Quick Details
Adult
$45
Learn the Fundamentals of Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
This course offers an introduction to stand-up paddling (SUP), an exciting way to explore Maine’s waterways. There are a lot of reasons to love SUP: It can offer a great core workout; it’s a terrific way to spot wildlife and ocean scenery; it improves balance; it allows you to surf waves, do tricks or just float along in the sunshine; it’s really fun!
This course is designed to introduce anyone who’s new to SUP to the many sides of the sport. No prior experience needed. We’ll start on shore learning proper paddle grip, paddling posture and techniques for getting on and off a SUP. On the water we’ll cover board balance and paddle strokes that help you move swiftly and maneuver effectively. You’ll also have an opportunity to practice your newfound skills with a brief paddle along the shores of Casco Bay.
We’re currently offering Intro to SUP June 21st, July 19th, and August 16th. We can also schedule this course as a private lesson at a time of your choosing.
Alternatively, consider signing up for one of our group SUP tours, which are also a great way to try out stand-up paddling. Our tours have less emphasis on instruction, and are slightly shorter.
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- Proper technique for the essential paddling strokes
- How to identify the major risks and hazards
- Launching and landing
- Balance and positioning on the board
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All the gear you need is provided and included in the cost of the course.
- Stand-up paddleboard
- Paddle
- PFD
- Wetsuit
- Drybag so you can bring along a few items on the water (snacks, phone, warm layer, etc.)
Instructors
This lesson will be taught by one or more of these instructors.
ASHLEY FLOWERS
Ashley, E-RYT 500, is a Licensed Maine Guide, Environmental Educator, and lifelong lover of the water. She has completed ACA SUP Instructor, Lifeguard, and Wilderness First Aid training. For over a decade, Ashley has offered joyful, accessible yoga on land and sea, and she looks forward to sharing her love of yoga, SUP, and the ocean with you.
From paddleboard yoga to outdoor adventures, join Ashley to move, breathe, and laugh in wild and wonderful places: ashleyfloweryoga.com
PETER ECKEL
A resident on Peaks Island, Peter enjoys easy access to paddling along the Maine Coast. A registered Maine Recreation and Sea Kayak guide, he is on the water most days – guiding for Portland Paddle, or on his paddleboard or kayak with other Peaks paddlers. Peter is an ACA Level 2 Coastal sea kayak instructor, an ACA Stand up Paddleboard instructor, and a Wilderness First Responder. In the winter he works as a ski instructor.
DAN COX
Dan hails from North Carolina and got stoked on paddling after watching the 1996 Olympics (he had never seen whitewater kayaking before). His favorite places to paddle are Wilson Creek and Shackleford Banks in North Carolina. Currently Dan is an ACA Level 4 Open Water Sea Kayak Instructor, Level 2 SUP Instructor (former L4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor and L5 Swiftwater Rescue Instructor), and Maine Sea Kayak Guide. Dan sea kayaked the length of the east coast of the United States in 2009 with his wife and in 2018 was the first person to SUP the coast of Maine. He also really enjoys surfing and canoeing as much as possible.
SUZANNE “FRANKIE” BLACKBURN
Suzanne fell in love with kayaking in 1980 & stand up paddle boarding in 2017 – two great ways to play on the water. Suzanne has been guiding and teaching since 1996 and is a Master Maine Guide. Her certifications include ACA Kayak Level 4, SUP Level 2 Instructor, and she recently added British Canoe Sea Leader to her credentials as well. “Helping someone gain a skill in a kayak or on a board and connection with the ocean brings me tremendous joy!” she says. Suzanne has paddled the entire coast of Maine three times and may just do it again.
SARAH GRAHAM
Sarah is paddleboard instructor, licensed Maine Sea Kayak Guide, Yoga teacher and Yoga practitioner of 20 years. She started off canoeing at age 6 and picked up other water sports in her adult years, including paddleboarding, kayaking, and surfing. She is Wilderness First Responder, an E-RYT 500 through Yoga Alliance, and an ASI Level 1 SUP Instructor. When not on the water, Sarah is a horticultural technician specializing in corporate indoor plant installations.
ZACK ANCHORS
Zack, owner and co-founder of Portland Paddle, grew up in Old Town, Maine along the shores of the Penobscot River. He’s been paddling on whitewater and the ocean since he was 11. During his 17 years as a guide, Zack has led countless kayaking and canoeing trips throughout the coast of Maine, and in Mexico, British Columbia, Ontario and Alaska. He is a master Maine Guide, an ACA Level 4 kayaking instructor and a Wilderness First Responder. When Zack isn’t running Portland Paddle, he’s a journalist, writer and teacher.
JOE GUGLIELMETTI
Joe is a Master Maine Sea Kayak Guide, an open-water sea kayak instructor with the American Canoe Association, and a wilderness first responder. He is also a licensed clinical social worker, and a returned Peace Corps volunteer (Zambia 07-09). Joe has paddled expeditions as far away as Fiji and Zambia, has through-paddled the coast of Maine, and section-paddled from Boston to Nova Scotia. Joe enjoys bringing people of all strokes of life into the marine environment, and he often leads paddlers to his favorite place in the world; the Cushing Island Cliffs, a mere three miles from Portland, where guillemots nest above the wild open sea.
MELANIE COLLINS
Melanie started kayaking many years ago in the shadow of pine trees in cool New England waterways. But it wasn’t until moving to a desert island off the coast of Los Angeles that she began paddling on the sea. She learned to love exploring by water while paddling around this island, camping on deserted beaches and surfing through sea caves. She became a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide in 2018 when she spent her first summer in Maine. Melanie is also an ACA Level 2 Coastal Kayak instructor.
PAIGE SIMENZ
Paige fell in love with sea kayaking while guiding in Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands. Trading freshwater for salt, Paige has kayaked close to the entire coast of Maine to get to know her new home. When she’s not paddling, Paige teaches environmental literacy in a local elementary school to help kids connect with all of the wonderful nature right here in Portland. Paige has her ACA Level III and is a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide.