She gave us yet ANOTHER gorgeous Saturday for SUPing Virginia's waterways.
This weekend we decided to check out one of Richmond's hubs for water activities; Pony Pasture off of Riverside Dr.
This area of the James River is great for canoeing, kayaking, swimming, tubing and in certain areas; whitewater rafting.
We walked downriver a bit to get a good feel for what would be in store for us and decided we'd rather just figure it out on the water! Adventure is great!
The plan (or non-plan I should say) was to put in at Pony Pasture, go as far downriver as possible with our ShuBu's and then turn around and paddle back up-river for a good work-out.
Several kayakers put in as we pumped our boards up, one of them saying to the other "Wow, now I feel lazy that we get to sit down in our kayaks."
It's so fun for us to see or hear the reactions of people when they see us pumping up our boards, paddling on our boards or deflating our boards.
We get a LOT of questions and comments when we're out on the water too and are only too happy to talk about the sport and the boards.
Once our boards were pumped and ready, we got onto the water and immediately had to navigate through some very rocky waters (picture below: my board stuck on a massive rock).
Once we got around that first phase of rocks, we hit our first bout of rapids.
Jody wore a helmet for this portion since we're only just learning how to SUP through rapids!
I took the rapids nice and easy on my bum since I had my camera with me and did not have a helmet, nonetheless...it was so much FUN!
After the first round of rapids we hit a wonderfully calm and flat area where we could just cruise awhile.
Catfish swam beneath us, ducks kept their eyes on us, turtles sun-bathed around us....it was the most gorgeous day to be standing on water....
Further downriver we found a fantastic sandbar and started practicing walking up and down the boards, tricks, etc. all without fear of falling on rocks.
Pictured above, Jody is trying to perfect a front tail spin that Chesapeake Boardsport's Macky Hall taught him in Mathews County. I have no idea if that is actually what it's called but you essentially walk to the front of the board, turn to face the back of the board and spin the board around 360 and then return to the back of the board.
Pictured above is me practicing quick (finless) turns and my new trick the "sumo-quake" (not pictured). =)
After we played on the flat water we continued downriver until we could see (and hear) a second phase of rapids.
Because we got on the water without a game plan, we knew if we went through this second bout of rapids we wouldn't be able to get the boards back upriver.
We parked the boards on the rocks just before the rapids and had some water and pop-tarts while we considered what to do next.
We had seen another area to get out of the water that opened up to a trail shortly after the first phase of rapids and decided when we paddled back upriver we would get out there. But this second round would mean going further downriver and trying to find a ride back to Pony Pasture.
We continued lounging on the rocks, taking in the view of Powhite Parkway bridge and decided we'd turn back and paddle upriver this time, but that next time we'd park a car further downriver so we could have a longer (and more rapid) expedition.
The paddle back upriver was (as usual) much more difficult than we anticipated. I keep forgetting that when you take the middle fin off of the board you don't keep true to the direction you want to be going in very well. The plus side to that however, is you get a major work-out that you feel for the next two days.
We finally managed to get back to solid ground and deflated the boards.
Once everything was deflated and gathered up we packed on our Shubu's and trekked back to the car, already planning our next expedition.
Overall a GREAT area to paddle and try some smaller rapids, but only if you have an inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard; the rocks alone would destroy anything else.
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. =)
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!
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.
