Blog | PaddleXaminer

Jan 7, 2020
2 min

Whitewater SUPing: Lessons Learned

I was first introduced to standup paddling (SUP) in 2012 in Marina Del Rey, California. I rented a board from a local shop and went out on the water with my brother. It was a lot of fun and a great workout! I had just started training for my first marathon so that took up most of free time, but supping was never far from my mind. Living in Colorado we don’t have the ocean to paddle on but there are plenty of lakes and rivers. That got me thinking about whitewater paddling. I

Hala Gear Rolls Out 2019 Inflatable SUP Lineup

Matt Chebatoris

May 22, 2019
2 min

Hala Gear Rolls Out 2019 Inflatable SUP Lineup

Featuring 18 Redesigned Boards that Tell Hala’s Story Hala Gear, the leader in performance inflatable standup paddleboards, is proud to announce the launch of their 2019 SUP lineup. This collection of eighteen boards has been segmented into four series: Carbon, Rival, River, and Surf. Each series has a brand-new graphic set, which helps categorize the board’s intended uses and construction types. Hala’s 2019 boards incorporate more artistic lines, with the intention of commun

What’s Driving the Large Presence of BIC on the East Coast?

Matt Chebatoris

Feb 10, 2019
3 min

What’s Driving the Large Presence of BIC on the East Coast?

UBICquity If you paddle on the East Coast and pay attention to people’s standup paddleboards, you’ll notice something pretty quickly. The BIC brand is everywhere. Rental fleets use them. If a sporting goods store is selling boards, it’s usually a BIC. It’s the most popular brand for casual paddlers, by far. Heck, even LL Bean and REI have their own branded versions of BIC boards. These boards are “ubiquitous”. (You see what I did there?) As a paddler who’s always been interes

What Else Can You do With Your Paddleboard?

Matt Chebatoris

Jan 3, 2019
4 min

What Else Can You do With Your Paddleboard?

Some things you might have thought to do with your paddleboard What can I do with my paddleboard? Most of us know the answer to that question. I paddle for the workout or to surf or explore. Those are great, but you can do other things with your paddleboard that might add a whole new dimension to your sport and if you are new to paddleboarding, where you can you find the best Paddle Board Reviews to help you find the right board for you. Paddleboards make great observation ve

Top Five Reasons You Should Attend the Panhandle Paddle Classic

Matt Chebatoris

Oct 31, 2018
3 min

Top Five Reasons You Should Attend the Panhandle Paddle Classic

Panhandle Paddle Classic in Destin, Florida is a destination race GUSU Paddle and Surf is proud to bring back the Panhandle Paddle Classic! This is going to be an epic three day event that you don’t want to miss at one of the best location resorts in all of Destin, Florida: Jetty East Condominiums, with discounted rates for all paddlers and their families! There will be a selection of paddle clinics, numerous vendor booths, and best of all, everything is on location! The Panh

Local Talent Shines at 2018 Pacific Paddle Games

Matt Chebatoris

Oct 8, 2018
4 min

Local Talent Shines at 2018 Pacific Paddle Games

The world’s top standup and prone paddlers battled it out over the weekend at California’s Doheny State Beach Local knowledge. It can mean the difference between success and failure. A good time and a bad time. Winning and losing. For a number of the world’s top standup paddlers competing at the 4th annual Pacific Paddle Games at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point California over the weekend, local knowledge gained over countless hours spent training in the ocean off Doheny (Do

Matt Chebatoris

Oct 1, 2018
4 min

Four Days on the Hudson – Day Three

But I thought we were done! Not only didn’t I sleep well, I woke up kind of a mess. Yesterday had been so grueling — I didn’t think I could face any more of that combined wind and tide. So, to make sure we got some miles in, Jim and I left early with the morning tide. We were meeting Dan a couple of miles downriver at Kingston Point Beach. It turned out the beach was a bit more than a couple of miles, (My bad!), but eventually we spotted his kayak. Two were now three, and Dan

The SUP Hipster: Make Carrying Your SUP Easy

Matt Chebatoris

Sep 19, 2018
3 min

The SUP Hipster: Make Carrying Your SUP Easy

A simple and effective way to schlep your SUP I was extremely skeptical, bordering on resistant when I first saw the SUP Hipster online. Had it not been a trusted friend who made the introduction, I would have likely rejected the review opportunity outright. Heck, I wasn’t even sure if I had a board that would be relevant to use with the SUP Hipster at first. I own an Infinity Downtown, a New Deal, and a pair of inflatables from Hala. The perfect quiver for my standup paddlin

Dugout vs Flat Deck SUPs: What’s the Difference?

Matt Chebatoris

Sep 18, 2018
2 min

Dugout vs Flat Deck SUPs: What’s the Difference?

