The UK standup Scene

Matt Argyle, styling in a frosty UK wave

2007 has been something of a seminal year for stand up paddle boarding in the UK. We had our first national SUP competition held in perfect 3-4ft waves in Cornwall, the British Stand Up Paddle Boarding Association was formed (BSUPA) and we began to see more people out in the surf on SUP boards.

The scene at the moment is small, most stand up paddle surfers know each other and, apart from at the competition, you usually don’t see more than one or two in the line-up. Despite this it’s the most exciting surfing sport scene we have seen in the UK since those first long boards arrived in the 1960’s in Cornwall.

The UK is blessed with over 11,000 miles of coast line and the stand up paddle surfers are just starting to explore it. Just as an example, I was out at my local point break, West Wittering, in a nice 2-3ft swell, once again I was the only SUP surfer out in a pack of longboarders when I saw another SUP surfer heading out into the channel between the point break and Hayling Island, and he started surfing the outer banks. These waves can be pretty much unsurfable due to the currents and rip tides and the way the wave reforms, but on a SUP board you can power over the reform and keep surfing. I guess we are all learning to shake off our preconceptions on what a surf break should be and we are looking to the possibilities out there.

Olaus Mcleod and his challenge board

We have our very own Laird Hamilton in the shape of Olaus Mcleod. Olaus is based in Cornwall and his day job is an airline pilot, he started SUP surfing in December 2006. He has been one of the keenest advocates of SUP in the UK and decided to promote the sport with a herculean challenge. On the 21st April 2007 he paddled from Lands End to the Isles of Scilly (approximately 35 miles), the next day he ran the 2007 Tresco Marathon, then he planned to return the following day, but got about 2 hours into the Atlantic and gale force winds arrived forcing him to abandon the challenge. This year’s challenge is to paddle from the West Coast, through the river system, and onto London on the East Coast.

Adam Zervas in a complicated-looking wave

Another example of someone who is pushing the boundaries in the UK is Simon Jayham. Based in Swansea, South Wales, Simon runs his own surf school and has been chasing big waves for years. Last year he was introduced to SUP during a lull the swell in Madeira. He is now searching for and surfing big waves in the UK on his SUP board. Once again these sort of waves are unsurfable with traditional surfbaords, due to rip and tide currents.

The British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) has been formed and there are four surf competitions planned all over the country, with the aim to crown a UK champion male and female SUP rider at the end of the year.

The future for SUP looks bright, although alot of people who are hesitating to make the SUP plunge are asking themselves whether this sport is just a fad or whether it is here to stay. I think that it is here to stay simply because it offers so much to the individual. You can get heaps more water time, it keeps you seriously fit and you can explore.

Article by Matt Argyle