- Portland, Maine
- 2 Hours
- Ages 16+
Join the bracing and edging lesson in Maine! Improve boat control by mastering these two essential and interrelated skills! This lesson is for intermediate to advanced paddlers.
Quick Details
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; and 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. Once we’re on the water, we’ll cover board balance and strokes that help you move swiftly and maneuver effectively. We’ll also go for a brief paddle along the shores of Casco Bay.
We’re currently offering Intro to SUP sporadically throughout the summer. We can 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.
Instructors
This lesson will be taught by one or more of these instructors.
ASHLEY FLOWERS
Ashley is a Yoga Instructor, Environmental Educator, Entrepreneur and life-long lover of the water! She is a licensed Maine Guide and an ACA-certified SUP instructor. Ashley has been helping people connect with nature and with themselves for over a decade and looks forward to sharing her love of yoga, SUP, and Casco Bay with you! If you can’t pack in enough paddleboading this summer check out Ashley’s winter indoor paddleboard yoga classes at ashleyfloweryoga.com
CAITLIN MORRISROE
Caitlin is a Registered Maine Guide and ACA certified Stand Up Paddleboard instructor. She loves to explore Casco Bay and other surrounding areas while meeting beginner and experienced SUP and kayakers from all over on the tours. In her downtime, Caitlin also enjoys skiing, hiking, and hanging out with her dogs.
PETER ECKEL
A resident on Peaks Island, Peter enjoys great 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.
ASHLEY “TALL” LEEDBERG
If Tall’s not on the water, you can find her in the mountains! Tall is a Registered Maine Guide with Sea Kayak, Recreation, and Whitewater licenses and a Level 2 ACA SUP and Kayak Instructor. Born and raised in Maine, when she’s not on the coast, you can find her on a river expedition or exploring in the North Maine Woods.
SUZANNE BLACKBURN
Suzanne fell hopelessly in love with kayaking in 1980. In 2017 she discovered stand up paddle boards and now has two favorite ways to play on the water. Suzanne has been guiding and teaching since 1996 and is a Master Maine Guide with ACA Coastal kayak Level 4 and SUP Level 2 Instructor certifications. “Helping someone master skills and gain a sense of comfort and connection with the ocean brings me tremendous joy!” she says. Suzanne has paddled the entire length of the coast of Maine three times. She says, “I really hope to paddle the whole coast again. It’s endlessly challenging and inspiring but this summer my sites are set on paddling among the icebergs of the north coast of Newfoundland”
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.