Saturday, June 15, 2024
Best Paddle Length for Stand-Up Paddleboarding | Blue Planet Surf
Saturday, October 1, 2022
How to Kayak for the first time in a two person kayak
Saturday, August 6, 2022
Downwind Foil Race Recap- BlueWater Classic- Wing Foil Race and SUP Foil Race
Saturday, April 9, 2022
History of SUP
History of Stand Up Paddleboarding
There are many examples of paddling in a standing position and it seems to come naturally.
I’m going to go over some of the earliest recorded records of humans standing up while paddling, a short history of SUP surfing in Hawaii, and how modern stand up paddleboarding and surfing has become so popular worldwide.
Fishermen in Peru and Ecuador used reed rafts for fishing and for going in and out through the surf around 3000 years ago.
Hasake were used in Israel with records dating back to the roman empire and are basically big SUP’s with a two sided paddle. Still used by lifeguards today.
There are also many native tribes that paddled standing up in dugout canoes
SUP Surfing
Was known as Beach Boy surfing- culture emerged in Waikiki when first hotels opened.
Most famous beach boy was Duke Kahanmoku- he introduced surfing to California in 1912 and to Australia in 1914, known as fastest swimmer alive with 2 gold medals in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920 and many world records in swimming.
Duke was known to surf standing up on a long board, using a long paddle.
In the 1940, John Zapotoki started used a big longboard and custom made wood paddles to surf in Waikiki until he was 91 and saw his sport boom
Pops Ah Choy was a Waikiki beach boy well known to standing up surfing with a hard had
Ron “Canoe” Drummond surfed a canoe standing up with a paddle in Dana Point, California.
More recently, Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama picked up paddles and stood up on big longboards during an Oxbow photoshoot which started the moden area of Stand Up Paddleboarding and its global popularity today.
Brian Keaulana added “Beach Boy Surfing” division to the Buffalo Big Board contest at Makaha and the sport started growing rapidly.
I was lucky enough to be involved in distributing the C4 Waterman boards, some of the first SUP’s available to buy which was around 2007, before that SUP boards were custom made. I was coached in SUP surfing and downwinding by early pioneers and C4 Waterman founders Dave Parmenter, Todd Bradley, and Brian Keaulana.
The early explosive growth of the sport had leveled off before the pandemic but then blew up again during the pandemic as a safe way to get exercise while being socially distanced.
SUP History trivia:
The Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard Word Championship Race added a Stand Up Paddleboard division in 2006. Kevin Horgan won the race in 7:23:14
Travis Grant set the current M2O SUP solo record time of 3:59:52 in 2017
Gerry Lopez and Rainbow Sandals organized the first “Battle of the Paddle” race in 2008 with a $25,000 prize purse. The maximum board length was 12’6, which created a new category of boards.
these were the top 3 finishers of the first BOP:
Men:
1) Chuck Patterson
2) Thiebert Lucia
3) Aaron Napoleon
Women:
1) Jenny Kalmbach
2) Candice Appleby
3) Morgan Hoesterey
As of 2021, the global market for Stand Up Paddleboard gear is estimated at $1.4 Billion, growing at 10% annually, with the top 5 brands controlling a market share of about 15%
As of April 2022 the top 3 most liked Stand Up Paddleboard videos on YouTube (all proudly brought to you by blueplanetsurf):
1) “How to SUP in 5 minutes”- thumbs up: 19k, 1.5 million views
2) “Top 10 SUP Beginner Mistakes”- thumbs up: 11k
3) “SUP Tips: How to paddle straight on a Stand Up Paddleboard”- thumbs up: 9.3k
Thank you for watching!
Aloha, Robert Stehlik
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Flip Rescue: learn the technique that could save a life- tips from the S...
