The glistening water, blooming greenery and drizzling rain (it wouldn’t be British summertime without it).
Paddle boarding is the UK's fastest growing water sport and it's easy to learn in under an hour. All you need is a single oar and a board to get started.
Perhaps what makes it so appealing is its versatility; board possibilities go far beyond stand-up paddling. There's even paddle yoga if you want to do some tree posing. It's taken the wellness world by storm and it's been shown to improve proprioception and body awareness.
Although paddle boarding originated from Hawaii in 1950, according to British Canoeing, there are currently up to 600,000 participants throughout the UK.
Sam Bloemsma, owner of Four Lakes Waterski School said the growth of paddle boarding is "very Covid-led".
“It was always going to be a popular sport, but the pandemic helped that, purely because when restrictions started to uplift it was an outdoor activity. You were metres apart so (its) safe.”
The global paddle boarding market is estimated to grow by $59 million between 2020 and 2024. Early 2020 was a difficult time for the water-sports industry but it managed to get back on its feet as restrictions eased, and it continued to grow in 2021, widely establishing itself as the nation's favourite in 2022.
The Four Lakes Waterski School in the heart of the Cotswolds, might not have a rain-free guarantee but it does offer plenty of lakes, great surroundings, and rentable boards.
According to Google Trends data, searches for paddle boarding increased by 300% in 2021 compared to 2019.
Sam spends the majority of her time training as an all-South African champion in three water sports disciplines, leaving little time for her favourite sport.
“It’s such a healthy, social water sport to do and it’s for all abilities, as it just depends on how far you want to push yourself", she said.
“I love it, I think it’s really relaxing! I don’t get enough time with training but it’s a really nice thing to do with friends."
To give it a go, you can find your nearest place to paddle here:
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