Kneel, push, stand and start surfing, or rather, paddling! Yup, we’re paddling over a surfboard in Paoay!

Stand Up Paddle Boarding is really not a new sport though. It’s an ancient form of surfing that originates from the surfing capital of the world, Hawaii. Called Hoe he'e nalu in Hawaiian, the sport emerged once more as surfing instructors started practicing it in order to better supervise their students.
The sport is much easier to learn than surfing as it really does not require one to ride a wave. Paddling Boarding can easily be done on placid waters, with a rider easily mastering the board in an hour or so. It is interesting to note that women have the advantage over this sport as they have a lower center of gravity than men.

Don’t be deceived though, the sport’s not only for calm waters but it can also be performed on huge waves. Its advantage over traditional surfing methods is that a surfer can paddle farther to catch stronger waves.
Paoay Lake in Ilocos Norte is perfect for an introductory class for paddle boarding; waves here are practically non-existent and the water’s very serene. The only factor that made it hard for the participants was the steadily blowing wind which was threatening to push the paddlers in the middle of the lake.

Although the water is pretty deep, non-swimmers need not worry as everyone has been provided with a lifevest.
The sport’s easy learning curve can be seen by the number of persons that fell in the lake. Out of all those who tried the board, only one got royally dunked on Paoay Lake. Most if not all wanted another round of paddling around the lake but we were again running out of time.
This sport’s like kayaking but it’s not, it’s almost surfing but no, it’s not; Stand Up Paddle Boarding’s a new old way to enjoy the water this summer with a surfboard, waves or no waves.

    Paoay Lake
    Barangay Suba, Paoay
    Ilocos Norte
    GPS Coordinates: 18.121096,120.537701 | Click to view location on Google Maps