SUP Huguenot Flatwater, Va

I have to tell you, I've been waiting ALL WEEK to get back on my ShuBu.

So you can imagine my joy when Saturday arrived and my husband suggested we check out Huguenot Flatwater (without Kozy this time, just so we could do more exploring).

The Huguenot Flatwater area/parking lot was extremely easy to get to.  You come over the Huguenot bridge and take the first road (there are signs to Huguenot Flatwater and Pony Pasture) and voila...you're there.

While it was a BEAUTIFUL day to be on the water, the water in this area was lower than we would have liked which made our paddle slightly difficult in comparison to other places we've experienced.

Algae (at least I think it was algae) took up a lot of the waters surface for the first bit of our trip.  Sometimes the algae made way for rocks, which was difficult for me (at first) to navigate, but after about 20 minutes or so I felt confidant enough to stand up on my board amid the rocks, algae and submerged tree trunks in the water.

As we paddled up river (toward Boshers Dam) the winds and current worked against us which made for a FANTASTIC workout!

My husband and I actually took the middle fins off of our ShuBu's several times throughout this trip because of low areas of water or extremely rocky areas.

Eventually, we made it to Willey Bridge which is just before Boshers Dam.

The water got extremely low at this point so I parked my ShuBu against some rocks and took in some sun while Jody continued up to Boshers Dam to check it out.

After another 15 minutes or so of Jody exploring Boshers Dam, it was time for us to turn around and catch our first downwinder back to Huguenot Bridge.

The ride back was extremely easy-going.  I got to enjoy more of the scenery because I wasn't in a constant battle with the wind and current.

The paddle up to Boshers Dam was about a mile.  It seemed to take us awhile because we had to stop several times to take our middle fins off of our boards to avoid hitting rocks along the way.  The downwinder back down to the launch area was very quick.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this paddle when the water is this low.  We had a great time but we also had boards that are very versatile on the river.  I definitely would not have been comfortable taking an epoxy board on this excursion.

All in all, another GREAT paddling experience in Virginia! 

More information about the area:  http://www.jamesriverpark.org/general-location.htm

SUP Dog...

It is with great amusement that I write this blog about our dog Kozy going SUPing for the first time.

My husband decided to take his ShuBu and our boxer Kozy to Huguenot Flatwater on Thursday after work.

It was a beautiful afternoon for a paddle.

Perfectly flat, little to no wind, only a handful of people on the water...and a photography student on the hunt for the perfect sunset (and thankfully for us, she was also pretty fascinated with Kozy on the SUP board and provided all the photos included in this blog post).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While most of the photos make it look like Kozy was extremely well behaved on the SUP board...apparently he did quite a bit of moving around, causing my husband to have to counter-balance the board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My husband said Kozy was pretty hilarious checking out the fish and birds, drinking from the side and generally being aloof while he paddled and counter balanced his pacing and turning.  A few times he'd slip a back foot off the board and Jody would have to grab his harness to keep him up.

In addition to the photographers my husband met, everyone he saw on the water was interested in Kozy on the board.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My husband was quite surprised to find that the inflatable board was a bit more stable and forgiving than the epoxy boards.  Especially with an 80lb dog as a passenger.  This meant 280 lbs was focused in the center of the board during their paddle. He was amazed they didn't just fold in the middle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After about an hour and a half of paddling from one side of the river to the other, both husband and Kozy called it a night.

 

And now that we know Kozy is completely comfortable on the SUP board...I'm sure we'll have many more SUPing adventures with him!

 

Thanks again to the photographers on the water that shot these great photos of Kozy's first SUPing experience!

SUP Gwynn's Island, Va

This weekend we ventured out to a family friend's home on Gwynn's Island for some Sunday paddle-boarding.

It was an exciting day as this would be our first time using our Shubu's since purchasing them from Chesapeake BoardSports.

This would also be MY first time inflating my board. 

I was a little worried that I'd have a hard time with it, but apart from having to take a break in-between pumping, I was able to comfortably pump my board to 11 psi.

With inflated boards in tow, we hit the water on the East side of the Island off of North Bay Haven Rd.

