Frequently Asked Questions
We’re more than happy to answer all of your SUP lesson questions. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, feel free to contact us.
Expectations
Our two-hour lesson will give you the basic guidance you need to safely SUP. We’ll show you how to:
- Properly stand on your board
- Place your feet for optimal stability
- Perform basic paddle strokes to control the direction of your board
You’ll also learn the basics about currents, wind and safety, along with a little local history and suggestions for local paddle boarding spots.
Since 95% of the instruction is held on the water, you’ll have plenty of time to get comfortable on your board and practice your technique.
Aside from learning SUP basics, our lessons also give you the chance to enjoy your natural surroundings in a new way. The bay is teeming with marine life not always visible from the shore. It’s not uncommon to see Bald Eagles circling above, harbor seals, jumping salmon, and handfuls of starfish. We’ve even had gray whale and octopus sightings.
Most people are surprised at how fast it takes them to stand and maneuver on their boards. Within the first 15 minutes of our excursions, 95% of participants are standing and paddling. In fact, we usually tell people that if they don’t fall in within the first 30 minutes of class, they probably won’t fall in at all. But its okay if you do. And, its also okay if it takes you a little longer to build up the courage to go from kneeling on your board to standing. The idea is to have fun and do whats most comfortable for you.
Stand up paddle boarding can be as leisurely or strenuous as you want to make it. In fact, the beauty of SUP is that it is so incredibly versatile and accommodating to all levels of fitness. As long as you can kneel, stand, and paddle, you should be able to make SUP work for you. Our excursions are all about making your time on the water enjoyable as possible. That means that there’s no pressure to do anything that isnt comfortable for you.
Basics
Our SUP lessons book up fast, so it’s best to schedule as soon as you can.
It is imperative that you arrive for your class on time. Once we’ve headed out for a lesson, we can’t leave a group unattended on the beach or in the water in order to help late arrivals get suited up and matched with a proper board. If you think you may be 5 minutes late, please call us at 206.726.7878 and we will do what we can to accommodate you.
We provide boards, wetsuits and booties for those who don’t have them so all you need to bring is yourself and a change of clothes.
We provide wetsuits and booties for those who don’t have them, but if you have your own, please bring them along to wear. Everyone needs to arrive wearing swimwear or board shorts and water shoes, if you own a pair. Hats and sunglasses are optional; sunscreen shouldn’t be.
You do not need to know how to swim in order to join one of our excursions, but you must tell us ahead of time so we can outfit you with a life jacket before hitting the water.
We are more than happy to take children on our SUP excursions, but please call us so that we can prepare in advance. We like to have a stronger instructor-to-student ratio when kids are along, so everyone gets plenty of personalized attention.
With a little advance notice, we can provide private lessons and private group excursions. Please contact us to discuss your needs.
If there are spaces available, you’re welcome to park in the lot that we share with Paseo Restaurant. When the lot is full, there is plenty of nearby street parking. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE ELKS PARKING LOT. VIOLATORS WILL BE TICKETED AND/OR TOWED.
Our group excursions max out at 12 people per outing.
You are more than welcome to bring along a camera on your outing but please be aware that there is no guarantee that it will stay out of the water. Surf Ballard is not responsible for lost or damaged personal items.
Operations
Please notify us at least 24-hours before your lesson if you must cancel. We are more than happy to refund your money or reschedule you. To cancel your class, please do the following:
- Send us an email (surfballard@gmail.com) telling us the day and time of the class you wish to cancel and if you need a refund instead of rescheduling your class.
- If you would like to reschedule your lesson, please send us a few times that work for you in your email. We will try as hard as we can to accommodate you.
We accept everything that PayPal accepts credit, debit and electronic funds transfer and we accept cash.
This being the PNW, a little rain wont stop us from holding lessons. Plus, wetsuits make the rain very tolerable. Should the weather be bad enough to cancel, we’ll call you using the phone number provided during registration at least an hour prior to your lesson.