Hi all,
Admin please delete if you think this is inappropriate. I was lucky enough to grow up at Lake Rotoma in beautiful New Zealand. I pretty much spent my days swimming at the lake but had never tried paddle boarding until this year. At the beginning of the year we moved houses and are now lake side.
My life had become pretty busy and intense recently and I realised I needed to do something for my own mental health and wellbeing so I decided to go out and buy a paddle board. The picture in this post is one of me out on the lake just before dark.
I was wanting to talk to someone to hear their story about how paddle boarding has helped with their wellbeing.
I also decided to start up a Facebook page (I won’t put the Facebook page name because I’m hoping that way this post won’t get deleted) where people from all over the world can share their stories about what they do for their wellbeing in the hopes that it will inspire and encourage others to give things a go. I have had people from USA, UK, Australia, South Africa, Dubai who have sent in their stories about what they do to help with their wellbeing from rock climbing, baking, mountain bike, running, painting, photography etc.
Is there any body in this group who would be interested in sharing either by video recording, photos with a written account or Skype interview how paddle boarding has helped their mental health and wellbeing?
I think it has helped me to look at the girls In bikinis in the paddle board ads.
Seriously, I spent the last 30 years of my career inside a building with no windows. I discovered that time outdoors helped keep me sane, especially paddling.
My escape vehicles were canoes and kayaks. I have dozens of photos taken from the same perspective as yours.
The road bicycle (racing bicycle) probably saved my life. When I got hurt biking (ironic, ain’t it?) I decided to do the sea kayak thing. I totally understand your enthusiasm. Finding an athletic activity that you really like can change your whole life. I’m in North Carolina, USA. (String is in South Carolina).
Sounds like you’re fairly new at your life-changing thing. Welcome to the community of folks who actually LIKE to use their muscles. Seems like most people hate it.
I am frozen. Maine
With the snow skiing and snowshoeing is my thing now. I used to suit up and go to the ocean but with all the underlayers and packing the yak even for a day trip and sliding on icy launches ( and climbing snowbanks to get to them and wondering where can I park without getting plowed in)I am OK with not paddling till April.
Paddle boarding has allowed me a good chuckle and the chance to save a damsel or two in distress. My last years sailing, I liked Montauk, on the tip of Long Island, NY, USA as a destination, due to the quiet anchorage at the far end of 3 mile long “Lake” Montauk. There is a small resort there with paddleboards, and most mornings there I would watch folks scoot by my boat on their paddle boards, with the consistent tailwind pushing them down the “lake”. (Lake in “” as it’s opened up to salt water, and has 3 huge Marinas and tourist stuff at the entrance.). Some mornings, I’d finish my coffees, look at my son and it’d be “wanna go be a hero?” where either he, me or the two of us would hop in the outboard powered dinghy, run down the lake, and tow these hapless souls back against the wind.
Welcome to the group of folks who actually live before dying. Living has nearly killed me several times, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger I have heard. Paddleboarding looks like a great full body workout, and standing on the water allows a better viewpoint. I canoe pole, which allows me to go back upstream (actually prefer upstream) in whitewater.
When I worked in automotive I worked long hours (60 hours/week and sometimes much more) and the work was often stressful with all problems requiring immediate resolution including extended out of town trips. Canoeing was pure therapy with good exercise plus the beauty of nature and the serene aesthetics of paddling a canoe…pretty much the opposite of work. For many years all I did was work or paddle in my limited free time. There’s no doubt in my mind that paddling was good for me and it still is.
I don’t usually come to this forum any more, but happened to be lurking and saw this post.
My wife of 60 plus years of marriage and I who have owned and raced canoes as well as kayaks started on paddleboards three years ago and can say that they with out a doubt provide much more exercise than canoes or kayaks. I don’t think there is a bone or muscle in the body that doesn’t get a workout.
We still paddle our canoe and our kayaks, but when the wind is predicted to be light we always chose the boards.
Another plus is the underwater viewing (in the crystal clear water where we live) from standing is much better than sitting in a canoe or kayak