Winds from Hurricane Igor were coming in strong that day so we experienced a heck of a lot of chop on the water.  It was a GREAT workout!

Conditions were fantastic for giving our nephews a few paddleboard rides...

After playing on the boards with our nephews we decided to head out without any destination or plan in mind.

We paddled South and eventually reached a great looking sandbar. 

We decided to walk our boards across the sandbar to the other side of the island to check out the waters on the Millford Haven side.

I do have to confess, carrying a 10'7 board and paddle even a short distance was quite a challenge for me.  Walking the boards across the sand was my least favorite part of the excursion (though I did enjoy the photo opportunities).

Once we got onto the water on the other side of the sandbar I realized how tired I was from paddling the chop and carrying the board.

It was at that point my husband and I realized we had different ideas about what to do next...

He wanted to try paddling around the entire island, I wanted to get back to where we started but without having to carry my board and paddle back across the sandbar.

So I voted for trying to paddle around the island (I was going to do whatever it took to not carry that board again).  The only problem was that we didn't have a map of the island and didn't know how far we'd gotten from where we started or how long it would take to get all the way around.

It was at this point that my husband decided to paddle into the nearest creek and ask for directions.

He jumped onto the nearest dock and startled a woman in her yard.

He explained where we were trying to go, etc. and the next thing we knew she was insisting that we park our boards in her yard and that she drive us back to the house we were visiting so we could get our car and come back for the boards. 

Our new friend Jeanie was incredibly sweet and so we just couldn't say no to her.

She ran back into her house, provided us with cold water bottles and towels and we were on our way.

She asked where we were from because "ya'll are obviously not from around here" and we learned that Jeanie was originally from the Richmond area and purchased her Gwynn's Island home for retirement.

We arrived back at the house and laughed the whole situation off with the family.  My husband followed Jeanie back to her place and picked up our boards.  He deflated the boards to transport them so at that point we decided to pack up the rest of the gear for the day.

The rest of the day was spent eating, laughing and playing with our nephews.

Quite the adventure for a Sunday.

All in all, a fantastic area for paddle-boarding!

Next time we paddle Gwynn's Island....we'll be more prepared....and we'll make it all the way around.  =)

Show Up and Blow Up

Our last morning at the Inn at Tabb's Creek Lori and Greg (Innkeepers) called Macky Hall of Chesapeake Boardsports to come give us a demo of the hilarious but functional sounding "inflatable" stand up paddle board.

My husband and I had seen pictures and videos of these ShuBu boards (ShuBu is short for Show Up and Blow Up) and wanted to see them in action.

Honestly, we were extremely skeptical that something inflatable would work anything like an actual stand up paddle board.

It rained the morning of the demo but that didn't stop Macky Hall from wanting to get on the water....which was fine by us!

He arrived with several different boards for us to try (a Hobie, something else that I can't seem to remember the name of, and the ShuBu).

The big reason I wanted to try the ShuBu was because of the transportability factor.

A ShuBu comes in a bag.

You take it out of the bag, blow it up, play on the board, deflate it, and stick it back in the bag.

No anchoring down a heavy board to my car.

Because of this factor, I really hoped the ShuBu would work for me.

Macky unrolled the ShuBu and started pumping it up.

This was the first time our Innkeepers had seen a ShuBu as well so Lori marked the occasion by taking some video:



Once the board was pumped up to 11 psi, I took it out onto the water.

The first thing I noticed was the stability.

It was surprisingly stable for an inflatable.

I was able to stand up with no problem at all.

One thing I did notice once I stood up was that I could feel everything that was happening in the water beneath me.

With a regular board, you can obviously feel the chop in the water, etc., but with the ShuBu, I could feel which way the water was moving, how big (or little) the chop was, how it hit the fins, etc.

Once I started paddling the biggest difference for me was the speed. You definitely don't glide over the water as easily on a Shubu. But it's not meant to be a racing board. It's a cruiser. It's meant to be fun.

And it really is.

My husband and I switched boards several times.

The first thing he did when he got on the ShuBu was jump up and down on it.

My husband is significantly bigger than me so you could see the board sinking into the water just slightly...but it still withstood his weight.

