In the midst of national conversations surrounding gun control legislation and the NRA following the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida in February, several large retailers have cut ties with the NRA or partners that are associated with the NRA in response to consumer boycotts.

The sun is starting to shine, ice is melting and spring is starting to peek it’s head around the corner. With temperatures rising and waterways defrosting into lakes and rivers again, it’s time to start getting geared up and ready to get back on the water and out of the winter hibernation. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, accessories, and of course boards for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2018 Spring paddle boarding season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

In October 2017 a team of stand up paddleboarders embarked on a first descent of the Kali Gandaki lower regions and were treated to a spectacular adventure. Hosted by the team from Water Skills Academy and Live the Adventure Himalayan specialists, the trip provided everlasting memories. Here is a brief synopsis of the adventure.

Kokua Trading Co is excited to officially welcome World Champion and the Queen of Sup/Candice Appleby to the Kokua team. With countless accomplishments, and a genuine spirit of aloha that precedes her, it’s easy to see why many refer to Candice as the “GOAT” (greatest of all time). Here at Kokua Trading Co. we are humbled and honored to partner with such a talented and well-respected athlete.

Sian Sykes from Psyched Paddleboarding explains what everyone can do to help and how making small adjustments in your every day life will make a huge difference in a massive plastic pollution problem that we're currently facing. In a short documentary called Plastic Tide: Clean Up Documentary Ms. Sykes walks us through the problem and what we can do as a water-loving community to help fight it.

Stand up paddle environmentalist Bob Purdy has sadly passed away after a battle with cancer. Purdy lived in Ucluelet, British Columbia and had a deep connection to the natural world and its waters. He dedicated several years of his life to stand up paddling and was the founder of Paddle for the Planet and World Paddle for the Planet Day, a global initiative to send a “Wave of Change” around the world.

Welcome to the Supconnect Weekly Recap, our countdown of the biggest news, reviews, interviews and features surrounding the world of Stand Up Paddle Boarding. This week we’re bringing you another sample of the best stories covered by ourselves and other publications.

FUSION STEREOACTIVE is the world’s first purpose-built, portable watersports and active lifestyle stereo. Made with the SUP community in mind, here’s five reasons you want one on your board.

In 2014, local Southern California Stand Up Paddle pioneer, Will Schmidt, successfully attempted what is now historically the first and only solo and largely unassisted stand up paddle of the Pacific Coast of the United States from Canada to Mexico. Armed with an assortment of video, global positioning, and audio equipment, he was able to document this extraordinary journey that is told through his own eyes.

Behind the excitement and acclaim of a broken world record, lies a story that lead to that one victorious moment. A story oftentimes of hardship, persistence, overcoming. A story that impresses us and inspires us. Guinness World Records recently announced a new broken record for the longest SUP ride of a human and dog pair, and the story behind it, although not painfully rigorous nor of epic proportions, is an especially heartwarming one.

We've been chatting with SIC Maui athlete Seychelle about all aspects of her fitness regimen. She recently discussed the different parts of her paddle plan and cross training, and now she's sharing details about her diet along with a few of her favorite recipes. Find out how Seychelle fuels her body below.

I was delighted to be part of the first group to join the Water Skills Academy (WSA) SUP Expedition Guide Training Course which was the first course of its kind! The course has been designed to give people the skills and confidence to lead commercial and personal expeditions on a paddle board on big open water in remote and wilderness environments as part of multi-day journeys.