Last Updated on 24 September 2025 by Colette
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In recent years I’ve observed the growing trend for paddle boarding from a safe distance. I’ve seen friends post pictures of themselves enjoying a sunset paddle, videos of them gliding effortlessly on lakes at sun rise or paddling with their children – I’ve even seen people on instagram doing headstands on their boards. I’ve put off having a go myself because I’m not strong, I’m not flexible and I’m definitely carrying more weight than I would like.
The idea of paddle boarding has always felt daunting rather than peaceful. I was sure I would find paddle-boarding challenging – I worried I wouldn’t be able to get on the board, I worried I wouldn’t be able to stay on the board (I have absolutely no core strength – in fact my core might as well be made of sawdust and feathers). I was certain I wouldn’t be able to stand up. I felt it was better to just not try, to laugh and say, ‘nope that’s not for me’ and to just carry on admiring those glorious sunrise paddles on Instagram.
But then Aqua Planet offered us a board of our own and, knowing in the back of my mind that Dave had said he quite fancied having a go, it seemed that the universe was indeed suggesting that I should get over my fears of what’s below the surface (much better to just not think about it), pop on my wetsuit that I bought from my friend Sally on a whim (see the stars aligning here?) and just have a go.
It has taken me all summer to “have a go” – our SUP arrived after we’d been on holiday to Norfolk and we’ve been insanely busy ever since. This mixed with all sorts of anxiety around the practicalities of going paddle boarding for the first time (Where can I go paddle boarding near me? What should I wear to go paddle boarding? Can I go paddle boarding without lessons? Do I need a licence to go paddle boarding?) meant that I kept putting it off. In the end, Dave and I decided the best option was to take our new paddleboard out while the kids were at school. We could get to know where to go, how to set up our SUP, learn how to self launch and to just generally have a go by ourselves without worrying about being responsible for three kids as well.
On the surface, the middle of September doesn’t necessarily feel like the best time to take up a new water sport however, we figured that as we were going to get wet anyway, the weather didn’t matter all that much. As it turns out, we were chatting to a lovely gentleman at the lake who told us September is actually a really good time to be in the water as it’s the warmest time of year for UK waters – it makes sense really when you think about it – it has had all summer to warm up. We struck lucky with the weather though and, although it was only about 15 degrees when we arrived, the sun was shining so we felt really warm and comfortable – so much so that I was actually quite happy to sit with my feet in the water while Dave was paddling – I realise we might not have quite the same experience in another few weeks!
Ahead of getting our new board out on the water for the first time, we had unpacked everything and inflated the board at home – just to make sure we knew how to set everything up. It’s all super straight forward and everything you need to get going is contained within the box (except buoyancy aids and wetsuits which are of course recommended and also available from Aquaplanet). I do think it’s worth considering a waterproof pouch for your phone – we had bought them but didn’t end up using them as one of us was always sat with our stuff but if we were both going out or you were paddling on your own, having your phone on you would be really important..
The Aauaplanet PACE paddleboard itself simply unfolds and then you pop the valve into the end and pump air into it until the gauge sits within the marked range. We were surprised at just how much more pumping this took after we thought it was firm – that said, it didn’t take especially long and Ben was able to do this quite easily. When you let the air out again, it does go with quite a strong exhalation thanks to the amount of pressure inside the board so keep your face out of the way! You can buy an electric pump for your paddleboard but in all honesty we saw someone using one powered by her car battery and it took longer to inflate her board than when Dave had done ours manually (I’m not sure if this says more about Dave’s strength or the electric pump?).
I don’t know what I had expected but I was surprised but just how solid the paddleboard felt once it was inflated – I guess I was thinking about beach inflatables and dinghies – but had you told me this was a solid board, I’d have totally believed you.
Our first attempt at Stand Up Paddleboarding
When it came to taking our board out for the first time, we inflated it at the water’s edge – this felt easier than inflating it at the car and carrying it down to the lake but I suppose that’s personal choice. The large Aquaplanet carry bag certainly made transporting our kit much easier but there is also a handle in the middle of the board if you wanted to carry it already inflated. I was glad we’d had a practice run at home as I think we were both a little nervous ahead of our first attempt so knowing how to set our kit up ahead of time just gave us a little more confidence.
At the water’s edge it probably took us about ten minutes to have the board inflated and ready to launch. Obviously I made Dave go first as we all knew he was going to be far better at this than me didn’t we?
I must admit I felt super self-conscious so was glad we were able to find a place to launch our SUP where we weren’t really in anyone else’s way – I especially didn’t want to be getting in the way of the people who were swimming as I knew I wouldn’t have full control of my board, and if I’m honest I didn’t really want anyone watching us and judging our efforts!
We were both really surprised to find the water was much warmer than we had anticipated. Before we even attempted to get on the board, we waded out to acclimatise ourselves to the water (so it wouldn’t be so much of a shock if when we fell in) and also to get a feel of how deep the lake was.
