Dan at Surf Dubai introduced Stand Up Paddle Boarding to me about 18 months ago. Before then, I only used running as a way to get fit. Now, I take to the water nearly every day as SUPing, in its various forms, encompasses everything I need to do to stay healthy. It’s not only fun, but also a great full-body work out.
As my friends will tell you, sticking to the norm just isn’t me. So I went looking for some different ways to enjoy my favourite watersport. This is how I came across “Board Balance” (otherwise known as BoGa).
As the name suggests, Board Balance involves performing yoga poses on a board. This challenging exercise requires concentration and exceptional core stability. If you’re up early enough, you’ll catch my friends and I down at Sunset Beach on a flat Friday morning going through our Sun Salutations!
How to do Board Balance
Using the SUP as a yoga mat, you must sync your breathing and be totally relaxed in order to stay on top of the water. Standing just forward from the middle of the board, start with mountain pose. Lean 
back slightly, from here move into a forward bend. With hands flat on the deck move one foot back and push your chest up. Allow your front foot to reach the other and push into downward dog. Stepping the first foot forward, come into proud warrior. Bringing both feet together, sit back into intense pose. Rise up, pushing your pelvis forward to begin again with the opposite leg.
Besides Board Balance I can’t go past a night paddle. Only for the experienced, paddling at night is the best way to enjoy Dubai’s coastline. At the right time, you can catch the light shows on both Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab from the water. This is a great alternative during the summer, once the sun has gone down the temperature drops and often there’s a breeze coming off the ocean, which can really cool you down. As it can sometimes be difficult to see where you’re going, nights with a ¾ or full moon are best.
However if it’s dolphins, stingrays and turtles you’re after then first thing in the morning is the way to go. There’s something very special about paddling through a glassy ocean just after sunrise, having dolphins playing around you. It’s fantastic to experience the wildlife slowly returning to Dubai’s waters.
I use SUPing for my fitness regime because I can simply adjust my paddling speed to either work on explosive strength, or hit the optimum fat burning zone with an aerobic endurance paddle. My personal favourite endurance route is from Sunset Beach to the edge of Palm Jumeirah and back again. If you’re out on a long paddle, always remember to take a camelbak and to protect yourself from the sun. Tell someone on shore where you’re going, and how long you will be. Most importantly, keep an eye on the surf report at www.surfingdubai.com so you don’t get stuck in bad weather. However you enjoy it, SUPing is a great way to exercise while having fun. So get out there, get wet and have a go trying something new!
Published in October 2012
