The whole stand-up paddle thing cracks me up. It is without a doubt the most inefficient way to move a small vessel across the water. With nothing to brace against, your lower body becomes useless. One of the things that makes kayaking and to a lesser extent, canoeing so efficient is that you utilize your entire body’s muscle groups to power the vessel.

Stand-up paddling began in Hawai’i where surfing started with Duke Kahanamoku and his compatriots. A few stalwart surfers discovered, possibly out of boredom, that a longer paddle than their outrigger buddies were using could help them catch bigger faster waves; like their outrigger buddies were doing. What they failed to realize is that the outrigger paddlers were sitting and therefore much more efficient. But stand-up paddling became trendy and popular for paddling flat water ponds and lakes. Let’s look the part but not understand a thing.

I have to laugh at the latest trend in outdoor influencers when they say, “I’ve been doing this for ten years and this is how you’re supposed to do it.”

Well…I’ve been paddling for 63 years and this is how you’re supposed to do it.