Benita Adesuyan takes to the waters to try a women’s only stand-up paddleboarding class.
If you’ve ever spent a morning catching a few rays on one of the UAE’s many beaches you’ve probably seen small fleets of people standing on a board paddling around the coastal waters. No, they’re not surfers in search of a wave. This is paddleboarding, and it’s a sport that’s gathering pace in the emirates.
Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Originating from Hawaii, it requires the balance of surfing with the upper body strength of kayaking. Despite the sport’s growth, the overwhelming majority of paddlers are male, but the crew at Ignite Surf School UAE are hoping to get more women on boards with their classes exclusively for ladies.
I take the trip up the road to Dubai, where Mari De Villiers, Ignite’s Marketing Manager and keen SUP girl, meets me on the beach. It’s a sunny morning and the sea around The Palm is serenely still, which she says is perfect paddle weather. De Villiers has already observed an increase in participation in the activity and they have now launched a new Friday-morning girls-only session.
De Villiers explains the safety procedures to the ‘SUP Sisters’ on the beach, and shows us the boards we’ll be using. SUP boards are wider and shorter than a surfboard; they are lightweight with a pointed nose, and a set of fins on the underside that enable the board to stay stable in the water. All the boards are equipped with safety leashes that keep the paddler and the board together. Using a single tall paddle, you propel yourself through the water and, unlike surfing, SUP does not require waves, which makes it ideal for the waters in the UAE.
At Ignite they combine the fun of paddleboarding with an abs exercise class, and our SUP instructor gets us doing sets of crunches and squats on the boards. Strangely, doing sit-ups in the sun, while floating on a board in the seas around The Palm does have a certain charm.
SUP Sisters with Ignite Surf School UAE. Dhs125 per single class or Dhs100 per class (when you book 10 classes). 8.45am. Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays. Riva Beach Club Dubai, Shoreline apartments 7 and 8, The Palm Jumeirah, www.surfschooluae.com (055 601 0997). Email info@surfschooluae.com to register in advance.
SUP in Abu Dhabi
Watercooled at Hiltonia Beach Club
One of the many watersports that they offer here includes stand-up paddleboarding.
Corniche Road (02 639 5997).
Hydro Marine Sports
Paddleboard off the beach at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara.
Salam Street (050 243 7382).
Oceanman UAE
For more of a challenge, try paddle boarding on the open water at the Saadiyat public beach.
Email captain@oceanmeanuae.com.
She’s a stand-up girl…
Candice Appleby, Maui Jim brand ambassador and four-time winner of The Battle of the Paddle World Championships talks to us about her career
How did you get into SUP?
I attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa and I spent a lot of time surfing the West Side of Oahu, one of the birthplaces of the sport. I started competing in 2007, eventually winning many stand-up surfing competitions against the male competitors.
Why do you think there are so few women in the sport?
This may be in part because of the lack of resources and sponsorships for women to compete at the highest level, and because prize money pay-outs are quite unbalanced.
How do you manage competing in a male-dominated sport?
When I began competing there were no women’s divisions. This wasn’t going to stop me competing and being my best. I think racing against the men pushed me even harder. In 2008, at the Duke’s Ocean Festival in Hawaii, I competed in both the men’s Open Pro and in the women’s divisions, and I went on to win both.
What are the benefits of the sport for women?
You become stronger in your core, which in turn makes you walk with a more statuesque presence. Unlike the often tedious task of going to the gym, SUP is fun and becomes addictive.
What advice would you give to girls and women who are considering taking up the sport?
Try a lesson through an accredited coach. It is important to learn proper technique and safety before getting on the water.
There are many men participating in the sport, but there is no gender bias when it comes to having fun and getting fit.
