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Stand-up paddle boarding, or SUP, is one of the fastest growing water sports in the UK and it just so happens we now have a company offering the activity here in Dartmouth. I’m not someone who likes getting cold or wet so I had to psych myself up for this. But owner of Sea Kayak Devon, Ben Brierley is quick to point out that it’s very hard to fall off these sturdy boards.
On the shore he explains the basics - I practised holding the paddle, donned my life jacket and managed to carry the huge board down to the water’s edge. This isn’t as impressive as it sounds – these boards are inflated so they’re surprisingly light and portable.
“Ready?” asks my 38-year-old instructor in his friendly Irish accent and before I know it we’re gliding through the water in a kneeling position. I had a habit of lurching to the right but Ben stayed by my side correcting my trajectory with his paddle until I mastered a straight line! Soon it was time to stand and Ben talks me through the process; “Keep your eyes straight ahead and avoid the temptation to look at your feet”. In two easy moves I’m up and my leg muscles are hard at work keeping me balanced as we move forward. They say SUP reduces stress and sure enough after a while I notice I’ve stopped concentrating so hard on staying upright and started listening to the birds and the soothing sound of water lapping at the board. It was a fantastic experience and I managed to stay dry despite one dramatic wobble to avoid a moored boat!
Ben set up Sea Kayak Devon six years ago. As well as stand-up paddle boarding he offers a range of sea kayak experiences such as wild camping and family day trips. These are very popular, especially in the school holidays, with children able to catch dogfish in lobster pots, help set up a driftwood fire on a remote beach and toast marshmallows. Older children can take to the water alone but those as young as five can sit in the front of a double kayak with an adult. Ben says they regularly see seals: “We were out on a family trip last year when we spotted a young seal in the water. They are very inquisitive animals and this one swam right up to one of the kids and climbed out of the water onto her kayak! It sat there looking at us all and amazingly after a few minutes it fell asleep, still lying on her kayak!”
Ben, who has been on the water in one way or another since he was five, says sea kayaking is his favourite way of exploring rivers and coastlines; “The River Dart has so many hidden coves and secret beaches and you can’t access these in bigger boats. It’s a beautiful way to travel.” You can tell he has a passion for outdoor pursuits and his CV is pretty impressive. He has led many exciting expeditions around the world, from an unsupported kayak crossing of the Irish Sea to wilderness journeys on extreme white water rivers in the Himalayas. He holds the highest British leader qualification in both sea and river kayak, is a sailing instructor and holds a commercial boat master’s licence. He has also spent 10 years running a survival-training centre on a remote uninhabited island off the Scottish coast. During the winter months he runs a ski school in the resort of Courchevel and he holds the highest level of ski instructor qualification but he says come May he’s always eager to get back to Dartmouth and to the water!
Although the company has been going six years, the stand-up paddle boarding only started last year, and Ben says it has already been very popular. So popular in fact that his girlfriend Sarah, a qualified physiotherapist, has just started running yoga and exercise classes on paddle boards, with circuits and runs included. Courses run in the evening so people can go after work. “It’s about taking fitness to the water,” she says. “It’s the perfect way to put the fun into working out. Your balance will be challenged, core worked, mind focused, heart rate raised and fun guaranteed!” You don’t need any previous experience with paddle boarding and a connection with nature is guaranteed; “the sound of water aids relaxation and it’s the closest you’ll get to walking on water.”
To find out more go to www.seakayakdevon.co.uk
For a full list of SUP activities in South Devon, click here