Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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GUIDE play Get a free demonstration when you purchase a paddleboard at Charles River Canoe & Kayak. get on board TOUR LOCAL HARBORS, BAYS, AND RIVERS WITH STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING. BY JAMIE EMMERMAN The first business on Cape Cod to specialize in stand-up paddleboarding, Adventure Chatham offers private and group lessons, paddleboarding yoga classes, and free demos. Try out Wednesday Night Paddles during the summer, and if you rent a board equipped with a GoPro video camera, you can film while you explore the barrier beaches and the lighthouse off Stage Harbor. 1150 Queen Anne Road, East Harwich, 800-809-1750; adventurechatham.com Charles River Canoe & Kayak This nearly 40-year veteran of local water sports offers free paddleboarding demonstrations if you purchase a board at its Newton boathouse. A 90-minute introductory stand-up paddleboarding class is available for $59; you can also take intermediate lessons or get private instruction. 2401 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, 617-965-5110; paddleboston.com Eastern Mountain Sports Schools The EMS paddleboarding program includes instruction, exploration, and fitness. Head to Hingham Harbor to learn the basics, or take a relaxing tour of the coast. For a more intensive experience, try SUP Fitness, with nationally certified instructors leading you through paddle sprints and stretch exercises, or 132 an SUP tour, using the wind to cover eight miles of open water. 5 Otis St., Hingham, 800-3104504; emsexploration.com Summer Sessions Surf Shop For 11 years, this family-owned business has been the primary stand-up paddleboarding operation on the New Hampshire coast. While on the water, paddleboarders will see historic harbors, marshland, and tidal reserves. Or paddle past rocky points with gorgeous homes for a view of the Isle of Shoals. Boards, paddles, and wet suits are free for surfers enrolled in lessons. 2281 Ocean Blvd., Rye, NH, 603319-8207; newhampshiresurf.com Sea Sports Meet fellow paddleboarding enthusiasts at Hamblin's Pond in Marstons Mill. Small group classes are open to the public, with no more than four students per instructor. Enjoy the serene setting while learning the basic skills you'll need to take a board out on your own. Sea Sports offers top-of-the-line equipment for rental or purchase, and for $55 you can have a board for 24 hours. 195-D Ridgewood Ave., Hyannis, 508-790-1217; capecodseasports.com Stand Up & Paddle Cape Cod Discover Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Sound from this paddleboarding shop, open to adventurers from ages 3 to 83. Owner Amy Hotchkiss encourages anyone curious about the sport to get on the water. Stop on a secluded beach for a swim, or take a guided Full Moon tour on the shop's sturdy 32-inch boards. 15 West Bay Road, Ste. H, Osterville, 508-331-0798; standupandpaddlecapecod.com PADDLE UP Tyler McGill, co-owner of Summer Sessions Surf Shop, helps boarders find balance on and off the water. Surfari Stand Up Paddle & Surf Drive 30 minutes north of Boston and paddleboard the striking coastline of Cape Ann. The instructors here have taught SUP for seven years, and the shop has the largest selection of boards, paddles, and accessories in the Boston area. Surfari offers private and group lessons, tours, and rentals, plus an after-school program for kids. 26 Central St., Manchester, 978-704-9051; standuppaddlesurfari.com Wind's Up! The go-to spot for water sports on Martha's Vineyard, Wind's Up! offers group instruction for two to five people on Lagoon Pond, starting in June. If you prefer self-instruction, all board rentals include a short primer. From large displacement boards for flat-water racing or downwind runs to short boards for maneuvering waves, Wind's Up! has equipment to suit any boarder. 199 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-4252; windsupmv.com BC Why is stand-up paddleboarding so inclusive? It can be as strenuous or relaxing as you want it to be. You can surf waves or tour on flat water. And you can have one board that everyone in the family can use. Tell us more about SUP yoga classes. It takes all the elements of yoga and transfers them to the water. Practicing yoga on a board really emphasizes the balance and core strength that is central to the art of yoga. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL E. SMITH (CHARLES RIVER); OLEG TOVKACH (OCEAN PADDLEBOARDER) Adventure Chatham Paddleboarding can be as strenuous or relaxing as you want. BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 132_BC_G_Play_LATESPRING_13.indd 132 4/10/13 12:05 PM