SUP in 2022 is going to be exciting. With huge numbers of stand up paddlers entering the sport in the last few years the coming 12 months will see progression and participation like never before. That’s how we see it anyway. But what else? Whilst we don’t own a crystal ball it’s fun to make a few SUP predictions, based on our experience, as we did in 2021. Looking back at the end of this year, to see how many we got right, will be interesting.
It may seem like every man and his dog own a stand up paddle board there are still some who don’t. We know this because McConks is continuing to take orders and receive questions/queries about kit. With SUP now everywhere the sport’s now very visual. Boards on roofs of cars, at the beach, next to your local lake and floating on rivers. Anyone with a passing interest will now be stimulated to make that leap, buy their first SUP set up and get involved.
Stock issues may present problems for brands with continued uptake. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel so hopefully, those orders can be fulfilled and we see newbie SUPers take to the water.
There’s still lots of work to be done as far as SUP safety goes. But there’s also been lots of foundational work put in place to raise awareness.
Paddlers going afloat this coming spring will hopefully have more of an idea of what SUP safety’s about. If not then fingers crossed they’ll know where to go to get that necessary information. If you’re a new paddle boarder then we highly recommend getting a lesson from a professional and qualified SUP coach or school. Trust us when we say it’ll be worth every penny!
If there’s one thing SUP’s great for it’s having an adventure with. Whether that be a mini paddling adventure round the next bend or multi-day excursion off grid. Utilising your SUP for exploring and enjoying the outdoors is one the sport’s beautiful aspects.
Here at McConks we’re big fans of adventure SUP. It doesn’t need to be too taxing or over the top. We love heading off the beaten track a way before stringing a hammock and enjoying a brew. That’s all that’s needed. But if you fancy getting your Bear Grylls on then who are we to stop you?
By SUP racing we’re talking every paddler SUP racing – not elitist events where only the pros stand in the spotlight. Before the pandemic SUP racing events like Head of the Dart and Battle of the Thames attracted all manner of novice stand up paddler. It was as much about the atmosphere and friendly battles on the race course with mates as anything else.
At time of writing, it looks like a calendar of SUP race events is starting to emerge in the UK. And we’re confident plenty of new recruits will fancy taking part.
Whilst McConks is predominantly an inflatable SUP company we also supply a limited range of hard shell stand up paddle boards. As SUPers progress and evolve we can see more equipment upgrades occurring. And a number of paddlers will fancy a hard SUP.
Hard boards do offer different performance to that of their air filled equivalents. This is an attractive trait. Owning both an iSUP and hard board is possibly what will happen as there’s still argument (and practicalities) for inflatables over hard SUPs. Whatever the reasons for upgrading to hard shell SUPs it’s all good for the industry.
We’re looking forward to the new season of SUP here at McConks. What predictions of thoughts do you have for the new SUP season ahead?
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