Tips For an Active Paddle Boarding Winter - With Kempen SUP

The long winter months are traditionally a time when Stand up paddle skills can begin to wane. The combination of shorter days and falling temperatures paving the way to an inactive winter for many SUP enthusiasts.

By the time the burnt orange of autumn is lost to winter’s chill march, for many, the noble art of paddle boarding goes into a deep hibernation not to rear its head until the warmth of spring once again blankets the land.

The thought of venturing out on those crisp darker days where every breath cuts the air and passing folk marvel in disbelief that some lunatic is actually going to paddle out, is not for the faint of heart.

But whatever the pre-requisites to hitting a cold-water winter’s session, the alternative seems to be to simply hang up the paddle and sit out the chill in the warmth of your favourite slippers and the waft of hot chocolate-infused steam. I mean, it sounds quite pleasant.

However, whilst sitting out may indeed keep your temperature balmy, it can only see your skills on the water drop like the mercury in the thermometer. Repetition is a key part of sporting acumen. Every plunge of the paddle and every tight turn on the board sharpens the pathways between neurons in the brain. Things gradually become easier until they eventually become second nature. Repetition sows the seeds of long-term SUP ability. Whereas winter, on the other hand, is the spanner in repetition’s works.

But it doesn’t have to be so. We talked to some of ASI’s master technicians in the art of staying in tune when the idea of hitting the water seems like one icy step too far.

In part one we welcome SUP instructor and competitor, Nathalie Van Olmen from Belgium based, ASI accredited school, Kempen SUP.

Nathalie is no stranger to the icy grip of winter and how it can alter the SUP session from those typically seen during the warmer months.

But at Kempen SUP, they are prepared. Rather than taking the session to the warmth of land, they take the warmth of friendship to the session.

‘Meet your supfriends and make it cosy,’ Nathalie begins, ‘During the winter months we still go paddling with our whole sup club every Sunday morning. Kids, advanced suppers, semi-advanced suppers, all together.

‘Our focus during these months is to enjoy nature and have a chat with our supfriends.  Practicing our pivot-turns is less important now. After paddling we treat ourselves with warm soup.’

Perhaps then, the first tool to combat the cold is to simply have a group of like-minded paddlers all battling the same conditions, as one supportive group?

However, as Nathalie points out, life is not always that cosy and wearing the right gear is an absolute must.

She continues, ‘Wear the thicker neoprene just in case you fall in the water. We prefer a “long john” or “long jane”. Our feet also need thicker neoprene shoes of at least 5mm.’

To read a little more about what to wear and when to wear it whilst out on your SUP, check out this ASI article.

And once the correct gear is in place, Nathalie considers the motivational power of social media to be a powerful tool in keeping people active and supping through winter. With maybe a dash of friendly competition to add some seasonal spice.

‘Share your sup trips and pics on Facebook groups or to your supfriends. You can motivate your friends to paddle more kilometers or to paddle faster. Sharing your pics can motivate other suppers to explore the place you have visited.

‘Also, small, fun competitions are good motivators, like “The paddler who paddles the most kilometers this month wins a waterbag”. During Covid19 we found this was the best way to motivate our sup members to paddle on their own when we couldn’t meet each other in a group. In winter this can also work as a way to motivate suppers to paddle more!’

This sounds great! Fun, motivational ideas that inspire club members to brave the harsh conditions and embrace year-round paddling as a viable option. But behind the fun and games, a more critical element is lurking. Nathalie highlighted the importance of being a year-round supper and the impact this can have on your ability. Here’s that repetition thing again.

‘Just keep paddling,’ she tells us, ‘It doesn’t matter if you paddle slow or fast. We notice a huge difference between suppers who paddle a whole year long and those who don’t. They know their SUP board much better and are generally more confident on the water.’

Finally, Nathalie discussed the option of also dipping into other sports and setting a training schedule. Suggesting, as daylight fades and time on the water is reduced, fitness levels and flexibility can still be trained in other ways.

‘For us, as sup trainers, but also for paddlers with goals, we believe it’s important to spend some time in the gym during the winter for the core and balance exercises. And maintain your condition with other sports, such as running.

‘For some suppers it can be an extra motivation to have your own personal sup-schedule. Just ask your sup trainer!’

And with that, Nathalie is away to prep for her own particular brand of Kempen SUP winter.