over 300 L, this may vastly change the fun factor for the plus sized paddler. As your experience and proficiency goes up you’ll be able to reduce the volume and start to play with width and length with more comfort.
Please reach out to us at Bow Valley SUP for any additional questions on choosing a SUP that will work for you.
Brandon Olsthoorn
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