'SUP yo!

That's not street slang, but the acronymn for Stand-Up Paddleboarding, which is what Justin and I tried for the first time this past Saturday. It was a bit of a muddled affair but we thoroughly enjoyed the water-based activity. Here's how it played out:

We headed out bright and early Saturday morning to Hammerman Beach over at the Gunpowder Falls State Park, about 20 minutes north of Baltimore. The park itself seemed pretty nice but we found the beach area (it's situated right on the Bay) to be lacking compared with Betterton Beach. Yeah, we're biased.

The company we did the SUP lesson and rental was Ultimate Watersports. They offered a good price for an hour-long lesson and hour rental ($40). But we had Mother Nature to contend with, who decided after weeks of dry, hot weather she would rain down hard with impressive thunderstorms. Luckily, there was a a two-hour lull that allowed us to venture forth on the water!

I know, I know, these are low-quality photos! Major fail on my part for not checking that my camera had batteries in it! But as you can see, this marvelous sport involves one paddleboard (like a sufboard but longer and wider) and a long paddle (see how to get started here). You start out kneeling on the board and then push yourself up to a standing position. Yes, it takes balance and we both wiped out (curses that I couldn't get footage of that!). But once you get your "paddle legs," you can enjoy the board moving over the water. I think of it as kayaking on steroids!

Justin was one happy guy on the water. Not only did he take to SUP really quickly, he's already planning multiple water trips in the future. The only drawback was that he decided I needed more tutelage on how to paddle properly (my response: yeah, I do like doing things the hard way!). Ahh, who says romance is dead!

But we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can't wait to try it again. I advise getting some of those water sport shoes as my sneakers worked fine but weighed me down on the board.

Stats
Destination: Hammerman Beach in Middle River, MD
Miles Driven: 80, give or take
Toll Charges: $4 to go through the Baltimore Tunnel twice
Essentials: Swim suit, water shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, towels, change of clothes, lunch, water and waterproof bag for camera, money, etc.

Keep in mind before you go

• Definitely bring your own lunch as there's not a lot in the way of food outlets in the park (there is a pavilion in Hammerman Beach but we didn't explore its offerings).
• SUP is fun and a full-body workout. I could feel my arms, core, and legs working. Plus, if you get tired you can always sit or kneel and paddle.
• This was a great way to learn, but there are many other areas where you could stand up paddleboard. Check around for rentals and quiet waters to try it out.