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Stand-up Paddleboarding

 

TRY STAND-UP
PADDLEBOARDING (SUP) FOR
TONS OF FUN ON THE WATER!

 


 

Family Fun

We love to take turns paddling while someone else sits on the front of the paddleboard. Take the kids to a sheltered beach like the Mauna Lani Beach Club and they can alternate between paddleboarding and snorkeling.

Surfing Prep

Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP) is a great whole body workout! Standing on the board improves your balance and core strength. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can try yoga on a paddleboard. Plus, SUP is a great way to gain the balance and strength needed to start learning to surf!

Chill Out on the Water

If you are comfortable with stand-up paddleboarding, you know that it can be relaxing and meditative. An early morning paddle with your sweetheart or friend can be a great way to start the day and explore the Big Island’s many amazing beaches.

 

STAND-UP PADDLEBOARD FOR GREAT FAMILY FUN & SUPERB CORE WORKOUT

 

Try stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) for fun and fitness! In this water sport, you maneuver a large floating board around with a long paddle while standing. The main trick is balancing while the water moves beneath you. SUP boards are similar to surf boards in shape, but tend to be larger and more stable. This makes them great for practicing balance for surfing and catching small waves. Also, because you are standing up, you can get better views – both above and below the water! When the water is clear you can see fish on the coral reefs below you, and in the winter, you can occasionally see whales and dolphins in the distance.

Stand-up Paddleboarding has been rapidly gaining popularity in the last 5 years. In the 1940’s, SUP showed up in Hawaii when renowned surfers like Duke Kahanamoku started using paddleboards to train during low surf conditions. However, it wasn’t until the 1990’s and early 2000’s that it started to be seen regularly at surf schools. Now there are SUP races and surf competitions!

Taking a lesson to learn proper technique can really help with your enjoyment of stand-up paddleboarding – allowing you to paddle faster and farther, and maybe start trying to catch some waves. Some outfitters also offer guided tours or excursions around parts of the coast.

 

 

 

Families can take turns giving each other rides around the bay.

 

If you just want to try it out and don’t mind falling in the water, you can rent a paddleboard. You and your family will have lots of laughs as you figure out your balance and paddle each other around the bay. Rentals are also great for experienced SUP paddlers who don’t need a lesson.

Scroll down to learn more about where you can rent paddleboards, take a lesson, or sign up for a guided stand-up paddleboard tour!

 

STAND-UP PADDLEBOARD (SUP) RENTALS, LESSONS AND TOURS

 

Kohala Coast

 

Mauna Lani Beach Club: You can rent stand-up paddleboards from the Sea Adventures Beach Center at the Mauna Lani Beach Club – just a few miles from our homes in Mauna Lani. Located on the calm, sheltered Makaiwa Bay, the Beach Club is a great place to try paddleboarding for the first time or get some practice. You can rent paddleboards for 30 minutes or by-the-hour. Mauna Lani Sea Adventures also offers lessons to introduce you to proper SUP techniques. Learn more about rental and lesson options at the Mauna Lani Sea Adventures website.

 

 

You can rent kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and more at the Beach Hut!

 

Fairmont Orchid: For a great core workout and something a little bit different, try a Floating Yoga Class at the Fairmont Orchid Resort. During this regularly scheduled morning class, a teacher guides you through yoga poses on an anchored stand-up paddleboard in the ocean. For more information about Floating Yoga visit the Fairmont’s fitness webpage.

You can also rent stand-up paddleboards by the hour at the Fairmont Orchid.  Like other beach equipment, such as cabanas, hotel guests get first priority for paddleboard rentals and reservations are recommended. For more information and current rates, see the Fairmont Orchid’s website.

 

Mauna Kea Beach: Paddleboard at our favorite beach on the Big Island! The Mauna Kea Beach Club offers multiple sizes of paddleboards – which have different levels of stability – that you can rent hourly or for the whole day. Additionally, you can take an introductory group lesson for beginners or book private lessons to learn more advanced skills like pivot turns and surfing. The Mauna Kea Beach Club is also unique in offering guided tours where you explore the beautiful Kohala Coast from a paddleboard! For more information about rentals, lessons, and tours at Mauna Kea Beach, visit their website.

 

 

Rent paddleboards at the Mauna Kea Beach Club

 

Anaeho’omalu Bay: Anaeho’omalu Bay (locally called A’Bay) is a large, shallow bay in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area. Located on A’Bay Beach, Hawaii Ocean Sports has a rental hut that offers stand-up paddleboards and other beach toys that you can rent by the hour. During their Aloha Day Specials, however, you can get unlimited use of their SUP boards, kayaks and other beach toys for the day (10 am – 2 pm) – which may be a better deal if you want to paddle for longer or if you also want to try kayaking. You can also book guided SUP excursions and lessons with Hawaii Ocean Sports. For more information about A’Bay beach rentals, tours, and lessons, visit the Hawaii Ocean Sports website.

 

KAILUA-KONA

 

Paddle in Kailua Bay

Kona Boys Beach Shack: The Kona Boys Beach Shack is located on Kailua Bay, right in the heart of Kailua-Kona. They offer paddleboards for rent at great hourly, daily, and weekly rates with a variety of board types and sizes. You can also take lessons here or set out on a tour of the Kona coast. The Kona Boys website also has some great information and resources on stand-up paddling. Visit their SUP webpage for more details on their services and rates.

HYPR NALU Hawai’i: HYPR Nalu Hawaii is a surf and SUP shop in Kona that is renowned for building paddleboards and surf boards.  They offer performance-geared lessons for both beginners and more advanced paddlers. In their beginner stand-up paddleboard lessons, students practice balance on an in-store simulator before they even head out on the water. This allows students to learn how best to move on the board. HYPR Nalu’s more advanced SUP lessons help students develop more efficient movements in turning the paddleboard and beginning to paddle surf. If you want to learn proper techniques for stand-up paddleboarding or paddle surfing, check out HYPR Nalu’s website.

 

Paddle in Kahalu’u Bay

Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea: Located across the street from Kahalu’u Bay – a beautiful bay with popular snorkel and surf spots – Kahalu’u Surf and Sea offers SUP rentals and lessons. Their beginner stand-up paddleboard lessons include beach and water components to teach you how to safely paddle with proper technique. There are group, semi-private, and private lessons, with options to learn more skills when you are ready. Kahalu’u Surf and Sea offers hourly, daily, and weekly rentals for a range of paddleboards – including sturdy beginner boards and more nimble surf models. To learn more about their SUP rentals and lessons, check out Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea’s website.

 

Paddle in Keauhou Bay

Ocean Safaris: Located towards the south end of Kona, Keauhou Bay is a great place to play and explore on stand-up paddleboard. Ocean Safaris offers SUP rentals and beginner lessons in Keauhou Bay. You can rent a paddleboard from them for up to two hours to explore the bay. For more information, visit Ocean Safaris website.


We recommend contacting organisations directly to get the most up to date information about their operations.


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