SUP – Stand up paddle boarding Lessons, tours, hire & wave surfing around Rye town East Sussex & Camber Sands Kent, South East Coast – 1 hour from London
The SUP Centre is located in the beautiful town of Rye in the South East of England and is partnered to The Kitesurf Centre in Camber Sands.
The partnership aims to offers something for everyone, from relaxed river cruises to extreme weekends away and everything in between!
Q. What is Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP)?
A. Stand Up Paddleboarding, abbreviated as SUP, is a new and exciting sport. It is accessible to a wide range of people and a great way to get fit, explore the rivers and surf the ocean.
SUP uses a large stable surf type board with plenty of width and volume. Starting in a standing position a long single ended paddle can be used to propel the board forwards – (see video below).
Many surfers have converted because of the versatility of the new sport.
Why participate?
Not only is stand up paddle boarding great fun but compared to surfing or kitesurfing it is relatively easy, offering as much thrill and adrenaline as you want it to – from relaxed river cruises to big wave surfing.
The great news is stand up paddling doubles up to benefit as a ‘core’ body workout, improves balance and is brilliant for knee or ankle injury rehabilitation – way more fun than physio!!
The SUP Centre uses brand new 2012 Bic, Starboard, Red.Co and Liquid Shredder purpose built products – wide, stable and comfortable for learning and river cruises with more agile boards for wave surfing.
Introductory lesson- 2 hours – £49
- Brief theory & safety covering the sea / river, weather & local sites
- SUP equipment
- Stance and Balance
- Paddling styles
- Paddle strokes & techniques
- Board control & steering
- Paddle and board stability
Once you have learnt the SUP basics you can progress onto the river tours or wave surfing lesson:
Wave Surfing lesson – 2 hours – £49
The huge benefit of stand up paddle surfing over regular surfing is that much smaller less steep waves are catchable before they break, and as the boards are much more stable it is easier to pick up. Additionally, as you start in a standing position, there is no popping up onto the SUP, while the paddle can be used for extra stability and drive on the wave.
Camber offers some amazing conditions for stand up paddle surfing with both small and big waves.
Learn to read the waves and how to catch them with more advanced paddle board techniques, different stances and weight distribution to ride the surf.
River tour – 2 hours – £49
Trips around the lovely rivers of the East Sussex countryside. Paddle serenely through the town of Rye and nearby villages, a fantastic way to see the abundant wildlife in this area of the UK.
River adventure – 5 hours – £99
Day excursion along one of the many beautiful rivers around the Rye area. The day will consist of around 2 hours paddling with a lunch break followed by another 2 hours on the stand up paddle boards. We usually tour local sites of interest such as castles, harbours & docks.
Hire – £15 per hour or £45 for the day
All the equipment included: board, paddle, wetsuit and buoyancy aid
Stand up paddle surfing has opened up a whole new range of conditions and opportunities at Camber and the surrounding area, whereas before we were only on the beach when it was windy and low tide for kitesurfing, SUP works best when its light wind and during high tide. Both sports allow fun on the beach whatever the weather or tide, perfect! We’ve also found that Camber can produce some fantastic waves due to the numerous sand banks – keep an eye on our facebook page and twitter for regular wind and surf updates to make sure you don’t miss the perfect day!
Photos of us stand up paddle boarding at Camber Sands in one of many sessions in October 2011: (taken by maxsurf.co.uk) 
This video perfectly illustrates the range of conditions and disciplines that are involved in stand up paddle boarding from gentle flat water cruising to racing and waves, it is a versatile sport for anyone!