He took it into a little bit of chop (though there wasn't much that day) and practiced some turning maneuvers that Macky had just taught him.

We switched boards again and I tried some turning and walking around on the ShuBu...it was very comfortable.

Amazingly comfortable.

I couldn't help but laugh the entire time I paddled on the ShuBu.

It just doesn't make sense to me.

It's a blow up.

It was really hard for me to get over that!

I did eventually get over it.

The other great features of the Shubu (apart from the transportability) is the bungee rip chord on the front of the board. Life-vests, backpacks, etc. can be tied down for long excursions. I really dig that.

The biggest reason we really wanted to demo the ShuBu though, was for the kind of SUPing we're looking to do closer to home.

We live near the James River. There are some areas with great flat waters, but we want to try a river run....

and you don't want to take a super nice stand up paddle board onto the river.

Rocks would damage it, fins would be demolished...it just doesn't make much sense.

ShuBu's however...can withstand rocks. The middle fin on the Shubu is removable. It just makes sense.

Because it was raining while we were out testing the boards I didn't take my camera, therefore I have no pictures of the ShuBu in action.

However, we did end up purchasing two ShuBu's from Macky that morning....

so there will definitely be pictures of our next adventure....I promise.

Here is my ShuBu in the bag.

Thanks again so much to Macky Hall of Chesapeake Boardsports for bringing the equipment out in the rain to let us demo our ShuBu's and for a great paddle at Tabbs Creek!

SUP Mathews County, Va

If you like a good combination of flat water Stand Up Paddle Boarding, a little bit of chop and don't own your own boards, the Inn at Tabbs Creek in Mathews County is a great place for you to stay and explore!

My husband and I took the opportunity to escape from reality for the weekend to the Inn at Tabbs Creek in Mathews County, Va.

The B&B has it's own gorgeous dock that you can launch from on kayak, boat or SUP board!

They also have two Stand Up Paddle Boards you can rent for a day.

Ok, it's not like we picked this place out of the blue and realized they had Stand Up Paddle Boards we could rent....

we actually picked this place because they mentioned Stand Up Paddle Boarding in their blog and I couldn't resist.

I also couldn't resist the reviews of their breakfast....

but that aside...

We started our Stand Up Paddle Boarding exploration on Tabbs Creek.

Conditions were perfect. Light winds, sunny skies and open water.

We originally planned to paddle down to Mobjack Bay and explore the area but having found out that would be a longer trip than we anticipated we decided to turn onto the East River and head for Williams Wharf (approx 1.5-2 miles) instead (time constraints).

At Williams Wharf we were able to get onto solid ground, use the bathroom, stretch our legs and catch up with the locals casting out fishing lines.

Williams Wharf is also a perfect picnic area if you're able to pack a lunch in a backpack on your  trip!

We hoped to have a good downwinder coming back on East River but mother nature wasn't going to let us have a free ride that afternoon (which was really no problem for us). We headed back to Tabb's Creek, docked, had lunch, took a nap...and got back on the boards for another round.

The two boards we rented from Lori and Greg (Innkeepers) are Doyle's.  They are fantastically stable but still shaped well enough to allow you to turn fairly quickly in small swells.  They also had carbon paddles which were extremely light-weight (helpful if going for a long excursion).

If you want to try out different shaped or sized boards and paddles, have Lori or Greg give Chesapeake Boardsports a call.   They're more than happy to come out to the B&B and demo any items they have in stock.  (see next blog)

Round 2 of our paddle boarding exploration found my husband heading toward Mobjack Bay for a few good swells...or at least more chop. He was greeted (rather screamed at) by various birds not appreciating sharing their space with him on the water. He did find some choppy water closer to the opening of the Bay which provided some entertainment for him.

Meanwhile, I took my time on the beautiful flat water of Tabb's Creek and explored the various tributaries.

Paddling Tabb's Creek was similar to paddling the Wildlife Refuge in Sandbridge Va Beach in that there were many areas of low water that you had to be mindful of (otherwise you'd smack your paddle against something or catch the board fin on marshes/weeds).

I confess I was hoping to see a bit more wildlife, but I can't complain. I was privy to seeing a Blue Heron up close and personal just before I startled him thus causing him to show me his wingspan....frickin awesome.