Saturday, March 20, 2021
Blue Planet Show Wing Foiling- Rob Whittall- Ozone Wasp V2, Armstrong A+ system-
Saturday, July 11, 2020
How to choose a Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) for beginners
Paddle board buying guide: Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is a fun, safe way to get exercise, even in the middle of a global pandemic. This video is a beginner's guide to help you choose the best paddleboard for your needs and budget. Covered: inflatable SUP vs. hard boards touring vs. all round board The Basics 1.) Conditions/ Functions 2.) Height/Weight 3.) Future Goals The Dimensions 1.) Length 2.) Width 3.) Thickness 4.) Volume The Shape 1.) Nose 2.) Tail 3.) Rails 4.) Rocker Line Some great tips on how to choose the first Stand Up Paddleboard when you are getting started. Get educated on the dimension, volume and shape features that matter for you before wasting money on a board that is not right for you. SUP's are NOT one size fits all and keep in mind that you get what you pay for. At Blue Planet we have a big selection of boards ranging from inexpensive, user-friendly starter packages and used boards for those on a budget to high end, high-performance boards for expert riders, and everything in between. Come to Blue Planet, the SUP HQ and get some expert advice on picking the right board for YOU. Aloha! For more information on choosing the best SUP board and graphics, please visit: https://www.blueplanetsurf.com/service/best-sup-standup-paddle-board/ CHOOSING THE BEST STAND UP PADDLE BOARD Aloha SUP’ers and mahalo for dropping in with Blue Planet Surf. One of the most frequent inquiries we get at our shop in Honolulu, Hawaii is how does one determines what size and type of board is right for them. As avid water enthusiasts, our main objective at Blue Planet Surf is to provide sufficient info to potential paddlers, so that they are equipped with the best knowledge to make the best decision when buying their first or additional boards for their quiver. With the right knowledge, one can choose the ideal board to suit their surfing and paddling needs and ultimately have more fun on the water. Thank you to our customers for voting Blue Planet as Hawaii’s Best Stand Up Paddle Shop. 12 BASIC POINTS Below you’ll find 12 images and graphs that will help you with the complex process of finding the right board(s) for you. As a surfer of many years (bodysurf, bodyboard, shortboard, longboard, and Stand Up Paddleboarding), I personally consider over 100 different variables when I’m choosing my own boards. For a first time SUP buyer, it would be excessive to consider so many variables, so we wanted to simplify the process for our customers. The boys at the shop and I were able to narrow a potential paddler’s focus down to 12 basic points which we use at our shop in Hawaii every day to help our customers find the perfect stand up paddle board for them. Keep in mind that surfing and paddling needs are very specific to the rider and their locale, so our images and graphs may not depict info that is 100% accurate for you and where you plan to use the board. If you have any questions about it contact Blue Planet Surf in Honolulu, Hawaii; or consult your nearest SUP/surf shop for more info. First and foremost, the paddler must consider what type of paddling they intend to do. By determining if an individual will be surfing, racing, cruising or doing a hybrid of those, they will have already narrowed their board selection down. In general, the shorter and smaller the board is, the more surfable and maneuverable it will be, while the longer and more streamlined the design is, the more efficiently the board will cover distance and the better the board will be for racing. For cruising, one should consider boards that are in between those two spectrums, and skew their choice either shorter or longer depending on how they want their board to perform. Height and weight, along with skill level, are the next big factors an individual should pay close attention to. Because paddle boarding requires the board to be on top of the water at all times (different from shortboards where the board may be fully submerged when not planing on a wave), height and weight dictate the amount of floatation the board will need to offer.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
New Balance Board- preview of the Blue Planet Balance Surfer
Introducing the Blue Planet Balance Surfer, a new product we are launching on Kickstarter, for details: http://kck.st/2lfc84l
What initially started as a quest for comfort, has now evolved into a patent-pending design that provides 3 different levels of balance challenge in 1 tool-less Board. Competing and training for long-distance races like the Molokai to Oahu race kept me in shape but I was still experiencing back and neck discomfort after long days at my computer. My chiropractor recommended raising my monitor to eye level, and I realized if I mounted it on an arm I could use it as a standing desk as well. Standing up regularly helped my back but I was still prone to bad posture and would constantly lean against my desk and load one hip with all my weight. But after using an old balance rocker board I used for SUP training, I noticed how my posture improved from the small balance rocker which was requiring me to stand upright and centered yet still allowed me to focus on my work. I began prototyping new balance board versions, hired a 3D designer to perfect the prototype design, researched manufacturers and here we are today.
With 2 previously successful Kickstarter campaigns and such a great experience interacting with the crowdfunding community, we obviously thought of Kickstarter right away when deciding how to launch this product. We love bringing new products to this community and hope you can support us in this next launch.
Aloha,
Robert Stehlik, founder/ owner of Blue Planet Surf
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
How to Stand Up Paddle with Verena Mei
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Stand Up Paddle Technique Drill: Catching Bumps and Waves on a SUP
http://blueplanetsurf.com/blogs/news/75266693-sup-tips-catching-waves-and-bumps-flatwater-drills-to-help-you-get-ready-for-open-ocean-stand-up-paddle-boarding
http://zenwaterman.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekly-time-trials-in-hawaii-kai-video.html