on the cover
SUP,
dawg?
Scout takes to the board
On balance, stand-up
paddleboarding is great fun
Story & photos by
GRETCHEN AMMERMAN
For the TODAY
I
t had started out so well. A few successful
short trips up and down the Siletz River
on a 10-foot stand-up paddle (SUP)
board had given me the confi dence to set
up my camera on a dock, strap my remote
shutter release to my wrist and try to take a
few selfi es.
It only took the arrival of a few
spectators, a nice family who were
curious about my activity, to make me
overconfi dent. Paddling strongly toward the
camera, I misjudged my timing and ran full
speed into the dock.
My audience, to their credit, did not
laugh as I landed hard on my knees and
worked with all my might to stay on the
board and act as if I had planned the whole
thing.
Th e board I was using was a rental from
ZuhG Life Surf Shop in Lincoln City. I’m a
huge fan of trying something out instead of
investing capital before I know if it’s going
The author, moments before the fall
to “take,” so this arrangement was ideal and
aff ordable. I have my own wetsuit, but they
rent those as well as other equipment you
might need for a day of water play.
SUPs are generally so stable on the water
that some people actually do yoga on them,
and many dog owners have trained their
canine companions to ride on the boards
with them, too. One of the reasons I was
interested in trying SUPing is that I’m
always on the lookout for activities where I
can include my very athletic dog, Scout.
I used treats to help Scout got more
comfortable on the board but limited our
fi rst training day to on-land activity. A
joyful and confi dent swimmer, I think she
would eventually take to it, but for my fi rst
time out I thought it best not to try putting
her on a board that I wasn’t sure I would be
able to handle.
I enjoyed it enough to decide to invest
in equipment and add this to my outdoor
repertoire so Scout and I can continue to
work on making her a SUP dog.
When she moved to the Central Oregon
Coast roughly 10 years ago, Angie Wright
began SUPing as a way to meet both
physical and social needs.
“I was really out of shape so fi tness was a
big reason I got into it,” she said. “But also,
all my new friends SUPed at that time and
if I wanted to hang out with them, I had to
learn.”
Th ough that original group have all
moved away or stopped SUPing, Angie
keeps on paddling.
“Th ere is no other feeling like it,” she
said. “I just get so much serenity when I’m
out there, especially early in the morning
when it’s really quiet.”
Having no background in board sports
made it a bit tricky for Angie at fi rst but she
knew it was something that would be worth
the eff ort.
“I wasn’t one that would jump on and
go,” she said. “It took me a solid summer to
get my balance down; I was awkward. But
now I can stop and turn on a dime.”
Looking for a watersport she could
handle when no companions were available
also helped Angie fall for SUPing.
“Compared to kayaking, for example, it’s
easier because I can carry my board with
one hand and it’s easy to get on a car,” she
said. “Also, I am not afraid to go by myself,
which is huge.”
Th ere are a few rules to know before you
go: you will need an invasive species permit,
a light, a whistle and a life preserving jacket
on you while you are in the water; failure to
do so could result in a fi ne of up to $250.
“You can get the license at ODF online
or BiMart,” Angie said. “I really like to
promote being safe out on the water on a
SUP, but people need to know the rules, too.
I see people getting tickets for not having
all of the safety gear all the time.”
After managing to remain on the board
during my encounter with the dock, I got
a bit cocky and during a turn I pushed
too hard on the side of the board and
predictably ended up, as the saying goes, in
the drink.
It was quite easy to haul myself back
onto the board, probably looking in my
shiny black wetsuit like one of the sea lions
on Newport’s Bayfront hauling themselves
onto a big rock.
My admittedly clumsy foray proved that
SUP boards are stable enough that you
can run them into a dock without ending
up in the water, and if you do fall in it’s
pretty easy to get back out. So, if you were
hesitating to try this sport, I hope you fi nd
this a reassuring tale.
In Lincoln City, you can rent a SUP
board and equipment from ZuhG Life Surf
Shop, www.zuhglifesurfshop.com. Safari
Town Surf Shop rents equipment and also
off ers lessons, safaritownsurf.com.
oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • June 12, 2020 • 9