How I Learned to Paddle Board & How I Grew to Love it

This summer, I’m making it my personal mission to be on my board as much as possible. I didn’t used to be like this. I am not one of those women who grew up on the water. Most summers were spent at camp and, yes, often at the Hamptons but I was never a board baby. I didn’t start until my mid-twenties, and, you know what? This is my story! On How I Learned to Paddle Board & How I Grew to Love it.

To be honest, I “learned” to paddle boarding in Hawaii. More like, thrown to the ocean…but, we’ll get there.

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How I Learned to Paddle Board & How I Grew to Love it

I went on a trip, to Oahu, with my college roommate. She’s practically a local with family all over the island. One afternoon she asked if I’d be down for a hike with her sister and a few friends/cousin. Ummmm, yeah!! I’m thinking “That’s my dream!” I’d love to go hiking with a bunch of local girls. I was feeling so cool and living up to all of my 2000’s Roxy surfer girl delusions you could possibly have.

Word to the wise, if you’re with a group of true Hawaiian women… this isnt going to be your average “hike”.

Let’s just say, their idea of hiking was vastly different than any hiking I’d ever experienced before.

By “hiking” they meant: drive to a locals only spot, grab your water gear (I was literally handed a paddle and board for the first time ever) and swim/paddle to a remote small island off the main island that is, literally, made of rocks.

Hiking & Paddle Boarding with Locals

Am I done? No.

Then, put your slippers back on (the ones someone kindly attached to my board) and climb straight up to the tip top of the mountain that was the island.

In fairness, we sat at the top for roughly 30 minutes and it was the most incredible memory of independence I’d ever had. That view of the main island was so beautiful I didn’t think it could get better. Until I turned around and saw the never ending water view, that met the horizon, on the other side.You might say, that adventure pushed me to start traveling outside my comfort zone and really take the plunge to travel deeper into other cultures while I’m traveling.

Unfortunately though, when you’re on top of a mountain, on a secluded island that you had to paddle to. You realize only one thing after 30 minutes of bliss: You have to eventually get back.

Paddle Boarding Deep Lake WA — Sitting on a SUP on Deep Lake, WA

How I Learned to Paddle Board

To say I got a “crash course” would be an understatement. We got to that island easily enough. I was on my knees until my friend showed me how to stand up. I watched my friend be the most graceful I’d ever seen her in my life. The balance she had threw me. She said “it’s all in your abs” and she was off. The other girls watched me struggle a bit but I DID IT. My first time on a board and I was UP.

I literally thought “omg, this is the best! I’m a pro! Look at me gooooo! AH! best day ever”.

It was like we were floating with the wind. It was incredible.

Yeah… Okay.

We climbed down the mountain in our slippers (literally Target flip flops, friends). I tucked them into the bungees on the front of my board and slowly cast off. Just as I did before. Only this time, to meet hard and very very rocky waters. When I say rocky, I mean, the wind had turned, the clouds changed to grey and it was about to pour.

I had never worked so hard to meet land in my whole life!

Haha! Oh my gosh, I can laugh about it now but: WOW.

Literally, paddling on my knees and completely unable to control the board, I paddled my heart out for 20 minutes and was the last girl to shore. The others laughing at me, but saying encouragingly “your ready to take on a Kahuna now, dancer girl” (a nickname they be-lovingly gave me after learning I did colorguard in highschool).

At first, I thought: I’ll never do this again.

Teaching Stand Up Paddle Boarding

However, the very next day… I had total “surfer stoke”. I dreamed of paddling, and not only that: the burnnnnn I felt in my abs? I was completely addicted.

Guys, I couldn’t even laugh without tears pooling into my eyes. I was sore the rest of our trip but amped that I could see 2 abs in the next morning.

After, I flew back to Portland (where I was living at the time) and, all I wanted to do was buy a board but I couldn’t justify it. It rains just as much in PDX as it does in Seattle.

It would be two years after, that I would get back on a board. This time, in Kona, Hawaii. My family was fortunate enough to go together, and my siblings/cousins were adamant paddle boarding. They were all convinced they didn’t need lessons because I already knew how to and I could teach them. 😬

I tried to rebuttal but they wouldn’t have it.

So, there I was with my family, a board, a paddle… and I did exactly to them as what had been done to me. I attached their slipped to their boards, got them in the water and handled them their paddles. I got them on their knees and showed them veryyyy slowly how to brace themselves to get up.

Laying on a Standup Paddle Board — Lounging on a SUP on Emigrant Lake, Oregon

How I Grew to Love it

My brother fell off immediately. It was, and still is, one of my favorite memories from our trip. Plus, they got lucky. We had practically pristine/easy waters the entire time and I got the hang of my board really quickly after. I started messing with the settings on my paddle and adjusting my height. Then I got comfortable. Going from sitting down to standing up on the board.

I rented a paddle board two more times and just laid on my board, rocking with the ocean and thought “this is the actual life”. After, every vacation I went on, I tried to paddle when there was a rental area.

In hind-sight, I had to put in a lot of hours to get comfortable. Every year I have a learning curb because I haven’t been on a board for 9 months. I have to remember how to stand up, where to brace my legs and hold my abs. How to work my triceps.

At the end of the day, it’s a great work out and I never leave unhappy. Sometimes a bit sun burned and a little hungry but never mad.

My Summer Boarding Adventures

Finally, it took 11 Seattle summers, but I pulled the plug and got an inflatable board this past December. It just made sense, especially after borrowing an inflatable during my solo road trip in summer 2020. Listen, you can’t catch the ‘rona in the middle of a lake on your own board.

Now, summer adventures are always water based and I’m wanting my road trips to have lake detours every time I plan them out.

Last summer was spent in the middle of Lake Siskiyou and Emigrant Lake (near Ashland, Oregon). All on my paddle board. This year has been spent on Lake Bellinger and soon Lake Union. I can’t wait to share that.

My friends, this was a very long post but I hope you enjoyed reading about my insane adventure. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy sharing memories like this with you guys. It brings my travels back to life and it makes me wish I could go back and do it all over again.

Are you learning to paddle board? Are you a paddle board lover already? Let me know if you want to hear more stories like this one. Til then…

Happy Boarding. ❤️