How hard is stand-up paddleboarding for a beginner?
On a wide, stable board and flat, sheltered water, most beginners are kneeling within minutes and standing within a session, wobbling a lot and falling in a bit. The real difficulty is not balance but wind: avoid offshore wind, which can carry you away from the shore. Wear a buoyancy aid, use a leash suited to the water, tell someone your plans, and take a lesson if you can.
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Stand-up paddleboarding looks like walking on water: serene people gliding across a glassy lake at sunrise. The first ten minutes are usually less serene. But it is one of the friendlier water sports to start, and the wobbly phase passes faster than most people expect, provided you choose the right day.
The balance part
Start on your knees
Kneel in the middle of the board, near the carry handle, hands on the paddle, and paddle a few strokes. This gets you used to how the board moves and steers before you are standing on it.
Stand up in one smooth movement
When you feel ready, bring one foot then the other to where your knees were, feet hip-width apart and parallel, and rise slowly with your knees soft. Look at the horizon, not your feet. Most people find a few strokes as soon as they're up make the board feel steadier.
Wobbles are normal
Everyone wobbles. Bend your knees more, keep your back fairly upright, and let your hips absorb the movement. You will fall in at some point. Fall away from the board, flat into the water, rather than onto it. If balance in general is something you would like to get better at, our guide to improving your balance has some easy land practice.
Board choice makes it easier
A wide, long, thick board is much more forgiving than a narrow race board. Rental and school boards are usually chosen for stability. Inflatables are common and work well on flat water.
The paddling part
Hold the paddle with one hand on top of the handle and the other partway down the shaft, blade angled forward. Reach forward, put the whole blade in the water, and pull it back to your feet, not beyond. Use your core and shoulders rather than just your arms. Switch sides every few strokes to keep straight.
The hard part: wind and water
Balance improves in a session. Judgement about conditions takes longer, and it matters more.
- Avoid offshore wind. Wind blowing from the land out to sea can push you far from shore faster than you can paddle back. RLSS UK says plainly never to set out in offshore winds, and Paddle Scotland's PaddleSafe advice says the same.
- Choose flat, sheltered water. A calm lake, a sheltered bay on a still morning or a quiet canal is ideal for a first go.
- Check the forecast and tides on the coast, and stay close to the shore.
A useful habit for beginners: start by paddling into the wind, so that the way home is with it.
The kit and safety basics
PaddleSafe, the paddle sports safety campaign, boils down to a few habits. Paddle Scotland's version:
- Wear a buoyancy aid, even if you are a good swimmer and attached to the board. You may need to release yourself from the board.
- Use the right leash for the water. A leash keeps the board, your biggest float, with you, but the right type depends on where you paddle, so ask the school or rental centre.
- Carry a phone in a waterproof pouch on your body, not on the board.
- Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
RLSS UK also advises always wearing a flotation aid. Follow local rules and the advice of instructors and lifeguards wherever you paddle.
Take a lesson
A single lesson with a qualified instructor saves hours of trial and error: how to stand, how to turn, how to get back on, which bit of the lake to avoid. Many schools on Italian lakes and beaches rent boards with a short briefing included.
FAQ
Do I need to be fit to paddleboard?
No. At a gentle pace it is closer to a walk than a workout. Long paddles into wind are harder, which is one more reason to stay close to shore at first.
How do I get back on the board after falling in?
Swim to the side of the board near the middle, grab the handle, and pull yourself up onto your stomach, kicking your legs. Then kneel before standing again. Practise in shallow water.
Can you paddleboard on the sea?
Yes, on calm days in sheltered spots, staying close to shore and away from offshore wind. Waves and surf are a separate skill for later.
Is paddleboard yoga a good way to start?
It is fun once you are steady standing. Our guide to paddleboard yoga explains what to expect.
Sources
Written by the Zestasy editors. General information for curious adults, not medical, nutrition or training advice.