Walking on water is no longer limited to the divine. In Naples, Florida you can walk on water too – sort of. This can be achieved through the help of a paddle board. This neat board can take you to places your bare feet cannot. With the aid of a trusty paddle, you can immerse yourself in the gorgeous waters of the Paradise Coast. It’s very fun and easy to learn and get you closer to the birds and marine life and see the coast from a perspective that someone who’s just on the beach would not normally have. Paddleboarding is a fun activity for the whole family and even for your pet dog too.
People have been enjoying standing on a platform and paddling their way forward using a paddle or a pole for almost 3000 years. People have been doing this way longer than Pyramids of Giza were around. And paddleboarding was not just enjoyed by a certain culture, instead, we find historical records of paddleboarding or a variation of it in cultures like in Italy, Peru and China. However, it was in the late 1700’s when the European explorers encountered this for the first time. This was in the New Zealand where Captain James Cook and his crew observed that natives in the island practiced what we recognize today as paddleboarding. Since then, this water sport was barely mentioned again until the 1900’s when a few popularizers caught on with this age-old practice and reintroduced it to the western audience. And in the 1980’s and the early 2000’s, paddleboarding garnered a huge traction because of a few notable individuals who really took their time to learn and teach the sport to everybody in the coasts of the US, particularly in California, where people enjoy coastal activities like surfing.
This activity has long since been on the beaches of Naples, Florida with paddlers taking advantage of the clear and calm waters of the beaches in lagoons and waterways where the mangrove trees are and, of course, in beaches during fine weather. And this is one of those skills that are easy to pick up but difficult to master. A champion paddler can run a 20-mile course with ease.
However, for beginners, it’s important to learn the basics. This is done by first selecting the best paddle to use. The best paddle is the one that’s the right length for you. Most modern paddles are adjustable and a perfect paddle length should have the top end reach over your head and if you put your hand on the very top you would want a slightly bent arm. Next, is getting on the board. To do this, you must get on on both knees with the paddle just in front of you and is laid down across the board; this is so that the paddle acts as a balancing tool because the water can naturally be unsteady. And you slowly get up on your feet (and this is the tricky part that needs a lot of practice) and then take the paddle, dip the paddle end into the water and position the handle to be tilted slightly forward, away from you; then, row away gently. Take at least 5 to 7 rows before switching to another side. And that’s it. You’re good to go. Happy paddling!