Hi PaddleXaminer, I’m starting to look at new boards and the dugout shape caught my eye. any shot you will write an article about the pros & cons of each board type? It’d be great to read about the differences. Thanks, Eric Great question! The number of dugout standup paddleboards is on the rise presenting paddlers with some interesting options. Dugout shapes are all about lowering your center of gravity to increase stability. This is why many SUPs with a dugout shape are d

Four Days on the Hudson – Day Two: Shackleton!

Matt Chebatoris

Sep 18, 2018
4 min

Four Days on the Hudson – Day Two: Shackleton!

Jim and I awoke to a sunrise over the Hudson’s eastern shore. There was a looming sense that people didn’t interrupt much up here. Sure the freighters passed close by, but this side of our island was a refuge, a pocket of wilderness. There was a stillness that I’d never experienced on the river. We made breakfast listening to the last of the crickets, then set off. Our first goal was water. We were almost out. The town of Athens was a few miles south, so we packed up and laun

Four Days on the Hudson: Paddling from Albany to Peekskill, New York

Matt Chebatoris

Sep 6, 2018
4 min

Four Days on the Hudson: Paddling from Albany to Peekskill, New York

Day 1: Could it be this easy? “You’re crazy,” my wife Kirsten said. And she was probably right. Four days on the river, paddling from Albany to my home of Peekskill, was a nutty idea. Especially four days standing on a paddleboard! My friends Jim, Dan and I came up with the idea to promote our paddling and environmental nonprofit Hudson Valley H2O or simply HVH2O. People tend to avoid the Hudson River because it was polluted for so long, but we wanted to do something to show

Whitewater paddling: Testing the Red Paddle Co. Wild

Matt Chebatoris

Aug 29, 2018
2 min

Whitewater paddling: Testing the Red Paddle Co. Wild

SUP Review: Red Paddle Co. Wild white water SUP I met up with Jordan Curet who represents Red Paddle Co (Red) in the US, on Friday August 18 for a demo of the Wild MSL board. We planned to paddle a four-mile stretch of the Colorado River outside of Kremmling, CO. The Wild is specifically designed for white water paddling and I was excited to try out the board. My previous experience on white-water has been on an all-around board which functions fine in the white-water, but I

Matt Chebatoris

Aug 21, 2018
3 min

What to Look For in a Whitewater SUP

Choosing a SUP for whitewater paddling can be confusing. Sure, you’ve probably heard that inflatable SUPs are the way to go, but there are still a lot of options. Are all inflatables suitable for paddling in whitewater? The short answer, no. Stability Stability is an important factor in all aspects of standup paddling (SUP), but the balance element really comes into play when stepping onto moving water. A sub 30 inch SUP may glide through the flats, but if you are paddling wh

Advice on Transitioning to a New Paddle Craft

Matt Chebatoris

Jul 10, 2018
2 min

Advice on Transitioning to a New Paddle Craft

Transitioning from SUP to Other Paddle Craft Hi PaddleXaminer! I love your site and the expanded coverage of other paddling disciplines got me considering trying something new. I’ve been standup paddling for a few years and have gradually stepped down from my 30 inch beginner board to a 25 inch Infinity for fitness training and touring. Question: Do OC-1s and surfskis come in different widths to accommodate a range of skill levels like SUPs do? Thanks for your time! Zach from

Matt Chebatoris

Mar 14, 2016
2 min

What is the Broad Appeal of SUP?

The SUP Community The question is simple enough. Why do people stand up paddle? The answers to the question are as diverse as the day is long. Some do it for the fitness benefits. Others gravitate towards racing and frequent any number of events now held around the world on any given weekend. SUP is fun, easy to pick up and it can be a great entry-level activity to introduce people to the wonderful world of paddlesports. One can stand up paddle on any body of water, in any cl

Matt Chebatoris

Dec 10, 2015
3 min

How to Choose Your First SUP

Choosing a SUP There are a number of options facing consumers interested in purchasing their first SUP. The list of brands is seemingly limitless and the range of uses for a stand up paddleboard span the gamut from surfing to touring and everything in between. Before making a purchase, buyers should have a general understanding of how they intend to use a board. How a paddler will use a board is essentially dictated by the type of conditions where they will be paddling on a

Matt Chebatoris

Dec 2, 2014
2 min

How to Shorten your SUP Paddle

Is your SUP paddle to long? Changing your paddle’s length does not require you to purchase a new stand up paddle. As Quickblade Paddles founder Jim Terrell demonstrates in the accompanying video, modifying your paddle’s length can be done at home or by a trained staff member at your local SUP shop. Many élite SUP racers have begun shortening the length of their paddles. The advantage in doing so is to increase the amount of torque during their stroke – particularly when pa

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