First seen in Hawaii, SUP boards have exploded in popularity. This freshly rediscovered sport has the paddler standing on a long surfboard, propelled by an extra-long paddle. SUPs have caught on in numbers that are more than simply faddish. Why? It is as close as you can get to walking on water. The increased visibility of the standing position changes your entire perspective on your local waters. And unlike surfing, anyone can do it! While some enter races and venture into the ocean, most use their boards to explore bays, rivers, and quiet waterways all over the world.

In this one-week class, you will build either a 12-1/2-foot or 14-foot Kaholo paddleboard. It took more than five years for the team at Chesapeake Light Craft to develop the Kaholo designs, boards with that rare quality of being fast enough to race but stable enough for first-timers. Tracking is great and a narrow nose with kayak-derived shaping lifts the Kaholos up and over waves.