You will notice in the photos that neither of us is wearing a PFD (a personal floatation device) – which was a slip up on our part. We had bought one, but then forgot to take it, only realising as we arrived in the lake car park some 40 minutes from home. As a result we were super cautious and tried to stay where we could stand up. Lesson learned and the PFD is now stored with the board so we won’t forget it next time.
My biggest concerns about learning to paddle board were not being able to get on the board, and not being able to stay on the board. I wasn’t at all worried about not being able to stand up as I didn’t plan on trying! All I wanted to achieve from our first go was to be able to get on the paddleboard and bob about a bit. I needed a bit of help to steady myself the first time I got on the board but actually, after a few goes, I was able to get on quite easily – probably helped by being in such shallow water. Next time, I need to spend more time practising getting on the board in slightly deeper water – mainly so that if I fall off, I can get back on! I was really pleased with how quickly I was able to kneel up – and in fact once I’d done this, I found it easier and more comfortable then sitting back on my heels.
Ove the course of the couple of hours that we were on the lake, we both improved significantly and were able to get on the board and paddle quite happily on our knees. We both had a go at getting to our feet – Dave tried to climb onto the board straight to his feet which he did manage after a few attempts but soon fell off when he tried to go anywhere. I tried to get to my feet from my knees – and promptly fell straight in – which gave us (and the couple sat nearby) a good laugh. With some help from Dave, I did manage to stand on the board and remain standing for a few minutes, just concentrating on steadying myself rather than trying to go anywhere. I paddled briefly, but as soon as I tried to turn the board so Dave could take a photo, I was straight back in the water. The standing part of “Stand Up Paddle Boarding” is going to take some practice for both of us.
Getting dressed again after our excursion was quite comical. I had made sure that my clothes were going to be super easy to put on a damp, cold body – trackie bottoms, a base layer and a big hoodie – and Dave basically held my towel up for me while I wriggled out of my wetsuit between the car doors – I was glad I had worn my swimming costume underneath for modesty but even still I was probably more exposed than I would have liked to be in a lakeside car park in mid September . . . I can totally see why people have specialist robes for this purpose and this is definitely something we will look to invest in next.
Once we got our SUP home, we gave it a good hose down with clean water and then allowed it to thoroughly dry before storing it. Although the Aquaplanet PACE paddleboard looked clean after our adventure, this is good practice to protect your paddleboard and also to avoid any bacteria or cross contamination between bodies of water.
All in our first paddle boarding experience was a big success and I’m already planning our next paddle boarding adventure!
So what did we think of our Aquaplanet PACE SUP?
Of course we are total paddleboarding novices – I can’t tell you how good or bad the Aquaplanet Pace SUP is in comparison to other inflatable SUPs as I’ve never so much as touched a SUP before. What I can tell you is that is pitched as being a good “sturdy board for beginners, intermediates & heavier paddleboarders up to 120kg” and that was certainly our experience of it. (Aquaplanet also sell a range of other paddle boards if you have different needs to us!)
As I’ve already mentioned the Aquaplanet PACE Paddleboard is really easy to set up and to deflate – we had no problems doing this at the water’s edge. The generous storage bag means you can keep everything together in one place and it is easy to travel with. We will keep our SUP in the loft as we don’t have a huge amount of space in our garage but the storage bag makes it easy to get up and down the ladders!
The middle of the SUP has a textured surface for kneeling / standing and there are bungees at the front of the board for your “surf sack” (provided with your PACE board) – we didn’t really need the bag this time but it’s handy for your phone / keys / drink bottle if you’re going to be paddling for any length of time or over any distance.
The PACE SUP comes with an ankle leash which you clip to the back of the board and then fasten securely around your ankle with a velcro cuff. I have read that if you are going to be using your SUP in moving water then a quick release waist leash is safer – so this is perhaps something we will invest in at a later date.
The paddle comes in three parts and clicks together easily – the middle section pops into the bottom section with a simple click to keep it in place securely and to pop back out easily when you are done. The final piece is adjustable to ensure your paddle is the perfect length for your height (around 8 inches above) – this can be made longer or shorter and then quickly fastened into place which means it isn’t a massive drama if you are swapping the paddle between people of different heights (like Dave and I who are sharing our new paddleboard).
What next?
I’m already itching to get our Aquaplanet PACE paddleboard out again – and will certainly look to get a licence in the new year to allow us to paddle on rivers / canals. The kids are keen to have a go but we’ve decided we’ll probably hold off taking them until next summer as it seems silly to be investing in wetsuits etc for them now only for them to have outgrown them by next spring. If you’ve got any tips to share for beginners or places you’d recommend us taking our paddle board then I’d love to hear from you.
Read these posts next:
Where to go paddleboarding near Manchester
Check out this post about the best UK campsites for paddle boarding
What to wear when paddling boarding in the winter
Helping my children to find a sport they love
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