Stand Up Paddle Surfing, or SUP, is a heated topic to bring up within the surf world. Many see it as a way to get back to the roots of surfing and utilize waves that can’t be ridden with anything else. Others see it as a disruption and danger in the water. Personally, we feel that there’s a place, a time, and a rider for stand up paddling meaning that stand up is a great way to experience surfing depending on where, when and who.
Here are the times we feel stand up surfing in Maui is acceptable and sometimes advantageous:
WHEN – there’s tiny waves that can’t be ridden any other way or just to cruise around and look at the reef while getting exercise and talking story.- WHERE – the waves are small and/or slopey, slower waves.
- WHO – By those that are just learning or looking for exercise in calm waters. OR by those that have a lot of experience and can safely surf with others. We don’t mind having stand up paddlers surfing at even the heaviest, biggest breaks so long as they know what they’re doing and are conscientious of others.
The problems only really come when you have inexperienced stand up surfers losing their huge boards in big waves around crowds. People get hurt. OR when stand up surfers catch every wave from the outside without sharing. It’s obnoxious to see surfers drop in again and again without acknowledging the line-up.
