About ASI SUP Wise

ASI SUP Wise presents comprehensive guidelines and techniques for safe and effective stand-up paddling (SUP), developed to international standards. These modular courses cover diverse topics to enhance your skills and ensure on-water safety.

Location / Environment Specific Guidelines

Recognizing the unique hazards and requirements of various environments, from enclosed flat waters to exposed coastal areas, SUP surfing and downwinding, the courses identify location-specific skills and guidelines.

Correct Paddle Stroke is Key to Safe Paddling

Mastering the correct paddle stroke is essential for efficient paddling over long distances without fatigue, maintaining balance to reduce falls and injuries, and controlling the board for sudden stops, effective navigation, and using speed to avoid hazards. Moreover, correct technique minimizes muscle strain.

Levels of Ability Defined by Paddle Stroke

ASI SUP Wise offers three distinct paddle stroke skill levels in flat water settings:

  • Basic level:   Confident with basic skills, achieving 30 strokes per minute.

  • Foundation level:  Moderate paddler, improved technique with a speed of 40 strokes per minute.     

  • Technical level:  Strong paddler, achieve technical perfection and paddle strength with 50 strokes per minute.

This modular approach ensures smooth progression of skills and abilities, enabling effortless paddling along waterways.

Other SUP disciplines, such as SUP Surfing and Downwinding, also benefit from effective paddle strokes for safety and maneuvering.

Flexible Delivery Formats / Study Options

SUP Wise offers flexible delivery formats to suit your schedule and goals, whether for recreational paddling or the first steps to becoming an instructor.

  • The “SUP Wise Activ” course introduces guidelines and techniques through practical sessions with three modules.

  • The “SUP Wise Certificate Course” delivers in-depth skills over 10 hours of on-water and theory sessions.

  • For extensive learning, the “SUP Wise Intensiv Course” provides online videos, practice techniques, and feedback, leading to the “ASI SUP Paddlers Card”, a new standard in SUP skills and safety and used to rent SUP boards.

Extensive Resources

SUP Wise learning resources are also available to enhance your learning. Includes booklets, online with videos and photos.

The Journey Begins
Beginner or advanced, ASI SUP Wise equips you with the knowledge and confidence to paddle safely.

Book SUP Wise programs with ASI Accredited SUP Schools or ASI direct.

ASI identifies skills and guidelines by location, recognising that each has unique hazards, safety, and technique requirements.

Find out more about the skills, knowledge and techniques for each location type:

Correct paddle stroke allows you to paddle efficiently to cover longer distances without tiring, maintain balance and stability to reduce falls and injuries, and control your board for sudden stops, effective navigation away from dangers, and using speed and power to get away from hazards.

ASI has established three distinct skill levels for paddle strokes in enclosed flat water settings, catering to everyone from new paddlers to those with technically precise techniques.

Basic Level: Can paddle safely and perform basic SUP skills and techniques, with relative ease, and with a degree of consistency but not technically correct in many areas.
Demonstrates correct position and posture, balanced and confident.  Have paddle control basics and able to paddle in relatively straight line, with some hinging and reach, driving down with top hand to achieve some power and speed, at 30 paddle strokes per minute.

Foundation Level: (Moderate Paddler) Can paddle safely and perform key SUP skills and techniques, with relative ease, has a degree of consistency but may not be technically correct in a few areas.  Demonstrates correct position and posture, balanced and confident, with good paddle control,  paddles in a straight line, with some hinging and reach, vertical paddle entry, driving down with top hand to achieve moderate power and speed, at 40 paddle strokes per minute.
(SUP Instructor minimum level)

Technical Level (Strong Paddler): Can paddle safely and perform key SUP skills and techniques, with relative ease, with consistency and technically correct in all areas. 
A strong paddler, achieving 50 paddle strokes per minute.
(SUP Technical Coach minimum level)

Different delivery formats are available to match your schedule and goals, whether you aim to become an instructor or paddle recreationally.

SUP Wise Activ : Take your first step in learning SUP with fun, practical on-water sessions designed to introduce you to SUP guidelines and techniques and help progress your skills.
Choose from 3 modules: Starter, Improver, Cruiser.  Flexible options to join one or all three.
Logbook available.
Participation course. No formal assessment.
Book with an ASI accredited SUP School.

SUP Wise Certificate Course : Gain more confidence and self-sufficiency with in-depth SUP skills certificate course.  10 hours (5 sessions of 1-2 hours each) of on-water and theory.
Logbook and certificate available. Also ideal for school sports.
Participation course. No formal assessment.
Book with an ASI accredited SUP School.

SUP Wise Intensiv Course: An extensive online SUP course to boost your confidence and self-sufficiency. Watch in-depth videos, practice correct techniques, and get feedback on your own paddle video. Enjoy 12 months access.
This course is a pre-requisite for SUP Instructors.
Competency based course, with formal assessment.  
Certificate and ASI SUP Paddlers Card issued on demonstrating competency.
Book through ASI.

ASI SUP Paddlers Card:   Upon demonstrating competency in the ASI SUP Wise Intensiv course, earn the ASI SUP Paddlers Card. This card sets a new standard for SUP skills and safety, and allows you to rent SUP boards, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience.

SUP Wise Intensiv for Instructors :  Is for trainees enrolled in the ASI Level 1 SUP Instructor Course. It combines the SUP Wise Intensiv online course with a workshop session. Not a coaching course, it reviews ASI guidelines, techniques, and skills that are a pre-requisite for the ASI Level 1 SUP Instructor course. Participants need at least 100 hours of paddling experience to enrol. 
Book through ASI.

SUP Wise Logbooks

  • Easy to carry small size booklet.   A5 size (21 x 14.8 cm) (8.3 x 5.8 inches)

  • Full colour

  • Lists key knowledge points for safe and effective paddling

  • Logbook pages to record your paddling experiences

  • Can be signed by ASI SUP Instructor

  • Ideal for: all ages. Adults, teens, kids

ASI SUP Wise Logbook


SUP Wise Student Workbooks

  • A4 size format (29.7 x 21.0cm)  (11.7 x 8.3 inches)

  • A range of theory applications including questions, projects and internet research

  • Broken into sections to make progression easy

  • ASI SUP Instructor sign off as student progresses through the course

  • Ideal for: 9 years and over.  Kids camps, school sports, community groups, recreational learners

ASI SUP Wise Student Workbook


Online Learning

Uses the ASI e-learning platform, easy access, videos, record your progress, upload your own paddle stroke video for analysis and feedback.
Available for SUP Wise Intensiv courses only. 

ASI Online Learning