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, SUP accessories, SUP boards and all the must have's for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2016 Spring SUP season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

One SUP up and comer who stands out is 17-year-old Max Fleming from Dana Point, California. What makes Max so special? Not only is he an excellent SUP surfer and SUP racer, but Max is setting his sights high as he has ambitions to become an orthopedic surgeon and he’s already well on his way to making this dream a reality. We caught up with Max to chat about his ambitions, how he first discovered SUP and where he sees the sport in 5 years.

Performance Paddling is excited to announce the 4th Annual Quickblade Jr Pro & Youth SupFiesta presented by Infinity on May 7 - 8, 2016.  Once again the top youth sup athletes in the world will congregate for the largest youth only sup event in the world. This unique event is comprised of three components, a Junior Pro Invitational Sup Surfing competition, Age Group SUP Surfing contest (7 divisions), and an Age Group SUP Race (7 divisions).

Hawaiian athlete Zane Schweitzer will contest the 2016 The Ultimate Waterman title in New Zealand this month, replacing Australian Jamie Mitchell who is injured it was announced.

As the Ultimate Waterman is set to begin in just a few weeks the folks behind the event have started releasing profiles on the athletes that are to compete in the highly challenging event.

After a weeklong event here in Cabarete, Dominican Republic it is Hawaiian Zane Schweitzer who has just won the 2016 Master of the Ocean for the third consecutive year. Zane was on a tear all week and performed well across all four disciplines (SUP, Kite, Surf, Windsurf) earning him the title of Master of the Ocean for the third year in a row.

Day two of the 2016 Master of the Ocean welcomed competitors with light winds and sunny, clear skies. With the swell having dropped overnight to shoulder high surf, there were still plenty of waves on tap for the athletes to have some fun on.

After an insanely fun welcoming party with great food, company and live music, a beautiful morning greeted competitors and spectators on the first day of competition at the 2016 master of the ocean. With a solid swell providing overhead surf in the water the competitors were eager to get wet and get the competition started.

What do windsurfing, stand up paddle surfing and prone surfing have in common? Zane Schweitzer. Zane Schweitzer is an incredibly talented multisport athlete hailing from the island of Maui. Zane has grown up in the waters off the beautiful island and has grown to excel in a number of watersports including surfing, stand up paddling and windsurfing.

The Ultimate Waterman is partnering with Dolphin Surf Craft to give its athletes the opportunity to ride boards developed and manufactured using world leading technology by New Zealand company Kinaroad.

Caio Vaz just seems to go from strength to strength, and has once again found winning form at the 2016 Sunset Beach Pro, his second victory at this iconic break on Oahu's Fabled North Shore.

It was a day to remember at Sunset Beach on Sunday, as the World's best were able to get a taste of this iconic break at its very best. The morning greeted us almost flat, with no swell to speak of, but the buoys indicating a major swell on its way, meaning that the ocean was clean and groomed. By the time the swell started to show as we passed the 8am mark, it was clear we were in for something special.