The first few days I tried stand up paddle boarding but didn’t really commit to it. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, more that I was just having so much fun exploring Fiskardo Bay on the Go Plus iSUP that I didn’t feel the need. And that is a really good point about this iSup – it is really comfortable and in a kneeling and sitting position very stable too.
Click here for my initial Review Of The GoPlus ISUP 11 Foot Stand Up Paddle Board
I was happy kneeling, then found it easy to move from a kneeling to a sitting position, using the paddle board more like a sit on top kayak.
It feels solid, yet as I say very comfortable. I had spells playing about from 30 minutes to an hour or so and loved every minute of it.
In hindsight, the kneeling up high and paddle boarding probably got me used to the movement I would experience when standing up, the sitting down was just for fun.
On the last couple of days of my trip to Fiskardo I was able to Stand Up Paddle Board without falling in, which I took as a real plus.
How did I stand Up Paddle Board On The Inflatable Paddle Board – Beginners Guide.
I did some research on YouTube and Google, but nothing really spoke to me about it, apart from one piece of advice which is crucial which is this:
Don’t look down! Look at the horizon.
Game changing advice.
However, what I think made the difference for me was this.
Before taking the Go Plus Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board up to our apartment for the night (we were right on the waterfront which was amazing), I decided to use the Go Plus ISUP as a diving platform and have a bit of a play. I velcro’d the ankle strap to a buoy in the harbour of Fiskardo Bay and just jumped in off the paddle board for a swim. However, on getting back on, I thought it would be a good oppportunity to try standing up, just for fun. There was a beautiful superyacht 30 metres away, so I just wanted to stand and look at that in the fading evening sunlight.
So I stood up, paddle strapped to the board on the retaining strap at the front, paddle board attached to the buoy. I just stood up and looked at the super yacht and the other boats in the harbour. After doing this for around 5 minutes it struck me that I wasn’t even thinking about standing up! Progress.
The next day, I decided to get on and have a Stand Up Paddle Board on my inflatable – after all – it is in the name of the product.
With my new found confidence from the evening before, plus a lovely still morning, I was able to Stand Up Paddle Board without falling off for a good 30 minute period or so, which was all the time I had before heading out for dinner.
The way I got to my feet was to put the paddle across the board, then use it to springboard to my feet, still in a squat position, then from there just rise up steadily. It works a treat for me and by pushing both feet from kneeling to standing at the same time I didn’t have any balancing issues that you experience when you do one foot at a time.
I didn’t get to the point of tearing across the bay like a professional, but I was certainly at the point where I could go where I wanted on my inflatable stand up paddle board, take in the views, enjoy the sun and have an amazing experience in the beautiful Fiskardo Bay.
I was also then able to share the experience with a couple of friends we made at our holiday apartment.
Both of them could not believe how sturdy the Go Plus Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board was. They didn’t say it once, but several times, so it gives you an idea that it really does feel like a solid piece of kit.
With my new found skills, I was able to get both of them standing up paddle boarding too, although without the time I had had in the saddle as it were, not quite for such long periods but that would have come in time.
I think I might start a new career – Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board Coaching!
So that is it – great piece of kit. Feels incredibly sturdy and gave me hours of pleasure on our one week trip.
How To Stand Up Paddle Board In Three Easy Steps
- Practice first by tying your paddle board to a buoy in a lake or harbour, put the oar under the elastic strapping at the front and just try standing up.
- Look at the horizon, never the board.
- When standing up to paddle board, put the oar across the board, both hands on it, and in one movement push up and onto your feet, then rise slowly.
Final Advice On Stand Up Paddle Boarding
I didn’t really get the idea at first, I have to say. It was my daughter who was fascinated by it. However, going to Fiskardo and knowing that I was going to be right on the water but not able to get on it, unless I hired a boat or a Kayak, which I had done the previous year, I knew that it would be incredible frustrating.
The other point was that if I did hire a kayak or boat, it had to be on the renter’s terms, not my own. I would have to schedule the time, not just do it when I wanted.
That didn’t work, which is when I thought about buying the Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board. I am so glad that I did and know that it will be coming on holiday with me many more times in the future.
Taking An Inflatable Stand Up Travel Board Abroad.
It weights about 11 kilograms inside it’s rucksack. However, it is bigger than carry on size for planes, so I knew it had to go in the hold, but didnt trust the bag it come in not to spill it’s contents. So I purchased a huge black holdall from Amazon, put the ISup in there with some of my clothers, then put three luggage straps around it so that any of the bag’s loose material didn’t catch (some people said the bag had ripped in the reviews), and it travelled safely and back to Kefalonia. Happy days!
I am not a small guy. If I can stand up paddle board, you can too!