Overall, a FANTASTIC Stand Up Paddling experience!

I would HIGHLY recommend this area for beginner Stand Up Paddle Boarders who may not be confidant enough to brave the open Bay waters just yet.

Staying at the Inn at Tabb's Creek really added to this experience as well.  It was so wonderful having a place to put the boards in the water or put them up without having to worry about them.  We literally woke up, had a wonderful breakfast and immediately jumped onto the water.

Our Innkeepers Lori and Greg are also passionate about SUPing and had great stories about paddling out to the lighthouse and catching awesome downwinders.

We hope to pick their brain a bit more for great SUPing spots they've found around Mathews.

For more information on the Mathews area or the Inn at Tabb's Creek you can check out Lori and Greg's blog.

SUP Sandbridge, VA Beach

A few months ago my husband and I came across Surf and Adventure Company in Sandbridge, VA while looking for something fun to do in the Va Beach area.

We were stoked to find that Surf and Adventure Company was heavy into Stand Up Paddling!

S&A Co. only rents out SUP boards on a daily or weekly basis so we ended up paying a full day fee for only a few hours of SUPing (we had a concert to go to that night so time was limited)...but we were OK with that.

S&A had a dock just behind their store so it was extremely convienent.  We literally picked up our boards, walked behind the store and got on the water.

The waterways behind S&A are marsh lands and a protected National Wildlife Refuge.

It.Was.Amazing.

I don't know many people who can say they've paddle boarded through a National Wildlife Refuge.


There were a number of birds, what seemed like millions of dragonflies, random fish jumping out of the water....and snakes...

(the light brown/greenish/yellowish stick-shaped item on the right side of photo is a water snake)

We had the entire waterway to ourselves...

The weather was absolutely gorgeous that day...lots of sunshine, a light breeze here and there.  It made conditions for SUPing just right.

The only potential problem with this route is that because you're paddling through a National Wildlife Refuge, you can not stop to get off of your board.


There is no solid land in the event of an emergency...until you get closer to the Bay.

About 2 miles from S&A's dock the waterways open up to North Bay.

We had been paddling against the wind getting to the Bay...so we got a heck of a workout.

Once we reached the Bay the water got extremely choppy so the camera was put away (sorry for lack of photos).

My husband really enjoyed the Bay.  While there were no real waves to ride (like the waves he caught in Hawaii), there was still enough chop for him to get some practice.

The current was very strong in the Bay, so I spent most of my time paddling to one area and letting the current take me back to where I started.

Eventually we headed back toward S&A.

This time we paddled with the wind, which made the journey back even more pleasant.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone that enjoys flat water Stand Up Paddling.

Welcome to SUP Virginia...

SUP.

You'll see that term used quite often on this blog.

SUP is short for Stand Up Paddling.

For a quick and dirty of the history of SUP, you can check out Stand Up Paddling on wikipedia.

My husband and I were first introduced to SUPing on our most recent Christmas vacation to Hawaii.

The first time I saw my husband on the SUP board...it looked like he was walking on water.

Not only did we find SUPing to be a GREAT form of exercise...it was also extremely relaxing and even peaceful.

My husband ended up preferring the adventure of Stand Up Paddle Surfing...

while I ended up preferring the flat water SUPing....

During our vacation we realized not only could you surf or simply paddle on these boards....

but given the right venue...you could also whale watch on these boards...

Once our vacation was over...the thing we both mentioned missing most (apart from my fabulous family back home in Hawaii) was the SUPing.

Then we realized this wasn't a fad only to be found in Hawaii.

People were popping up on SUP boards (no pun intended) all over the world.

SUPing events and races were being coordinated not only at the beach but on flat water as well! 

And so, because we are resolved to follow our passion and SUP more often (even in Richmond, VA) and because we know there MUST be others like us in the state of Virginia just looking for a good place to SUP, we have started this blog to document our journeys, showcase our findings and engage with other SUP-minded people in the area.

If you SUP and live in Virginia we'd LOVE to hear from you! 

If you've never SUP'ed and want to give it a try, we'd love to help find a demo near you! 

Maybe we'll join you!!!