What a great day down at Exeter Quay helping to promote the launch of the chiefs new kit! It was great to see the guys getting involved with the local companies including Kayak Hub Exeter who use our boards! There’s a great live video of the guys kicking out balls from the quay to the Hatha Nino+ raft!

It was the start of the Summer and a big swell was due any day. The winds were Westerly and it was mid tide. Most of the main beaches had cross on shore winds, not a great strength but enough to ripple the water.  The surf had been small for weeks and there had been a good few flat days, this meant the sea beds had been untouched for some time from turbulent waters and under currents.

We parked at the top of the cliff and for the first leg of the journey we couldn’t even see the sea. It was a long walk down through the fields until we saw our first glimpse of the blue stuff. We had got it right, the cove was sheltered from the wind and there was only one local in the water for his daily swim.  The water was mirror flat and appeared almost sky blue in colour.

As we paddled out we could clearly see the bottom, it was so clear it was hard to tell how deep it was, I would guess about 30 feet.  We spent the next few hours hugging the rock face finding caves and coves to explore…. what a day and what a day to go to our secret spot. The water was still really cold to stay under the water for long but we did see some amazing fish and about four different species of jelly fish….

Where will you take yours?

The inaugural SWSUP Drake’s Island Challenge SUP fun race will take place on Sunday 1st July at 10am. The challenge will follow the Chestnut Appeal Drake’s Island Swim and any profits generated from the event will be donated to the charity.

The challenge will take the form of a fun race from our Royal William Yard location at Firestone Bay to Drake’s Island and back. It’s the perfect introduction to SUP racing for all abilities and levels of experience with a distance of 2km.

The day will have a lot of other great SUP activities on offer, including: SUP Yoga taster sessions; SUP tug o’war; ‘have a go’ sessions on SWSUP’s XL SUP and the opportunity to demo the full range of Hatha SUP boards.

Registration is £25 which includes use of one of our SUPs.

We also encourage participants to raise sponsorship to help the Chestnut Appeal provide support for Prostate Cancer patients and their families across Devon and Cornwall.

For more information, please contact SWSUP on 07898 984497 or email
info@southwestsup.co.uk 

• At Royal William Yard, Plymouth. Google Maps
• Bring: Clothes to wear on the water, water-shoes, towel, sun cream
• Included: SUP board, paddle and leash.

Ever tried YOGA? Why not try it on the water, its not as hard as it looks and its a totally difference experience.  Here at Hatha we love being at one with the environment and what better way to do it than to practice Yoga on the water.

You don’t need a yoga specific board to get started, all you need is a board and some water. Yoga is all about balance and focus, why not try it next time you go for a paddle, try standing on one leg or even lay down on your back and take a minute or two to clear you mind and concentrate on your breathing.

We suggest having a paddle around first to get use to be being on the board and then start with some basic postures like Cat-Cow Pose and Balasana (Child’s Pose) to get your balance. Once you feel more confident then move onto some standing poses like Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana) or Tree Pose (Vrksasana).  If you feel a little wobbly try using a slightly wider stance than usual, its all about having fun so don’t worry if you cant do your usual poses straight away.

Whats the worse that can happen………. Namaste.

A massive thank you to all who popped down to see us at the Royal Cornwall show down in Wadebridge! We had a fantastic few days, the weather just held out. Really proud to have met the Royal Prince of Wales.  Until next year!