10 Reasons Why SUP Is So Popular

Suplove, shown here, is a reminder that people truly love to SUP.

SAN DIEGO, California - Stand up Paddle is growing quickly and people are flocking to it in hoards, but have you ever stopped long enough to think about why?  What is it that makes this relatively new sport so popular?  Here are 10 reasons why people love to SUP.

1.  Fun in the Sun:

Stand up paddle allows you to have fun in the sun!  It feels good to spend countless hours floating on the water soaking up the vitamin D.  Some even love the benefits of a healthy tan and getting that sun kissed glow on their skin.

2.  Paddle Almost Anywhere:

Stand up paddle expands well beyond the coast lines to lakes, lagoons, bays, rivers, waterways, bayous, streams, ponds, and even pools.  All across the world people can typically drive to a sup location within a relatively short period of time.

3.  Variety in Types & Styles of SUP:

There is great variety in the types and styles of stand up paddling.  People enjoy flat water, whitewater, ocean waves and everything in between.   Some participate in racing, sufing, river runs and yoga while others prefer to keep things simple and just enjoy a nice cruise once in a while.  If variety is the "spice of life" then sup will make paddlers very flavorful.  Getting burned out and bored with paddling should really be out of the question.

4.  A Good Excuse to Travel:

Stand up paddling gives everyone a good excuse to travel.  There are so many beautiful places to visit with water aplenty.  Using SUP as the basis for exploring new and exotic locations is definitely fun and exciting and can truly take someone all over the world.  From paddling in places like Venice, Bali, Italy, Taiwan, Mexico and the Maldives, there is no limit to where paddling can lead someone.

5.  Great Low Impact Sport:

Many people of all ages are looking for exercise that is fun and fulfilling without all the pounding and strain on their bodies.  SUP provides exactly that, a low impact cardio workout with incredible benefits for the core, back, arms and legs.  For so many people who are trying to get fit in our world today, this is exactly what the doctor ordered.

6.  Take it to Any Level:

Stand up Paddle is a sport that can be taken to any level.  There is opportunity to simply paddle for recreation and use it as a chance to explore and enjoy nature, or it can be a highly competitive and aggressive sport with fierce racing and surfing competitions.  Again, there seems to be something for everyone when it comes to SUP and at the end of the day most are smiling from the stoke.

7.  Age is no Deterrent:

People are stand up paddling at all different ages.  From babies to 100 years old, it has been done.  It is never to late to get out and stand up...enough said.

8.  Great Group and Family Activity:

Many people are looking for new ways to have fun with the entire family or with a good group of friends.  Stand up Paddle is perfect for this.  Many families are paddling together and groups such as the So Cal SUP Chicks have created an inclusive sup sorority of sorts.  So don't wait.  Get organized and go have fun with the people you love.

9.  You Get to Walk on Water:

Now who wouldn't want to walk on water if given the opportunity?  This is just to cool!  SUP gives everyone a perspective they thought they might never have.  What a sensation!

10.  Great People:

Stand up Paddlers are generally a very inclusive community of people who love to share the stoke and broaden horizons.  Time and time again SUPers are caught loaning a board, taking someone out for the first time, or perhaps giving a tip here or there.  Parties are thrown, movies are made and shared, and time is spent together on and off of the water.  It is a great conglomerate of people from all walks of life who through paddling gain better health and new friends.  

Now it's your turn.  Why do you think SUP is so popular and growing rapidly throughout the world?  Please share your thoughts below.

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