By: Aideen Sargent
We had an absolutely great evening at HYC with Eoin and his Discover SUP team. It was my first introduction to stand-up paddleboarding, and it was a mix of fun, laughter and enthusiastic competition! Some shore-based activities and safety instructions were undertaken at the start, and then we took to the water. We paddled, kneeling, to the quiet end of the harbour and the fun began. We raced the opposite team, trying to fill up a bucket with water, from a beaker of water, carried on our boards, without falling off! So engrossed were we that we totally forgot about the entertainment we were providing for spectators walking the pier!
Into the water then, to practice the important RNLI "float to live" procedure. Then we tried, amid the laughter, to get back on the boards, which took a bit of practice! Eventually, everyone managed to master the SUP and enjoy the new experience. All was going well until one of my fellow paddlers accidentally nudged my board from behind. Apparently, my face was a picture as I hit the water, totally unexpectedly! But we were soon paddling STANDING UP, back to the Club for a hot shower and some well-deserved refreshments.
Thanks to everyone, who took part in the SUP training for a very entertaining evening, and special thanks go to Eoin, Pat, and Karolina for their encouragement and a fun training course.
A note from Eoin: "Watching the Cruising Group SUP crew progress from jelly legs and shakey boards, to gliding across the water with confidence was just fantastic. They were all on a mission to conquer the water, one wobbly stroke at a time. And even when they took an unexpected dip in the water, they resurfaced with a grin that said, 'I meant to do that!'. They conquered their worries, found their balance, and brought awesome energy to the water. That's what I call SUPing with style!" Check out the gang on Eoin's Discover SUP Instagram page!
If this has encouraged you to take to the water on a SUP with Eoin, you can visit https://discoversup.ie/hyc to sign up for an open session, or contact Susan Kavanagh for information on the next Cruising Group SUP session.
