SUP in Venice: Stand Up and Gondola paddling through this amazing City

Copy of post originally posted here on the blueplanetsurf.com blog:

Being able to go Stand Up Paddleboarding in Venice was a dream come true.  I had it on my bucket list for a while so when we took a family vacation to Florence this January I planned a day trip to Venice despite the cold weather.  I contacted Eliana from SUP in Venice and even though her SUP business is usually closed for the winter she agreed to not only take me on a tour but also arranged a Gondola ride and Gondolier's lesson for the rest of the group as well as a Venetian style lunch and walking tour of the city.  It was an awesome way to see Venice.  Here is the narrated video of this fantastic experience:

While Eliana and I were on SUP's, the rest of our group was on this beautiful gondola

Group picture at the Ponte dei Sospiri (bridge of sighs), connecting the courthouse and prison after the SUP paddle tour

This hotel, like most buildings in Venice, has the main entrance on the canal side where guests get dropped off by the water taxis.

Everyone got to row the gondola, learning from the gondoliers

After paddling we had a traditional Venetian lunch at the boat house.  The red flags on the walls are first place finishes at gondola regattas.

SUP and Gondola tour in Venice

Warning:  Please do not paddle in Venice without a guide, these are their roads and if don't know the rules, you are likely to be a safety hazard and will probably get completely lost.  So if you plan to paddle in Venice, please contact Eliana at SUP in Venice

Aloha,
Robert Stehlik
www.blueplanetsurf.com