About Stand Up

Stand Up Paddle Surfing / Boarding (‘SUP‘ for short), was born from an ancient form of ‘beach-boy’ surfing with deeps roots in Polynesian culture. The Hawaiian translation is Ku Hoe He’e Nalu; to stand, to paddle, to surf, a wave.  It may have very well been the very first form of surfing and was utilized in the 1960’s by surfing instructors to help manage students while out on the water.  Today the sport has come alive and moved beyond surf to inland lakes, rivers, and on just about any body of water.  With the Okanagan’s variety of warm water lakes and network of rivers, it’s the perfect inland SUP destination.

The sport’s  resurgence is thanks in part to watermen like Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, and Gerry Lopez who have adopted (and adapted) the sport to help them train and ultimately paddle into bigger and faster waves.  Little did they know that the sport would  become even more popular on flatwater and whitewater. It’s already developing quickly in locations like Lake Tahoe CA, Lake Havasu AZ, and now most naturally, beautiful British Columbia and across the country.

The act of standing up on a board for the first time is exhilarating! – From there, the sport opens up a whole new world of exploration, exercise and adrenaline.  SUP is arguably the most versatile water sport in the world – whether you want to surf, flatwater paddle for fitness and fun, catch a downwinder or just enjoy nature on a leisurely river cruise or even go on a challenging whitewater run.

The sport’s real essence may be the amount of freedom it allows, providing you an unparalled opportunity to reconnect with nature.  SUP is also a great way to get fit and allows you to choose your own path to better health.

To get started, you may want to rent a board and try it out first – Kalavida offers daily rentals from Kalamalka Beach for both individuals and groups.  Or you can rent a board and bring it to your lakeside property, cabin or wherever you want to go. And the rental boards aren’t just floppy foam planks – we have a range of diverse boards for you to try.

If you already know that SUP is for you, or want to upgrade your quiver, Kalavida stocks the widest range of Stand Up boards, paddles and accessories and has everything else you’ll need.  Brands include Rogue, Naish, Surftech, C4 Waterman, Werner, Quickblade and Kialoa.