Trip to Atlantis, Bahamas

The first time I was in Atlantis, 4 years ago, SUP was still very new in many places.  I was still getting into it and while I was there actually brought an inflatable with me.  It was very windy at the time and although I was stoked to paddle there, the windy choppy conditions and other offerings at the resort made the SUP experience less than memorable.

If you have never been to or heard of Atlantis, it is located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  It is a very nice vacation destination especially if you do not mind the crowded commercialized feel to it.  It offers amenities such as spa, massage, golf, water park rides, snorkel, beach, casino and an abundance of restaurants.  

Walking around Atlantis in 2009 was a blast!  There's a couple beautiful beaches and the area sports a pretty fun water park with a shark themed slide named the 'leap of faith' and a pretty relaxing and fun 'lazy river'.  I remember thinking how fun it would be if I was able to bring an SUP through the 'lazy river'.  I knew I would have to sneak it in and with all the low bridges and semi rough spots I would probably end up either in a Bahamian hospital or jail. 

There was one area at the time that was right in front the Casino, it was a man made lagoon with beaches on each side.  In this area, they were renting out Kayaks and those floaty tricycle things, I remember at the time that this would be a passable spot to safely allow standup.

I was fortunate enough to revisit Atlantis on a recent trip.  This time, with lesser expectations and previous knowledge, I decided to pack my golf clubs instead of my inflatable.  Because I had plans of SUPing immediately after I did pack my go to travel paddle, a three piece carbon fiber paddle.  One day while I was there I decided to try my luck in the Casino.  Five minutes and $200 dollars later I took a breather outside and to my amusement in the same lagoon I saw 4 years ago, there were people on SUPs. 

The next morning my fiancé and I woke up early, we headed over to the lagoon and rented a couple of boards.  The experience was fun but not nearly as enjoyable as an experience at Hanalei Bay, HI or even Point Lookout or Long Beach, NY.  But that wasn't an issue,  I paddled and observed as other visitors stood on SUPs for the first time and felt the stoke that I had been experiencing.  It gave me an added reassurance and excitement about introducing stand up paddle boarding to as many people as possible here in Long Island!   There is no question that SUP has arrived!

  

 

Required viewing for anybody renting an SUP

For anybody interested in renting an SUP from us this summer we will request that you watch. This is mandatory for anyone who has not been on an SUP before.

Supr Adventures - SUP Lessons, Rentals and Sales in Long Island, NY

www.supradventures.com - supradventures@gmail.com

Imagine 9'9 Surfer Review

We have this board in stock for $579 Reviewed by Ian Berger Okay, I've had some time to play with my new Bodyglove Wave, which is the same beast as the Imagine Surfer, so it's time for a review. This is a very wide board. It's almost disconcertingly wide. I'm used to my NSP 11' which is about 5" narrower, and the NSP can also be considered a fairly wide board. because it's also about 10' long (9'9" to be exact), it's got a lot of surface area. I laid it out on my lawn and let my three gorillas got at it. Because it's hollow it definitely has that slightly sunk-in feeling when you stand on it. This isn't really an issue when the board is on the water. The huge deck pad is great for moving around in. This is a great platform for kids to just play on. The weight (45 lbs) is an issue. It's heavy on my head, and the recessed handle is exactly centered so its edges dig right into my cranium. The handles on the edges help relieve the pressure. It can be carried with one hand, of course, but it's a little heavy for that. I'm not a wimp, but my arm got pretty tired pretty quickly. Yesterday I took the board out onto the Croton River. This is the overflow from the Croton Reservoir, which is where New York City gets drinking water. Paddling the board is a lot of fun. I guess because of its width and shorter length it doesn't seem to like the longer strokes I'd use on my NSP. I found 4-6 short strokes on one side best for paddling forwards, especially in a current. It doesn't like the lean motion that I would do with the NSP that would counter the push with the paddle; best to keep this baby flat while you paddle. The Croton river has a point with some light rapids. I jury-rigged my camera on the front straps then ran the board. It didn't work so well because the board took up most of the frame, but here it is: I like this board a lot. It's really easy to paddle. The plastic body means I don't have to be insanely cautious with it on the rocks. On the Hudson, this is a big deal. It also does a pivot turn really easily. I don't know if this is the shorter length or the extreme width, but I was able to do them without a problem or a fall. Considering the water was about 49ºF (and I was in a farmer john) wetsuit, this was a big deal. I'm working on getting certified as an SUP instructor later this spring, and this will be a perfect teaching board. (It comes with a paddle too, but that needs a separate review.) I'm also going to rely on this board to help me improve my minuscule surfing skills. This is a beginner board, of course, but the plastic construction means it has a lot of advantages, especially absorbing all the abuse a beginner might give it.

Traveling to Hawaii?

If you ever head to Hawaii check out our friends at Blue Planet Hawaii for all your SUP needs!

Blue Planet Surf Shop

We would like to thank Blue Planet for helping us with an SUP rental video, as well as for all the great info provided on their blog Zen Waterman!

Be on the lookout for some new information on our SUP programs for summer 2012!

Supr Adventures - SUP lessons, rental and sales in Long Island, NY

www.SuprAdventures.com - Supradventures@gmail.com